$50 Gift Card to Carter's Grain & Feed.

A Family Business…..

you don’t find too many of those around anymore. Times have changed and big mega stores have swallowed up many small family businesses. Not so with Carter’s Hay and Grain. When small businesses are lost, customers lose the caring, and knowledge that a family business offers them. Carter’s Hay and Grain is still going strong with caring and knowledge that animal lovers and owners need to properly care for their pets.

It all started in the 1950s when John Carter drove a hay truck. Driving though out California to the north and the south hauling hay in for the many dairies and horse ranches located in Mission Valley, and all the way up to Norco and beyond. He knew how to handle hay and most of all he knew good hay. There were many feed stores throughout the San Diego area and John supplied hay to most of them. In 1969 John and his wife Mary Carter opened a feed store, gas station, and garage all together in Lakeside California. The boys would help with the store while he would go out and find good hay. Joey Carter drove the big semi truck hauling the loads into the store. John Carter Jr. worked for a short time at the store. Robbie Carter worked the garage, and Mike Carter worked the feed store. In 1970 the store became Carter’s Hay and Grain. 

When Mike was too young to drive, he would run home from school and start the delivering of hay with his mom. She would drive the old brown Chevy flat bed to the local ranches and Mike would jump out and unload the hay. As Mike got older, he devoted all his time to the store. He would go to high school for 2 hours and the rest of the day was at the feed store. Mary would sit at the scared up old wooden desk and write tickets and answer the phone and Mike would take deliveries to the ranches. Robbie passed away in January of 1976. Soon after Robbie’s death, the garage was completely shut down. With only the feed store to support them, Mike and Mary worked as a well oiled team selling the hay that Mike’s father John, brokered up from the Imperial Valley. Tragedy struck in December of 1979 when John Carter passed away suddenly. Mike and his mother worked diligently to keep the store going. His brother Joey brokered hay for awhile but it just wasn’t his cup of tea. He was a truck driver and missed driving.

In 1981 Mike became the store’s hay broker. Having learned everything from his father Mike set out to have the best hay possible. Ranches from all around saw the type of hay Mike could bring in and the quality standard was set. Mike has brokered hay from that year on. Mike had always delivered hay to a certain ranch right up the street from the feed store. That ranch was C-Me Ranch and there was a trainer there named Cindy Weight. In 1977, Mike got up the nerve to ask her to go to the Del Mar races one day, and that was that. They were married in 1984 in downtown Lakeside. Cindy got Mike involved in the show horse end of the horse business while Mike got Cindy involved in the race horse end of the horse business. Mike and Cindy’s first race horse was purchased in 1979. That gelding’s name was Kanidewdat. The couple has owned such great race horses such as Chinese Dragon and many others. They have owned many show horses and now own mostly Paint Horses.

In 2001, Mike and Cindy were blessed with a son Toby. Toby says he wants to be an actor when he grows up but, when he isn’t shooting a film, he wants to work at the feed store! Toby is busy showing his horse at the breed shows. Toby also shows 4-H with his rabbits, chickens, goats, pigs, and his dog. In April 1998, Mike made the big move to open a second feed store in Encinitas California. The big red barn on the corner came to life with a sign on it saying Carter’s Hay and Grain Too! Mike’s knowledge and expertise is now covering both east and north counties of San Diego. Family atmosphere, caring, and knowledge of just about every animal around, is still important with both stores. At the Lakeside store both the manager, Kathy, and head driver, Casey, have been helping customers out with their knowledge for decades.

At the Encinitas store the manager, Mary, has been helping north county customers out for decades too! All three of these important people are part of the legacy of Carter’s Hay and Grain now and for years to come. They are an important part of the over the top care customers receive when they enter a Carter’s Hay and Grain store. They help the stores maintain their involvement in 4-H, FFA, and many other venues. Along the way the Encinitas Store, brightened even more when the addition of Amanda came about. Amanda rode and showed horses with Cindy for most of her life. “Dad number 2” and “Mom number 2”, as Amanda calls Mike and Cindy, are so proud of her involvement in their business. Amanda attends many clinics and presentations that the feed and pet care representatives host. She has amazing knowledge and if she doesn’t know the answer she always has Mary or Kathy to rely on to get the answer to a problem or need a customer has.

Mike is always toying with the idea of expanding. He’s always looking for more ways to help customers make their animal’s health and lives better. He stays involved in the community searching for ways to improve his customer’s world around them. Toby, his son, just follows right along in his dad’s footsteps and thinks, someday he will be the one helping everyone with their animals.