Bob Sells is the owner of Cookes Farm Center in Ironton. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)
When spring finally arrives and people start planting vegetables and flowers, the exterior of Cooke’s Farm Center in Ironton will soon come to life.
While the shop has been open all winter selling things like feed and tools, it is undergoing a colorful transformation in mid-April, with plants and flowers in full stock outside.
The company has been locally owned since 2001 by Bob Sells, who bought it from the founding Cooke family, who have owned it for several decades.
He says clients come from all over the Tri-State area and he sees a large portion of his business from 4-H families who work on the projects they run at trade shows in Lawrence County, Boyd County, and elsewhere.
Sells has long been involved in both shows, sponsoring trophies and contributing to many of their functions.
The store sells a range of feeds for everything from horses to chickens and dogs to guinea pigs, as well as farming and horticultural tools and supplies, hay bales, veterinary supplies and used farm equipment. They also offer small engine repairs.
The store already has plenty of seeds on sale for this year and Sells said a few popular items are seed potatoes and onion bulbs, which they sell in bags in various quantities.
Outside, some plants are already filling the room with broccoli, lettuce, and cauliflower for sale.
According to Sells, customer service is the key to long-term success. He said if the store doesn’t have something in stock, they’ll be happy to custom order it.
“You are doing everything you can to help them,” he said.
Cooke’s Farm Center is located at 3215 S. Third St. in Ironton and is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm.
You can find more information about the store on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Cookes-Farm-Center-Inc-189861287761717.
