A new West Jefferson business is hoping to encourage sustainability and self-sufficiency in Ashe County and the High Country.
Homestead Supply, located at 10018 NC Highway 16 S in West Jefferson, sells products to help Ashe County residents live more sustainable lives by meeting their small farm needs.
Owner Eric Grig brings a broad set of experiences to Homestead Supply, and spent more than three decades as an auto mechanic in the High Country.
“I spent 35 years as an auto and truck mechanic in Boone and the general area,” said Grig. “But I’ve done a little bit of everything at one time or another.”
The idea that drives Homestead Supply is increasing self-sufficiency for its customers. Grig offers a variety of products including Bush Hogs, diesel generators, refurbished Yanmar tractors, scrape blades and plows, as well as Sow True Seeds, fish emulsion and organic fertilizer, and organic soil amendments.
“We do not sell chemical pesticides or hybrid seeds, though we do sell non-hybrid seeds,” said Grig.
Grig hopes to keep prices low to encourage local farmers.
“I don’t believe in adding much to the land besides animals and feed,” said Grig. “If a person doesn’t have to pay a lot to support their farm, that’s a good thing. What they earn is essentially theirs.”
Grig also hopes Homestead Supply becomes a resell point for local farmers.
“I’m trying to encourage people to bring things for me to sell, so I can resell it,” said Grig. “We’ve got a pretty decent location right next to the Parkway, and there’s a lot of traffic and we have a lot of lookers.”
The arrangement would depend on each item, Grig said, “Some larger things I’d probably take on consignment but, if somebody was going to pick local blackberries, I’d be a buyer, and honey too, as long as it’s labeled.”
Homestead Supplier also sells a wood gasifier, which converts timber or charcoal into wood gas that can be used to power an internal combustion engine, a chipper that is used to turn old Christmas trees into mulch, and a wood pelletizing machine used to create pellet fuel for stoves. The shop also has an oil expeller to be used in the making of vegetable oils.
Homestead Supply can get replacement parts for items including generators and tractors.
“If a customer has something that is bad or goes wrong, we can generally fix it ourselves, or find somebody who can,” said Grig.
Homestead Supply is located at 10018 NC Highway 16 S, West Jefferson, NC 28694. For more information, call at (336) 982-9777.
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