Tractor Supply Company (TSC), a new addition to the business community in Saluda, was founded in 1938. As of today they have over 2200 stores across the country with a presence in every US state except Alaska. The Tractor Supply Brand was built on offering a wide range of home, garden, land and animal-related products for both farming and non-farming families.
Over most of the eighty-six years TLC has been in business they have provided a very patriotic atmosphere in their stores – American flags and flag-themed decor have always been found throughout every store. TSC has regularly supported many military causes and awarded scholarships to members of Future Farmers of America. Community involvement has always been a hallmark of the very successful, mostly rural brand. The company’s emphasis on Americana has certainly been in keeping with the wholesome, traditional values of its conservative shoppers, estimated to be at least 90% of its customer base.
In recent years, however, other flags have begun to proliferate as TSC joined the DEI movement. Rainbow and Black Lives Matter flags chief among them. In short, TSC joined the WOKE movement that has had such a harmful impact on our country over the past decade.
Enter Robby Starbuck.
Thirty-five year old, Robby Starbuck, is a first generation American born in California to a family that emigrated from Cuba after losing everything during the communist revolution. On a shoestring budget, and no family connections, he became a successful filmmaker and maker of music videos in Hollywood. In time, however, he became alarmed as he saw the country creeping toward communism. As a result, he publicly endorsed Donald Trump in 2015, knowing for certain that he would be blacklisted in his profession, but doing it anyway.
In 2019, Robby and his wife, Landon, and their three children moved to a farm in Williamson County Tennessee, near Nashville. He soon became active in political causes regarding Covid policies, and sexualization of children in schools, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in general. Robby and Landon teamed together to create a film called The War on Children, which was released in early 2024. (It is a must-see for every parent)
As a farming family, one of the favorite stores of all the Starbucks was Tractor Supply. He was very surprised when he began hearing about DEI initiatives that were being promoted by TSC. When he discovered they were sponsoring Drag Shows in public settings where children were present, he decided to try to do something about it. After all, he reasoned, why should the money earned through by Tractor Supply’s overwhelmingly, be spent on programs that insulted their beliefs?
Starbuck began by doing his homework. With the mostly-successful BudLight boycott as a recent example, he came up with a strategy. He would not fire all his ammunition at once. He would keep a lot of it in reserve.
On June 6, 2024, only five short months ago, Starbuck took to X to fire his first shot at Tractor Supply.
TSC may have hoped the first wave of discontent they heard from their customers, but it was not long before the second attack was launched:
One more week passed – three weeks since since the first when Tractor Supply released the following statement:
“We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them. We have taken this feedback to heart. Going forward, we will ensure our activities and giving tie directly to our business,” wrote the company in its press release, saying it would no longer do the following:
- Submit data to the Human Rights Campaign
- Sponsor non-business activities like Pride events and voting campaigns
- Include DEI roles
- List carbon emissions goals
TSC’s own statement was posted on X followed by another from Robby Starbuck:
Tractor Supply’s long-time motto is, “Work hard, have fun, make money.” In truth, if they had continued implementing DEI, they would have been prioritizing making social policy over making money. Now that they are putting customers first, they are making their hard-working employees happier and making more money.
Only a short time has passed since Tractor Supply changed direction in response to their customers. They have, of course, gotten a lot of pushback from liberal groups who embrace DEI policies. But those are not the people who walk in TSC’s door to buy their products. The conservative folks who do, appreciate being heard by TSC and appreciate the courage it took for TSC to change course.
Kudos to Tractor Supply. And Kudos to Robby Starbuck.
