Integrated into Agriculture, Large or Small

Agriculture. It is what makes up a significant part of the Bonners Ferry economy. Fortunately, General Feed and Grain in downtown Bonners Ferry has been committed to supporting the agricultural community here and throughout the Inland Northwest for over 70 years.

The business was opened in 1942 by Victor F. Rae. “My grandfather was a traveling salesman from Centennial Mills in Spokane when he purchased a run down, closed feed store with a small elevator” explained current owner, Victor A. Rae, the third generation of the Rae family to own General Feed and Grain. “He was joined by my father, Victor G. Rae, when he finished a U.S. Army enlistment in 1964.” The business has grown to include the iconic elevator that was built in 1954, the seed-processing plant in the early 1960s and the fertilizer plant in 1974.

General Feed and Grain is a multi-faceted business that operates a feed store which offers over 30 varieties of whole and mixed feeds manufactured and sold using locally and regionally grown grains including wheat, barley, oats and corn. As the only feed store using exclusively local grains, General Feed and Grain is truly unique. Their feed is made in-house with non-GMO grains; they were the first in the state of Idaho to do so. Some of the products they carry include non-GMO poultry layer and non-GMO hog starter, grower, and finisher product lines.

“The majority of our feed products are locally milled, mixed and bagged to include poultry, swine, livestock and horse feeds,” said Victor.

General Feed and Grain contracts crops for purchase of grain and seed from local farmers, opening distribution of local crops to commodity markets throughout the world. It also utilizes a seed plant capable of cleaning, treating and processing locally grown grass and cereal grain crop seeds for sale and distribution to both local and worldwide markets.

“Agriculture has been a large part of the Boundary County community and the Inland Empire as a whole for well over a century, and we are proud to have been a part of that community for so many decades,” shared Victor.

General Feed and Grain supports the lawn, garden and crop fertilizer requirements of homeowners and farmers utilizing a fertilizer plant capable of supporting standard and custom blend demands anywhere from 50-pound bags to bulk semi-truck loads. Their slow-release lawn fertilizer for homeowners has steadily grown in popularity over the last few years.

With a desire to give back to the community that has supported them throughout the generations, General Feed and Grain enthusiastically supports the youth in our community by giving to the 4-H programs and the Future Farmers of America.

“We are proud to see our feed lines commonly displayed as show animal selections of choice at fair time every year by 4-H and FFA participants in Boundary, Bonner, and Kootenai Counties,” said Victor.

The entire family at General Feed and Grain is grateful to have been a part of Bonners Ferry, Boundary County and the Inland Empire community since 1942 and looks forward to continuing to be an integral part of the community for many more generations.

“We deeply appreciate that, as a third generation owned business, we have third generation customers,” said Victor. “Additionally, it is great to see that despite being in Bonners Ferry for almost 75 years we have new customers coming through our doors for the first time each and every day. Whether a new customer or one we’ve known for decades, we enjoy a very healthy customer relationship with everyone and anyone who we are privileged to have as a customer.”

General Feed & Grain, Inc.

P.O. Box 1359

7128 3rd Street

Bonners Ferry, ID 83805

208.267.3185

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