A once-closed feed store is buzzing again in Westbury. Ray Becker has taken on the reins of the long-standing operation at 44 William Street, breathing new life into a business that had once been a staple in the community.
“We had this room full of stock on Saturday. The locals were wonderful. Everyone walked in. Everyone walked out with bags of feed, and it’s been a nice steady morning again this morning,” Becker says, visibly heartened by the community response after the store’s grand opening of Meander Valley Feed Barn.
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Already operating Cradle Country Adventures with his wife Laura, Ray saw an opportunity to complement the horse riding enterprise with a venture into stock feed. “Act one, scene one we are going to go with a wider range of stock feed as what we can possibly manage,” Becker says. “Our background and our expertise is horses. So that’ll be a strong focus.”
The store’s revival has been helped by its proximity to a major agricultural wholesaler. Just three kilometres away, the warehouse has offered vital logistical support, making it possible for Becker to avoid overstocking. “They’ve straight out said, use our warehouse. Don’t fill yourself up with dead stock,” Becker explains. “To be honest, if it wasn’t for that facility being so close, I’m not quite sure we’d have bothered.”
Beyond business, Becker’s motivation is deeply tied to the local economy and relationships. “That’s the circular economy they call it, don’t they?” he says. “We can wander off to the big multinationals and send our money overseas, or we can keep it where it belongs. In our town.”
The stock feed business is also the result of strong supplier relationships, notably with Brendan of Skelbrook Vale Stock Feed on the northwest coast. “Brendan grows the majority of his product there, has a new small line feed mill. He does custom blends,” Becker says. “This mob of bags here is a brew that he’s been making up for us for a couple of years now.”
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Westbury itself is central to Becker’s optimism. A relative newcomer to the area, he’s struck by the semi-rural charm and the smallholdings dotted with animals. “The place is full of these little blocks and each of these little blocks has got a kelpie or two or some chooks or a couple of ponies for the kids,” he says. “I really do believe that’s going to grow.”
In many ways, the revitalised feed store is joining a wave of small, unique businesses making their mark in Westbury. From the bustling butcher shop opposite, to the popular Love Lucy Boots and boutique services like Acacia Healing and Fitzpatrick’s Inn, where Becker sources meals for horse riding guests, there’s a sense of a tightly woven community.
“Just unique little operations. Boutiquey, I suppose is the word. So I think what we do will fit in with that model,” Becker notes.
Although not one to make grand predictions, Becker is committed to the long haul. “Can we worry about five days’ time?” he jokes when asked about the future. “We’ll be here in five years’ time. How big it gets, I dunno. But again, if we get the local support, I honestly believe there’s more horses per head of population in this little area than probably anywhere else in the state.”
The operation is very much a team effort. Becker speaks modestly of himself but praises those around him. “We’ve got some terrific people that work with us,” he says, noting a mix of part-time and casual staff, including his wife and long-term colleagues from the horse riding business. Currently the shop is staffed by Anna Hayward, who is a “bit of a legend in the local horse world and a well known identity in the town,” he adds.
In Westbury, a community effort is helping an old feed store thrive again—one bag of feed, and one friendly hello, at a time.
