‘I think it’s good … we’ve got to grow’: New, larger Wilco Farm Store opens Tuesday in Prineville

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A well-known business in Prineville is expanding, and will now employ more than two dozen people. The new Wilco Farm Store that opens Tuesday morning is five times larger than the current location, a symbol of the growth being seen in Prineville and Crook County in recent years.

The new 22,500-square-foot location at 154 NE Saint Charles Way opens to the public at 8 am.

The farmer-owned cooperative focuses on a wide array of products for rural life. 

"The store that we currently have in Prineville that today's the last day is, could actually fit in the clothing department at the new store," Wilco Vice President for Marketing and Ecommerce Jake Wilson said Monday. "So definitely a lot more selection, and offerings that we're able to offer in the community, and we're pretty excited about it."

The bigger store features an extensive clothing area and dog grooming with three self-washing stations, as well as a nursery and a greenhouse.

Wilco also will be offering large storage, a drive-thru load-out that's covered, and bulk propane. 

The growth of the store matches that of the area - in 1990, Prineville's population was just over 5,500. The latest Census Bureau numbers show it more than doubled, to more than 11,200. And they said just last week that Crook County has grown by 6.6% just since 2020, to 26,375 residents, making it the fastest-growing county in the state.

Prineville resident Gordon Radabaugh is a fan of the area's growth.

"I think it's good that -- we've got to grow, otherwise it'll just go -- like I say, it'll go the other way," he said. "It will quit growing, and it'll just die. So yeah, I think it's great!"

In addition to getting the new, expanded Wilco, Prineville is about to get a new Arby’s, and at City Hall they say a pharmacy chain is on the way.

Prineville Mayor Jason Beebee said, "The fact that we're standing in front of a new business that has outgrown their current footprint and the business they were in and had to move -- that just shows you, the demand is there, so the supply is needed."

 Since, the current Prineville Wilco store, three miles away on Gardner Road, is closing, you can expect a moving sale and clearance event later this month.