Longview Mill Serves McDonald County Farmers

RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Chance Lemm, manager of Longview Mill, is pictured among the store's shelves. The store opened in 1988. Not pictured is the owner, Tim Littlefield.
RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Chance Lemm, manager of Longview Mill, is pictured among the store's shelves. The store opened in 1988. Not pictured is the owner, Tim Littlefield.

Tim Littlefield of Longview Mill has been serving McDonald County farmers for more than 40 years.

Littlefield said he got into the business in 1978. He had grown up in the area on a farm, and he got out of high school in 1978. There was an old feed mill, which was built in the 1940s, across the road from Longview Mill's current location on Highway 76 that Littlefield bought to clean fescue seed. People saw trucks outside and would stop by and suggested he open up and sell some feed. That is how he got his start in the business.

"I had no plans of being in the feed mill business," he said.

When he originally opened, he partnered with his father -- the only partner he has ever had, he said. He stayed at the old mill until 1988 when he built his current location.

Littlefield has had several other business ventures over the years as well. In 1981, he built a feed outlet in Neosho called Southside Feed and Farm Supply. When he moved in 1988, he bought a mill in Joplin and manufactured feed from there until 2008. In 1995 he built a retail outlet in Monet called Farm Pro. In 1988 he also bought out a company called H & H Manufacturing and manufactured all his own feed banks and round bale feeders. He ran that operation until 1998. Now his stores are strictly retail outlets selling pre-manufactured goods, he said.

Littlefield said when he started in the business, traditional farmers were the core of his business. Now 40 percent are traditional farmers and 60 percent are non-traditional, meaning those who have other jobs they rely on.

Asked what he enjoys about his job, he said, "I actually enjoy everything about it. I enjoy the fact that we provide a service to folks we know and folks we don't know."

He said he and his staff used to know all of their customers. Now they know about 60 percent of them and get to meet lots of new people.

He continued, "I enjoy selling product and getting to help farmers be better at what they do."

He said customers are better educated than ever before because so much information is available on products.

"Electronic media has changed our business completely," he said. "We've always had great customer service, but it's one of our stronger points now."

He said for years, most box retailers stepped away from customer service and product knowledge as they worked at becoming more efficient.

"Sometimes the only reason (customers) shop here instead of online is customer service and product knowledge and pricing," he said. "Nowadays your customer comes in and says, 'I found it online, can you sell it to me for the same price?' The business is definitely customer-driven."

Manager Chance Lemm said the business sells "anything farm related" including feed, medicine, garden supplies, dog food, grills, coolers and weed sprays.

Littlefield has a small cattle herd that he cares for. As for the future, he plans to spend more time with family, work on semi-retirement and maybe sell a cow or two, he said.

General News on 04/18/2019