Staff photo.

“I’m thinking by this fall,” local feed mill owner Gerry Gully shared this past Friday, May 22 when asked the timetable for a new warehouse to rise on the site of the old Boyd Feed and Supply Mill site, where the grain elevator perished this past April 27 in an early morning fire. Gully said that he had hired Ryan Westaby to fill in the old basement with sand and gravel in order to provide a level place to rebuild on, along with taking out the sidewalks that previously graced the site with their concrete existence. But just because the new construction at the mill site won’t begin until at least fall, doesn’t mean that local feed buyers are out of luck to find feed for their livestock. Along with the other mill just across town, Gully himself is already back in business, with some adjustments made. “We’re able to stay in business because the Fire Department saved my warehouse on the west end,” Gully said of the efforts of the Boyd-Edson-Delmar firefighters along with other area fire departments that had rendered mutual aid in fighting the April 27 blaze. “The fire was on a Monday and we were back to selling on Tuesday,” he said of developments. And while Gully has to order feed more often than he did before due to his present space limitations, that doesn’t mean there isn’t enough to go around.

“We’ve got a general supply of feed right now to feed almost anything,” Gully said, listing chickens, cows and pigs among the animals the feed mill can provide food for. Gully further said that the feed would come mainly out of Mankato along with some from Elk Mound Feeds, and “maybe corn by the fall.”

Speaking of fall, just where are the plans to build a new warehouse on the old elevator site at? Gully said that he has general ideas, but wanted to drive around and take a look at other warehouses to get more ideas for the new building still to come.

“I have a lot of general ideas, but I could always use more,” he said of plans for a new warehouse. But while Gully said that he didn’t know the size of the new warehouse as plans hadn’t gotten that far, the new one wouldn’t look like the old.

“It won’t look the same,” he said, “but it’ll look new, because it will be new.” In the meantime, and until a new warehouse rises from the ashes, those wishing to purchase their animal feed through the Boyd Feed and Supply Mill can reach Gerry Gully with their livestock feed needs at (715) 667-3898. After all, the west end warehouse is still standing, and that’s a tribute to community effort, plus staying power.