About Us

Family Owned & Operated Since 1978

In the decades since we first opened our doors, our commitment to customers has remained the top priority. We know that we exist because of them and nothing can pry our focus from that truth. While we have adapted to meet the new needs of our customers, we have held on to the thing that makes us unique to the industry: genuine human connection. We will always be available to our customers when they need us.

Our Story

  1. Tarwater Opens

    The original Tarwater Supply gas station, 1978

    Tarwater Farm & Home was started in 1978 by R.A. Tarwater in a small gas station with a 1,600 sq. ft warehouse. He had been in the feed and seed business for 23 years, and wanted to service his community with honest expertise that only a family owned and operated business could bring.

  2. Family Owned and Operated

    Tarwater family at the store, 1980

    The Tarwater family was very involved in the everyday business. Mr. Tarwater managed the store, Mrs. Tarwater kept the books, and their three children came in every day after school and through the summer months. We pumped gas. After a couple years, we built a bigger warehouse and concentrated on the farm and home business.

  3. Growth

    Building the new showroom, 1984

    We were blessed with continued growth and expanded again in 1984, adding another warehouse, knocking down the old rock gas station that served as our showroom, and building a new showroom and offices.

  4. Feed Mill

    Tarwater elevator and feed mill

    We purchased our current elevator and feed mill in the mid 1990’s to bring in our own line of bagged feeds.

  5. New Generation

    The next generation of the Tarwater family

    Upon Richard and Susan’s retirement they sold the business to their son, Rich and his wife, Lisa. Their children Levi, Megan and son-in-law, Abe run daily operations.

  6. Expansion

    Warehouse expansion, 1999

    We expanded our main warehouse with another building to the west, to offer more products and storage space for the store.

  7. More Expansion

    The 16,000 sq. ft. showroom

    In the fall of 2011, we added a state of the art 2,000 sq. ft. bulk chemical facility to better serve our customers and began work on a brand new showroom and shop facility. In February 2012, our new showroom and shop was completed. Our 4,000 sq. ft., 3-bay shop is state-of-the-art to improve our service capabilities and our new showroom tops over 16,000 sq. ft., complete with a mezzanine and stage area to display even more products. We also added additional parking and a larger outdoor display area as well.

  8. New Seed Warehouse

    Seed warehouse and treatment facility

    In 2015 we added an 8,000 sq. ft. seed warehouse and treatment facility. It is a fully-automated system for better and faster service.

  9. More Warehouse Space

    New warehouse, 2017

    With the addition of 7 acres to the South, we were able to build a much-needed warehouse to store more goods and keep up with demand. The addition of this warehouse allowed us to tear down the old store that is now a parking lot to offer more room for customers and allow for easy access.

  10. Second Location Opens

    Tarwater Holton location

    As we grew, we felt called to open a second store to be closer to our Holton customers. In 2020, we opened our Holton location to expand our quality goods and services to the community.

  11. Rich and Lisa Retire

    Rich and Lisa Tarwater

    In 2024, Rich and Lisa retired, handing over daily operations to their children Levi, Megan and son-in-law, Abe.

 

We thank you for our continued growth and look forward to working with you for years to come.

Our Core Values: D.R.A.W.

D - DETERMINED

We are the first to sweep the floor.

R - RELATIONAL

We are kind, tenderhearted and forgiving to one another, as God in Christ has forgiven us.
- Based on Ephesians 4:32

A - AUTHENTIC

What you see is what you get.

W - WE ADD VALUE

We want people to leave with more than they came with.

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