Feed store owner brings alternative heating to Seward

MATT ALLEN

January 04, 2008 at 12:57PM AKST

Seward and the surrounding area are filled with pet owners.

One local business caters to supplying them with food, toys and nutritional supplies.

Knots-So-Fast owner Becky Dunn keeps her feed store well stocked with provisions and other goods to make local pets and their owners happy. Dunn moved to Seward during second grade, giving her an advantage from her long residency of knowing what people in the area need and want to keep their pets happy and healthy.

If she doesn't have what a customer is looking for she likes to point them in the right direction.

"Seward businesses are good when it comes to helping each other out," Dunn said.

"If I don't have something that I know another store carries I don't have a problem with sending customers their way," she added.

Dunn's store carries a variety for foods for different sizes of animals, animal types as well as a small selection of gardening supplies for both indoor and outdoor.

"Our AeroGardens have sold pretty quick during the holidays," Dunn said. Along with the AeroGarden, essentially a complete indoor garden kit used to grow lettuce and some vegetables, she sells an assortment of kits that can be used with the product.

In the fall of 2006, Dunn was forced to relocate her business after heavy rainfall flooded and damaged the building.

Since the move, Dunn has expanded her selection.

Dunn is now holding a contest to rename her store. The winner of the selected name will be given a $100 gift certificate to use at the renamed establishment. She encourages organizations to submit an entry. If they are chosen they will receive 20,000 airline miles.

"I have been wanting to change the name for a while," Dunn said.

With the new name she plans to come up with a slogan as well as a new logo.

Dunn ads that she is looking for something that successfully explains her business as caring for and about plants, animals and people.

Dunn also is beginning to sell Thelin pellet stoves through her store. The pellet heaters are equipped with automatic electronic ignition and are also equipped with battery back-up circuitry that would switch the stove to backup power automatically when the power fails, which occasionally happens in Seward.

Dunn explains that she did quite a bit of research before choosing the Thelin stoves. She chose their stoves because they surpass the EPA clean air standards and are an energy-efficient alternative to gas stoves.

"Pellet fuel is a growth industry, and in the last few years the amount produced has gone from 600,000 tons to over 700,000 tons," Dunn said.

"I hope that soon a pellet mill will be built in Alaska," she said.

Along with the stoves, Dunn will sell all necessary products such as the pellets. Knots-So-Fast has already received a few preorders.

For more information on Knots-So-Fast and the products it carries, call 224-3572.

Matt Allen can be reached at (907) 952-8527 or 224-4450.