Warrenton, GA |

What started nearly 70 years ago as a single feed store in Warrenton has become much more than anyone could have imagined. Since 1955, Smith Farm Supply has grown to thirteen locations, all while staying true to its original mission: serving the farmers and rural communities who depend on them.

“I grew up around farming. My family was in the dairy business and then went into beef cows,” says Tyler Johnson, owner of Smith Farm Supply. “I loved working with animals, being around equipment, being outdoors—but I knew that wouldn’t be my entire career. When this came along, I really never thought it would go from one location to two or even to where it’s at now.”

Johnson purchased the store in 2008, and since then, he’s seen firsthand how quickly agriculture—and the supply business that supports it—can change.

“This is my seventeenth year in it. You could argue that ag business has changed more in the last seventeen years than ever before,” he says. “And I can almost guarantee it’ll change even more in the next seventeen. Georgia’s a really neat market—there are a lot of independents, and we love to maintain our independence. When we go into new markets, we can bring in goods and products essential to that area. Each store has its own identity.”

That local identity means each location is tailored to its community’s unique needs—something that matters even more in rural areas where options can be limited.

“We’re in a lot of underserved markets,” Johnson says. “It’s not that we choose those markets because there’s less competition. We run into logistical challenges with smaller fields, busier roads, lower populations. But if you want a 250-gallon tote of Roundup or an eighteen-wheeler load of fertilizer in South Georgia, you’ve got plenty of options. Up here, it’s more specialized. It’s rewarding to serve that type of market so people do have that option.”

While Smith Farm Supply has grown in size, Johnson says growth for growth’s sake has never been the goal. Instead, it’s about doing right by the people who work there—and the customers they serve.

“I love what I do,” says Johnson. “I look for opportunities to improve what we do for every person that works here. Getting the location, doing more bulk feed—that location was bought to make the other twelve locations better. I don’t know what’s next. It’s not about throwing out a number for more stores. I’m content with how things are, but we’re constantly trying to grow and advance what we do in a good way.”

By: John Holcomb