EXHIBIT 99

             IMPORTANT FACTORS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

         The following factors,  among others,  could cause the Company's actual
results  and   performance  to  differ   materially   from  those  contained  in
forward-looking  statements made in this report and presented elsewhere by or on
behalf of the Company from time to time.

Ability to Achieve Future Growth

         The Company's  ability to profitably open stores in accordance with its
expansion plan and to increase the financial  performance of its existing stores
will be a significant  factor in achieving future growth.  The Company's ability
to profitably open stores will depend, in part, on matters not completely within
the Company's  control  including,  among other  things,  locating and obtaining
store  sites that meet the  Company's  economic,  demographic,  competitive  and
financial  criteria,  and the  availability  of  capital  on  acceptable  terms.
Further,  increases  in  comparable  store sales will  depend,  in part,  on the
soundness and successful execution of the Company's merchandising strategy.

Seasonality

         The Company is an agricultural specialty retailer, and consequently its
sales  fluctuate  with the seasonal  needs of the  agricultural  community.  The
Company  responds to this  seasonality by attempting to manage  inventory levels
(and the associated  working capital  requirements) to meet expected demand, and
by  varying  to a  degree  its use of  part-time  employees.  Historically,  the
Company's  sales and operating  income have been highest in the third quarter of
each fiscal year due to the farming  industry's  planting season and the sale of
seasonal products.

Weather, Business Conditions and Government Policy

         Unseasonable  weather and  excessive  rain,  drought,  or early or late
frosts may affect the Company's  sales and operating  income.  In addition,  the
Company's  sales volume and income from  operations  depend  significantly  upon
expectations and economic  conditions relevant to consumer spending and the farm
economy.

Regional Economy

         The  majority  of the  Company's  existing  stores  are  located in the
Northeastern  United States and the Midwestern United States.  As a result,  the
Company's sales and  profitability are largely dependent on the general strength
of the economy in these regions.

Competition

         The  Company  faces   competition   primarily   from  other  chain  and
single-store agricultural specialty retailers, and from mass merchandisers. Some
of these  competitors have  substantially  greater financial and other resources
than the Company.

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         Currently,  most of the Company's stores do not compete directly in the
markets of other agricultural  specialty retail chains.  However,  the Company's
expansion  plans  will  likely  result in new  stores  being  located in markets
currently serviced by one or more of these chains, and there can be no assurance
that these chains,  certain of which have announced  expansion  plans,  will not
expand into the Company's markets.

         In addition, the Company competes in over half of its markets with mass
merchandisers.  The  Company  believes  that its  merchandise  mix and  level of
customer   service   currently   successfully   differentiate   it   from   mass
merchandisers,  and  that  as  a  result  the  Company  has  to  date  not  been
significantly  impacted by competition from mass merchandisers.  However, in the
past certain mass  merchandisers  have modified  their product mix and marketing
strategies  in an effort  apparently  intended  to permit  them to compete  more
effectively in the Company's  markets,  and it is likely that these efforts will
continue by these and other mass merchandisers.

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