ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — A lot has changed since Robertsdale Feed, Seed & Supply, Inc. opened it’s doors.

Even the ownership.

“The store has been here since 1931,” said owner Brian Johnson, who says he’s been the store’s third owner for more than a decade.

But one thing hasn’t changed over the years: the store, currently located at 22450 Highway 59, (It will be moving about a mile down the road to 23353 Highway 59 by the end of the year) still offers everything a farmer or casual gardener, cattle farmer or horse owner might need or want.

And yes, “Miss Store Kitty” is still the resident rodent control officer. The position is currently held by a friendly calico cat, daughter of the previous “store kitty.”

The store even has a secret weapon. He’s Henry Walden, 79, of Robertsdale, and he seems to know “just about everything,” according to Johnson.

Walden says he has lived on a farm all his life, worked in agriculture, and “ran a dairy farm for 17 years.”

“We sometimes call him “’Dr. Henry,’” said Johnson. “We call him that because he’s ridden it, milked it, raised it, or grown it.”

“Experience is the best teacher,’ said Walden, who added that he came to work in the store after the owners of his herd decided to move the cows, “18 miles up the road.”

“That was too far for me,” Walden said.

Walden began working at the store about 43 years ago, and it wasn’t long before people started to bring in parts of their sick plants for him to see, or to begin describing their animals’ ailments to him.

“I know something about feeding stuff,” said Walden. “Experience is the best teacher.”

“This is my third owner,” said Walden. “All have been nice.”

He’s looking forward to moving to the new location.

“It’s all right with me,” said Walden. “I think it’s a better location. People will be able to turn at the light.”

For Johnson, owning the store has been a daily education. He graduated from the University of South Alabama with a degree in biology and a minor in anthropology. He’s taught SCUBA diving in Miami, and his office reveals he’s a big Jimmy Buffet fan. But, when it came time to settle down, he wanted to come home. He makes his home with his wife, Lauree and their daughter, Jordan, in Silverhill.

“I grew up around here,’ said Johnson. “I like Robertsdale and when I bought the store, both Mr. Clark (who started the store) and John Lassitter, who bought the store from him, were here so I learned under their tutelage.”

Johnson can recall several customers “who rode their horses here,” but the store has been changing with the times.

“There’s something different every day,” said Johnson. “The big change is in Baldwin County. It’s going from an agricultural area to suburbs.”

That has meant some changes for the store.

“You didn’t see as many women as you do now. There aren’t any working dairy farmers in the area, there aren’t as many cattle farmers. We now have homes with a horse in the backyard and a garden.”

That means the store has had to change with the times.

“We have more horse supplies, and we have increased out pet line,” said Johnson. “A lot of people have exotic pets around here, such as monkeys And we do stock some “alligator chow” for Alligator Alley.”

The store, Johnson added, also supplies some of the Gulf Shores Zoo’s needs.

Moving to the new store, currently under construction, will be a bittersweet move for Johnson.

“There’s a lot of history here,” said Johnson, chuckling over an anecdote where the mother of Store Kitty came through the celling while chasing a rodent. “But we will have more square footage and we’ll be able to put more stock on the floor where people can see it.”

And yes, Miss Store Kitty is coming with them.