The Story Behind The Feed Store’s 40-Year Legacy in Laramie
In a town like Laramie with harsh winds and (alleged) long winter months, the quality of your livestock feed is more than a purchase, it is a pivotal decision. While the city has grown and modern big-box ranch supply chains have moved in with massive parking lots and bold neon signs, a dedicated corner of Snowy Range Road remains anchored in a different philosophy.
At The Feed Store, owned by Danny Klinginsmith, the business isn’t just about moving inventory; it’s about a motto Danny runs his business by: “Friends helping friends succeed in agriculture.”
To survive as an independent shop in 2026, you have to be more than just a store, you have to be an expert. Danny recalls a time when the store looked very different before the “big guys” came to town:
“When Murdoch’s first moved in we had to change what our focus was. We used to sell a lot of clothing. In fact, in the late ’90s the feed store was the number one Carhartt clothing store in Wyoming. Now we don’t even sell Carhartt, we’ve changed to focus more on feed and dog food and just be really good at what we do.”
That focus on “being really good” at the essentials is what draws in everyone from multi-generational ranchers to University of Wyoming students who have moved to Laramie with their horses in tow.
For students in the College of Agriculture, The Feed Store serves as a sort of unofficial extension of the classroom. While a chain store might have a clerk who knows where the bags are located, Danny and his team know what is inside of the bags.
“The biggest thing about the feed store has always been the customer service,” he said.
If we don’t know the answer we will try our darndest to find an answer. Ema, the store manager, and I come from very different backgrounds: hers is a horse background mine is a cattle background, and together we’re usually able to solve any problem or nutrition issue that someone might be having.”
This expertise isn’t just talk. The store maintains a deep network with the University and with the community.
“Furthermore, we know when we don’t know and are friendly with many UW professors, UW farm managers, vets in town and others that can help us give solid recommendations.” Klinginsmith said.
This environment provides a unique opportunity for students looking for more than just a paycheck, The store frequently employs UW students, providing them with a “boots-on-the-ground” education.
“We do hire UW students—right now Caroline is working for us while she gets her degree in Animal and Vet Science,” Klinginsmith said.
“I think what they gain is real-world application of feed and nutrition. People come in with questions and we find answers; she can learn from us and the people we talked about.”
Laramie is a unique mix of high-desert ranching culture and national academic influence. Danny sees The Feed Store as a bridge between those two worlds. Whether it’s supporting 4-H, where many customers first start, or participating in the MLK Day Pet Food Drive, the goal is visibility and compassion.
“The city of Laramie is probably the most diverse in the state. The University brings people from all over the world, and to get our name out to people that wouldn’t normally hear about us through the normal channels, it’s important to do these little events to just help get our name out there. Also who doesn’t want to help pets in need?”
In the end, the reason locals and students keep coming back to Snowy Range Road isn’t just for the high-quality Fromm dog food or the specialized cattle minerals, it’s for the relationship that big-box ranch supply chains can’t replicate.
“When people walk in the door, they know Emma. Most of the time, she knows them. If they’ve been there more than twice, it becomes more of a friendship versus just a business transaction,” Danny says.
For the Klinginsmiths, The Feed Store is exactly what the name implies: a place to find what you need to grow, whether that’s medicine for a calf, the right mix for a performance horse, or “even just somebody to sit down and have a cup of coffee with.”
