Eagle-eyed drivers have undoubtedly noticed the group of alpacas in the yard on 36th Street, a few blocks south of Highway 370. What may have gone unnoticed, however, is a new self-serve general store open for business near the alpacas and the turnoff marked Sawmill Lane.
The house, the alpacas, the sawmill business behind the house, and the new general store all belong to Dan and Ashley Nye. Dan is a Bellevue East graduate who has been in the sawmill business for years, and with all of the storms that have rolled through eastern Nebraska this year, business is good.
Ashley said the idea for the general store started with the couple looking for ways to diversify their income and a growing number of people asking about seeing the alpacas up close.
Ashley wanted to make the experience welcoming for the community, “I love to make stuff and I’m creative in a different way than Dan is. So we started brainstorming what we could do that would be unique to the area while making use of what we’ve got here.”
“We wanted to create a place where people could come for a
-Ashley Nye
quick breath of fresh air right in the middle of the city.”
Most everything available in the general store comes from Ashley’s garden or Dan’s sawmill. “I try to keep everything we sell natural and local, making use of the land,” said Ashley.
Ashley shared that one of the early top sellers is lavender syrup, “People add it to their coffee and cocktails – really anything – including pancakes. It has a sweet, floral, honey smell. In addition to the lavender syrup, the other big seller is grape jelly… because everyone loves grape jelly.”
Ashley acknowledged that sometimes spouses don’t work well as business partners, “We actually argue more when we aren’t working on something together, so this seemed natural.
The City Ranch General Store is open from around 9am to sundown 7 days a week. It is self-serve, and there is a lockbox for cash and checks, and Venmo is also accepted. In addition to jellies, syrups, teas, and fresh produce, the general store also offers custom, handmade cutting boards and squirrel tables – maybe the perfect gift for the person who has everything.
Each squirrel table is handmade by Dan and looks like a miniature picnic table with a silver cup and tiny umbrella. Each table comes with a bag of corn to fill the cup. Set it out on your porch and watch the squirrels go for it. Squirrels approach the cup in such a way, that it looks like they are sitting at the table, eating their food.
The general store also offers ‘Pac Snacks’, a handful of grain that can be used to hand-feed the four alpacas. Posted on their Instagram page are a few things the Nye’s want people to know about their alpacas. They will greet you if they’re close to the fence, but if they’re far away, chances are they already have an agenda. They’re very smart animals with their own preferences and personalities. They shear them once a year; Dan built a spinning wheel, and they’re in the process of learning how to spin the fleece.
The City Ranch General Store is located at 11725 South 36th Street. You can find more information on the City Ranch General Store Facebook page or Instagram account. They are also available via eMail at cityranchadventures@gmail.com or by calling (308) 930-0668.
