The Belgrade Feed & Seed building on East Main Street has sold for $1.8 million to a Bozeman-based investment group planning a modern homestead supply concept called Rooted. The 12,000-square-foot property operated continuously as a feed store since 1962 under three different owners.

Rooted co-founder Tanner Vale said the space will offer curated heirloom seed subscriptions, artisan chicken coop kits starting at $2,400, and a rotating schedule of weekend workshops on topics like fermentation and backyard beekeeping. A coffee bar featuring single-origin pour-overs will anchor the front third of the building.

“We’re not replacing what was here,” Vale said. “We’re elevating the tradition for a new generation of land stewards.” He noted that 68 percent of Gallatin County residents now live in HOA-governed developments where livestock is restricted to chickens.

Longtime customer Dale Haskins, 74, watched the “For Sale” sign go up last Tuesday from his pickup in the parking lot. He said he bought his first bag of layer mash at the counter in 1978 and has returned most Saturdays since. The new lease does not include space for the pallet scale or the bulk grain bins.

The investment group, Gallatin Heritage Holdings LLC, acquired the property through a 1031 exchange from a Bozeman office condo sale last November. Managing partner Elise Crocker said the Rooted concept tested well in focus groups with households earning between $180,000 and $350,000 annually.

Belgrade Planning Department records show the building permits filed last week for “interior tenant improvement — retail mercantile.” No changes to the exterior metal siding are proposed. The original hand-painted sign featuring a rooster will be preserved as a “heritage graphic element” inside the entry vestibule.

Haskins said he will drive to the Co-op in Bozeman for feed starting next month. He added that the coffee at Rooted had better be strong enough to fuel a real day’s work.

The grand opening is scheduled for September 19.