In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered

Bellevue Times
November 24, 2024

In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024

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.

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024

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.

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024
The City Ranch General Store is a self-service store accepting cash, checks, and Venmo payments.

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
quick breath of fresh air right in the middle of the city.”

-Ashley Nye

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.

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024
An assortment of custom cutting boards are available for purchase. These are handcrafted by Dan using his sawmill. A handful of Squirrel Tables can be seen in the background.

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.

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024
Custom Squirrel Tables are one of the more interesting items for sale at the City Ranch General Store.

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.

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024
“Pac Snacks” are available for 25 Cents a handful. These are used to feed the four alpacas in the yard.

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.

Bellevue Times | In the Market for a Squirrel Table? New General Store Has You Covered | December 5, 2024
Meet Al Paca-cino, one of four alpacas that can be seen grazing in the grass near the City Ranch General Store off 36th Street, a few blocks south of Highway 370. The names of the others are Wooly Nelson, Weird Al-paca, and Tupac-a.

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 [email protected] or by calling (308) 930-0668.

share Share

Bellevue Times

FREE
VIEW