Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Something for everyone at Jay's Feed in Curtis

If you can't find something you want or need at Jay's Feed and Tack in Curtis, then you weren't looking for anything.

The business is owned by Jay Clark, and carries nearly everything imaginable in farm supplies and convenience.

Clark had originally found a supplier in Texas who had excellent prices. He started buying from them and storing his supplies in the building where the Quick Stop used to be located.

"I started thinking, if I'm going to pay rent on this building I might as well open me a business," said Clark.

Basically he found a good general location, a good supplier and felt the opportunity for a good business was there.

Clark offers horse feed, cattle feed, vet supplies such as needles, Black Leg, Lepto, wormer, insecticides and several other farm supplies along with hydraulic oil and motor oil.

He also carries ATV accessories and tires, lawn mower tires and chain saws.

For the outdoors men, Clark carries camouflage, deer blocks in peanut butter, acorn, green apple, persimmon, sweet potato, watermelon and cherry tobacco flavors. He also has persimmon and apple flavored corn, and will soon be getting rye grass seed and other seed for fall food plots.

If you're a bird hunter, you can stop by and purchase some wheat seed to better your chances of a kill.

Clark carries all sorts of seeds for garden planting and is now stocking for fall planting.

Clark said he also carries items you might not see in most feed stores, but he has done well with them, such as his candles.

"I made enough money in one month off of my candles, I paid the rent on the building," said Clark.

He also has cell phone accessories, printed t-shirts, work boots, tennis shoes and cast iron decorations for your home, like hat racks, coat racks and etc.

Bugs Calloway is a regular at Clark's store. Whether it's to drop off some of his fine produce he grew in his garden or to purchase a cold drink and a snack.

Clark has coolers of ice cold drinks sitting in the store along with a rack full of candy. He also brags on having the cheapest ice around at 75 cents a bag.

Throughout the summer Clark has taken in produce from many different local growers and sold it in his store.

"I know at one time I had sold around 600 pounds of tomatoes and probably the same in squash," he said.

Clark is also glad to be a supporter of the Clark County Fair and the local Gurdon FFA chapter and 4-H.

Clark is currently selling tamale's out of his store to help raise money for the Gurdon FFA to purchase a new stock trailer.

You can purchase a dozen for $6 or five dozen for $25.

As far as Clark's horse feed, saddles, blankets, bridles and other tack, he's doing just fine with their sales.

Recently, some wagons came through on their way to the Okolona trail ride. They stopped and shopped at Jay's and then told friend and long time KSSN radio DJ Bob Robbins about supplies they had seen while at Jay's. Robbins took it upon himself to visit the store and purchased a saddle.

Clark gets his supplies from all over, including Tennessee, Florida, Texas, Ohio and Louisiana.

Clark encourages everyone to come in and drink a coke with him.

"It's a great gossip shop. We have a good time in here," said Jay.

Jay also has a helper at the store named "cat". Cat was abandoned and luckily found by Clark's neighbor who happens to be a veterinarian in Malvern. When the neighbor told Clark she was going to have to put the cat to sleep because no one wanted it. Clark took it in and put it in his feed store to capture mice.

"Cat" is extremely friendly and enjoys the fellowship just as much as Clark.