Building back

Christina Harris, right, the manager of Tizwhiz Feed & Hay, talks with Kevin Alfaro, as he unloads bales of hay with a forklift at the new location at the intersection of County Road 329 and NW Gainesville Road in Lowell on Aug. 25. The former business location in nearby Reddick was devastated by a fire on Aug. 12. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

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Posted August 26, 2025 | By Susan Smiley-Height, [email protected]

By taking things “step by step,” the folks at Tizwhiz Feed & Hay are back in business at a new location after a fire destroyed their former site.

Manager Christina Harris said by phone that they are “still working, doing deliveries. It is taking a bit to get inventory in order.”

The new location is at 12402 NW Gainesville Road, in Lowell. The former site was a few miles north, in Reddick. The business also has a location in Springfield, Ohio.

On the evening of Aug. 12, Marion County Fire Rescue crews responded to the site at 15398 NW 44^th Ave. Road in Reddick after several 911 callers reported smoke and flames. The responding crews could see a large column of black smoke from miles away.

According to MCFR, “Engine #11 arrived on scene at 7:37 p.m. to find the Tizwhiz Feed & Hay store fully engulfed in flames, with nearby homes threatened. As firefighters quickly deployed hose lines, multiple explosions were heard.” No injuries were reported.

Annabelle Leitner, a noted local historian, and her sister Nancy, are seventh generation farmers in the community of Shiloh in northwest Marion County. They have been longtime customers of Tizwhiz.

“The hay from Tizwhiz has been a part of my farm critter’s life for over a decade. When I sat down at my computer on Tuesday evening, Aug. 12, after feeding and haying the goats and donkeys, I could not believe what I was reading. Someone on my Facebook page had also just posted a video of Tizwhiz on fire.  It is just not the fact that one of our local businesses was burning, it was also the site of the A.Y. DeVore peanut processing plant, which, in my opinion, was an important part of Reddick history,” Annabelle said.

“I did not realize how hot the fire had to be until a couple days later when I was driving into Reddick from Fairfield and looked over to the north and saw the smoke that was still coming from the sight of where Tizwhiz once stood. It was a concern for us as longtime customers and farmers with livestock, whether the business would be able to reopen,” she shared.

“Although I really liked the location in Reddick, the Lowell site should work out well. It is easy to get to, only a couple of miles south of the original site and is very visible. We look forward to the rebuilding of this business,” she added.

Marion County Property Appraiser records list the 2.18-acre Reddick site under the name of Wayne Davis. Harris, who has worked for the business since 2013, said that Jason DeHaven, whose name also is listed for property at that same address, already owned five acres at the new location in Lowell.

Harris said they will store hay in the building that once was home to Susie Q’s, which at one time carried costume jewelry and thrift store-type goods. Workers are building a loading ramp to accommodate deliveries of hay and other goods.

Harris said that as far as she knows, the new site will be a permanent location.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” she said.

To learn more, go to tizwhizfeeds.com