You may never meet a nicer, friendlier person than Cecil Christenberry. He and his wife, Linda, own and operate Old Tyme Feed & Garden Supply in Fairhope. If you live in the Fairhope area and enjoy working in your yard, you probably have  already stopped  by dozens of times throughout the year. I look forward to every trip, they are just that nice!

Recently, we saw a Facebook post that  announced you could bring your knives and tools to Old Tyme on Saturdays to have them sharpened on the spot. So we did, twice. Jay Buckson has a side business called Chandus Sharpening. One day he showed up and asked Cecil if he could set up his portable sharpening operation in the parking lot. Cecil agreed and made  the announcement on Facebook.

“The first weekend was pretty good,” says Cecil. “Then word got out, and it's been crazy ever since. We had to put a schedule out so people would know when Jay would be here. His real job is HVAC repair, and sometimes he has to work weekends, so we needed to let people know.”

This is typical of Cecil. He is always willing to help people out. He has a couple that created a line of “farming” T-shirts and wanted to display them in the store. Cecil said, “Sure,” and they sold out quickly. They’ve been selling and restocking ever since.

As we were talking, Linda brought a couple into Cecil’s office who were friends from their childhood days in Chickasaw, just north of Mobile, and whom they had not seen in years. We visited for a few minutes, I made some  new friends, and they were on their way. That’s the way it is at Old Tyme Feed & Garden Supply.

Old Tyme Feed and Seed and Garden Supply is the new name to reflect the demographics that have changed in the 35 years they have been open. The area has  turned from a rural agricultural farming community to an urban area  which is growing like a weed. Cecil used to sell a lot of agricultural products to compete with the farmers' co-ops. “When I first opened, I pledged to be open 30 minutes before and close an hour after my competition, and I did every day except Sunday for years.”

Cecil tells the story of growing up in Chickasaw, earning his degree in Agricultural Science with a major in Animal Dairy Science from Auburn, and going to work with a large agricultural co-op, Gold Kist. He was their Animal Specialist assigned to Pell City, Alabama, calling on beef and dairy farmers to sell feed, seed, and animal supplies.  

He then spent six months in Brown Station near Greensboro, Alabama, then three years in Dothan. “That was a dead-end job, and it was going away," he says. He and Linda ultimately found their way to Fairhope, where he worked at the Alabama Farmer Co-Op store. Tired of moving and with two girls now in tow, they decided to figure out how they could stay in Fairhope and raise their family.

They decided the best opportunity would be to open their own store but didn’t have any start up capital. Larry Chason attended their Methodist Church and introduced Cecil to Grey Cane, who owned the Kemko Building Company. They met, and Cecil drew out the plans right on the spot, and Mr. Cane purchased the piece of property from Ingersoll Dairy, built the building, and offered Cecil a 10-year lease/purchase for the fixed amount he had in the property.

Cecil quit his job at the co-op in March 1987 but wanted to do the right thing about leaving. “It was a family thing,” he says. “We had two young girls and another on the way, and I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers.” Old Tyme Feed & Seed opened seven months later in October 1987. “The community embraced us immediately.”

Thirteen years later, Cecil thought it was time to give back to the community, so he ran for a seat on the Fairhope City Council and won. “I learned real quick, even in a loving, small community, that retail sales and politics don’t mix well.” He served two terms until 2008. “After my last meeting, I took off my tie, thanked everyone, and said, “I’m done with politics. I’m going to the store and try to make everyone love me.”

That didn't necessarily hold  true. When Bob Callahan announced he would not run for a third term representing Fairhope on the Baldwin County Board of Education, Cecil was concerned as to who would replace him. “He did a great job, but who was going to represent Fairhope schools for Baldwin County?” After arguing with himself for a while, he told Linda he was thinking about running. She responded, “I was wondering how long it would take you to realize you should run.”

Twenty years ago, Cecil received a call from John Thrash, who lived in the Oakleigh Garden District in Mobile and was in the large bird business. He said he had a blue and gold macaw about ten years old and wanted Cecil to help sell him for $2500, and they would split the profits. Cecil wisely said, “I’ll take him, but if something happens, I’m not responsible for $2500. Cecil fell in love with Bama, and for only $300, he has been the store’s mascot ever since. Macaws can live to be 80 years old.

Cecil and Linda have been living in Fairhope for 40 years now. “The people of Fairhope have supported us all the way.” He goes on to say, “If we were still just a feed store, we would have starved. The whole demographics has changed, and we’ve been discovered.” Old Tyme transformed from feed, seed, and animal products to home and garden supplies and is going strong. They still believe in old-fashioned values and friendly service. 

Yet another transition will happen soon. Cecil is working on a plan to sell the store to long-time employee Chris Haney. He worked  at Old Tyme when he was 15 until he was 21. “He does everything,” says Cecil. He returned seven years ago, and they will be transferring ownership as soon as they get the details worked out. Cecil will still be around to help out, but he quickly said, “Bama goes with the store!”

Thanks, Cecil. You are a treasure!