By Kelly Stevens
During COVID-19, rural and urban farming and agriculture store Linnton Feed & Seed has been busier than ever. With people spending more time at home, and working on yards and gardens and farms and related projects, Linnton has been a go-to supplier.
Like toilet paper and baking flour, there have been some unexpected shortages at Linnton Feed during the pandemic due to unprecedented demand. They even had to limit chicks to three birds per shipment this year since so many people—many for the first time—were ordering chickens. Mason jars have been hard to come by as homesteading and pickling as hit a historic high.
Serving people from Linnton, St. Johns, and Scappoose neighbors to farmers out Highway 30 to city hipsters, their product selection has a little something for everyone. Yes, you can find common hardware supplies, gear for working outside, garden supplies, pet products, and farm supplies—but you can also find red vines at the counter (on hold during COVID), locally made soaps and honey and coffee, children’s books, and more. Says Tyler, a staff member of four years, his favorite item in the store right now is the kids’ book, Alligator Jazz, which features local artist Sheila Bailey from Sauvie Island and “includes a feed store in the story that is a shout-out to Linnton Feed & Seed.” A close second favorite item for Tyler? Their excellent hemp animal bedding.
With its yellow marquee, featuring to-the-point messages ranging from practical (“Poinsettias”) to the supportive (“Black Lives Matter”) to the practical and hilarious (“Chicks”), Linnton Feed & Seed has been serving the community since 1946. You can find regular customers and first-timers any day at the store, a savvy and kind staff, the owner Darcy, and usually a friendly dog by the fireplace. (Sadly, beloved shop dog Dusty passed away this summer), but a team member’s new puppy, Laverne, might say hi.
Are there any legends about Linnton Feed & Seed and the old building? Well, rumor has it that next door to the store building used to be a brothel. Jason, who has worked at Linnton Feed for over 14 years, said that as a kid, his Grandma had a book of haunted places she shared with him, and Linnton Feed was featured in it for the haunted upstairs of the adjacent building. Jason can’t help but think of that eerie book whenever he walks through the dark basement on freezing winter nights to turn off the water when closing up shop.
As we turn the corner on the year and head into 2021, Linnton Feed & Seed is the place to go as you watch your dormant winter garden and prep your garden for sunnier skies to come. They will have chicks available by February, onions and potatoes in late January, February, and March, and plenty of extra bedding, warming items, and stock tank deicers.
Go check out and stock up at the legendary Linnton Feed & Seed, open every day of the week except for some holidays at 10920 NW St Helens Road. (More info at www.linntonfeed.com.)