ROGER TUCKEL, owner of Lawrence Feed & Farm Supply, lets customers concoct mixes of grass seed and birdseed.

One of the original feed and farm stores in Lawrence was in the 800 block of Vermont Street, where there’s now a parking lot.

Locals knew it as the Douglas County Hatchery. The hatchery didn’t have a grain elevator, so most of its feed was brought in from a local or regional grain elevator. The business did, however, hatch chickens on the premises and provided much-needed food supplies for livestock and other animals.

The hatchery eventually moved to the corner of Sixth and Wisconsin streets in 1956, when the intersection was near the city limit, making it more accessible for farmers running to town for feed. Almost 60 years later, Lawrence Feed & Farm Supply sits on that same lot.

“Every day someone comes in to the store that has never been here,” said owner Roger Tuckel. “They will comment that they have lived in Lawrence for 20 years and just kept driving by or didn’t even notice our building. Once here, however, they seem to be pleasantly surprised and genuinely glad that they finally stopped in.”

Orscheln Farm & Home Supply, 1541 E. 23rd St., has had the same battle with Lawrence shoppers. Even store manager Richard Corum admits he drove by the store for years and never noticed it.

Although a cowbell still signifies the arrival of a new customer as they walk through the door, and the aroma of pet food and motor oil wafts through the air, Orscheln customers are no longer shopping at the feed and farm of yesteryear. Today’s stores offer various products, from designer dog food to horse and hog feed to flannel pajama bottoms.

“People will definitely be amazed at all of the products we carry,” Corum said. “It is pretty close to a one-stop shop for folks. But we still stay true to the food aspect with our birdseeds and dog foods.”

Lawrence Feed & Farm Supply offers bulk items as well. Customers can purchase dog biscuits, birdseed and grass seed by the scoop. They can also mix and match.

“You can concoct your own mixtures of grass seed and birdseed for both outside birds and domestic,” Tuckel says. “In fact, we have one customer who came in here in 1979 and handed me a recipe for bird feed. He asked me to make it and have it available for him from here on out.

“I did, and it has been a great seller ever since.”

Lawrence Feed & Farm Supply has a room devoted to designer dog and cat food.

“People want their pets to eat healthy just like any other member of the family, and we have the type of healthy dog and cat food that you can’t purchase at a grocery store,” Tuckel said.

One of the most appealing facets of feed and farm stores peppered throughout the United States is that most of them are owned by local families, which tends to lead to great pride in customer service and accountability for providing patrons with accurate and knowledgeable information.

The Orscheln chain is a family-run business with headquarters in Moberly, Mo. The first store was in Sedalia, Mo.

“Many of the items sold here are made in Kansas or Missouri,” Corum said. “If there is an availability of a Midwestern manufacturer, we like to use them. It is about family and service and helping our community.”

At Lawrence Feed & Farm Supply, every one of Tuckel’s kids has worked behind the counter.

“Most of my kids have helped out at one time or another,” he said. “Even my mother worked here in 1978 until about 1985 or 1986. Before that she helped run Vernon’s Hardware Store in downtown Lawrence. Point being, if you ask anyone here a question, they should be able to answer it and probably have even had some hands-on experience with the product.”