Their very own toy story

from SVM Ag Magazine - Summer 2022

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media uring a child’s roadside adventure, there’s one word on a sign that will get them to whip their head around, widen their eyes and start asking mom and dad: “Can we stop?! Can we stop?! Can we stop?!” Toys. That one word can spark the imagination and get any kid fired up for fun —put a toy in their hand and you’ll put a smile on their face, and you can do both at a shop in Lena. All you have to do is head through the village on state Route 73 and stop at Down on the Farm Toys and More, a place where people in the driver’s seat can give their back seats full of bubbling energy a lot to smile about. More than 3,000 square feet of toys, puzzles and decor greet wide-eyed kids and customers, with much of the merchandise rooted in farming —but like the sign says, there’s more. Folks will find Hot Wheels, Legos, FisherPrice toys, Barbies and selections from the Melissa and Doug line. You’ll also find David and Enola Troxell, the couple behind the toy counter who are keeping the toy store tradition alive and well in the little village about 12 miles north of Lake Carroll. You’ll also find something else at the store, and a lot of them: smiles. The Troxells have seen countless kids get giddy over the gobs of toys and more on their shelves during the 15 years they’ve been in business — and that’s one of the best parts about their job. “It’s fun to do when you see the kids’ eyes open so wide when the first come in,” Enola said. “When they come in and see all of the toys, sometimes they can get a little overwhelmed I think.” TOYS cont’d to page 20

Ag Mag | Summer 2022 19

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM There’s a lot to see at Enola and David Troxell’s store, Down on the Farm Toys and More, in Lena. Big toys, little toys, all sorts of toys, and more. “It’s fun to do when you see the kids’ eyes open so wide when the first come in,” Enola said.

The fact that the shop has lasted so long gives fans of toy stores something to smile about, too.

Toy stores were a more common site decades ago, found in downtowns big and small, but these days it’s harder to find one. Big box stores and online sales have made it hard for standalone stores to peddle toys, but Down on the Farm has bucked that trend. The Troxells have managed to stay on top of trends while also stocking items you won’t find in big-box stores. They also know their market — a farm market. Found in the heart of farm country, the couple caters to kids looking for farm toys.

The shop gets customers who come from both the country and city, and they both enjoy farm toys. The Troxells have seen many a youngster from the city who’ve had their eye on farm toys, fascinated with the TOYS cont’d to page 21

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“They like what they see every day,” David said. “They see the farmer spreading manure every day, and they want a manure spreader, or maybe their grandpa has a combine.”

But it takes more than just farm toys to make a business grow. There’s the “Toys and More” part of their business name, too: cars, trucks, puzzles, dolls, action figures, and more.

“We get more toys for everyone else, so it’s more than just farm kids that come in here,” Enola said. “We have games, dolls and puzzles, and try to be unique in what each toy looks like.”

The couple’s toy story didn’t begin with Down on the Farm. David grew up on a farm and knows his farm toys, and Enola used to run a children’s retail shop, the Little Peoples Store, during the 1990s. They’re also parents, so they’ve got some firsthand experience in fun for kids.

A few years after The Little Peoples Store closed, they started to get the itch to get back in business, so they decided to start a store from scratch.

They started selling farm toys at regional toy shows, and that went well enough that it inspired them to plow ahead and start a store of their own. More than a decade later, the couple is still making kids smiles, and making something else that’s pretty special, too.

“We get to make friends, too, and not just customers,” Enola said. “A lot of kids just really get excited.”

Speaking of friends, some friendly farm rivalry also plays out on the store’s shelves — and all you have to say is “Are you green or red?” and you’ll know what it is. The store doesn’t take sides, though. There’s room for both colors at Down on the Farm: John Deere green and IH red. New Holland fans will find their blue, too.

As for the kids? Well, they’re not too picky.

“If it’s green, or it’s red, they want that color,” David said.

The store carries most brands of farm toys, such as SpecCast, Bruder, Greenlight, and of course, Ertl — which once was its own popular farm toy company, and now is a brand under the Tomy Company. Kids who are hooked on Fisher-Price toys will find them at Down on the Farm, and there’s a whole herd of farm animals — horses, pigs, ponies, chickens, and more —waiting to find a new home in a child’s toy box. TOYS cont’d to pages 22 & 23

For some, green tractors are near and Deere to their heart; for others, the policy is: If it ain't red it stays in the shed. But whatever color you prefer, Down on the Farm has got you covered — including blue, too.

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Kids can start their own horse farm and hire some helping hands, too, like Makayla, to school the horses, and Jake the farrier, to take care of the their hooves and shoes.

Are Hot Wheels more your speed than tractor tires? Down on the Farm can put you in the tiny driver’s seat.

22 Ag Mag |Summer 2022

Down on the Farm carries more than just toys. Both kids and kids at heart can find something at the store.

Down on the Farm recently started carrying the Green Toys line, made from 100% recycled milk jugs.

While wide-eyed kids are eying up what they want, the kids at heart can browse Down on the Farm’s home decor and more, including wind chimes and puzzles

Down on the Farm Toys and More, 502 S. Schuyler St. in Lena, is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find it on Facebook, go to downonthefarmtoys. com or call 815-369-4444 for more information.

For the budding young builders, a fleet of construction vehicles is available — dump trucks, mixers, scoopers and more. Police cars and fire trucks can also be found on the scene. For ones who want to get behind the wheel, the store has rideable toys, too. “Kids see what dad drives, what grandpa drives,” David said, and they want to be just like them. One company has even managed to milk more out of the materials it uses, and its line of toys can be found at Down on the Farm. The Troxells added Green Toys to their inventory last year. Green Toys is a California-based company that makes toys out of recycled milk jugs, which are shredded into flakes, pressed into pellets and molded into parts.

While the kids can walk the aisles and let their imagination run wild, the store also has items for the folks who bring the kids to store — farm-themed decor, collectible signs, framed pictures and figurines. For the collector, some premium toys can be found in a glass case.

For many, a walk down the aisles is like a stroll down memory lane.

“Over 15 years, we’ve had kids come in and they’ve come back with their kids,” David said. “They’re brand-new kids, and their parents will tell them about how they used to buy toys here when they were younger. Then there are kids who graduated with our kids, and they stop in all of the time.”

If you can’t make it to the store, purchases can be made online with plastic or PayPal, at downonthefarmtoys.com and its Facebook page.

But there’s still nothing quite like visiting a toy store in person.

“We have a couple with a boy and a girl who come to visit their parents every year from Arizona, and they make a point to come here every year,” Enola said. “The boy collects cars and trucks.”

It’s experiences like that that make the Troxells proud and happy that they’re doing something they enjoy, and their customers enjoy, too.

“It took us a long time to build up the clientele that we have,” Enola said, but that time has been worth the investment.

“It’s not about the money,” she said. “Sure, it helps, but we’re here for people.” n