R. P. Home & Harvest

R.P. Home & Harvest

File:Home and Harvest logo.png
Formerly	Big R Stores (1964-2018) Stock + Field (2019-2021)
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founded	1964 (1964) in Watseka, Illinois
Founders	Bill Crabtree Pat Crabtree
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Acquired by Runnings; Rebranded
Headquarters	Watseka, Illinois, United States
Number of locations	22 (2021)
Area served	Illinois Indiana Michigan Ohio Wisconsin
Products	Home improvement
Revenue	Template:Gain $355 million USD (2021)
Number of employees	5,000 (2021)
Parent	R. P. Lumber (2021-2023)
Website	homeandharvest.com

R.P. Home & Harvest, previously operating under the names Big R Stores and Stock + Field, was a U.S.-based retail chain focused on agricultural and farming supplies, now undergoing rebranding. Established in 1964 in Watseka, Illinois, the company began liquidation proceedings in January 2021. However, R. P. Lumber acquired the stores in March of the same year. Later, in April 2023, Minnesota retailer Runnings purchased the chain with intentions to complete a rebranding by 2024.

History

Big R Stores originated in 1964 in Watseka, Illinois, founded by Bill Crabtree and his wife Pat as a supplier for farming needs.

In 1976, Jerry Gibbs, their son-in-law, obtained a controlling interest in the business. The ownership changed hands again in 2018 when Gibbs sold the chain to Joda Crabtree—son of the founders—and his business partner Matt Whebbe, who took on the role of chief executive officer. At that time, the company operated 23 locations across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

The following year marked the company's expansion into Michigan, launching stores in both Portage and Lansing. Concurrent with this growth, Whebbe announced a rebranding initiative to rename the company Stock + Field to better align with its product offerings.

Facing financial challenges, Stock + Field filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2021 and declared plans to liquidate all stores. At that point, there were 25 outlets functioning under the Stock + Field brand.

During the liquidation process, R. P. Lumber from Edwardsville, Illinois stepped in to acquire the rights to Stock + Field stores and committed to maintaining operations under that name.

By September 2021, R. P. Lumber revealed intentions to rebrand all Stock + Field locations as R. P. Home & Harvest. This transition included updating both physical store branding and the company’s website.

In April 2023, it was publicized that Minnesota-based retailer Runnings would acquire R.P. Home & Harvest.