Since 1952.
Every neighborhood has a place like this. The one that's been there so long it's basically part of the landscape. The one where you walk in and somebody actually knows what you need. Merriam Feed + Seed has been that place on Johnson Drive for over 70 years. We're doing everything we can to make sure it stays that way.
Where It All Started
In 1952, Maurice and Martha Pieters opened a feed store in Merriam, Kansas. They had come from Belgium with the kind of work ethic that gets things built, and they built something that lasted. The original location was just across the street from where we stand today. At some point the store moved over, settled in, and never left.
For decades, Merriam Feed + Seed was the place people came for seed, feed, advice, and the particular kind of easy conversation that only happens when someone behind the counter actually knows what they're talking about. It outlasted trends, big-box competition, and a lot of Johnson Drive neighbors that didn't make it.
That kind of staying power doesn't happen by accident. It happens because a community decides a place is worth keeping.
What We Are Today
In 2022, Anna and Brad Perrin bought Merriam Feed + Seed. Not because they had a background in retail or a five-year growth plan. Because this store had 70 years of history, a loyal community behind it, and the bones of something really good underneath some wear and tear.
Fresh paint, new fixtures, a front desk, custom displays, a bird feeder wall that honestly turned out better than expected. Anna dreams it. Brad builds it. That's still pretty much how it goes. What they didn't want to change was harder to name but easy to feel. The way people linger at the counter. The way regulars ask about the cats before they ask about seed. The way you can walk in not knowing what you need and walk out with exactly the right thing because someone took five minutes to actually help you. That part was already working. It just needed a little room to breathe.
We carry products our customers ask for. Not whatever a distributor is pushing, not whatever has the best margin. If you've been asking for something and we don't have it, that's useful information and we want to hear it. We give advice we'd give a neighbor. If the product you're about to buy isn't the right one for your situation, we'll tell you. If we don't know the answer, we'll say so and try to point you somewhere that does. We're not in the business of sounding confident about things we're not confident about. Big-box stores can undercut us on price sometimes. They cannot undercut us on knowing your name, carrying 50 lb bags to your car, and giving you the straight answer instead of the upsell. That's our advantage and we plan to keep it.
Our store cats were part of the deal. They were here before us and they'll probably be here after. If you've never visited because you didn't know there were cats running a feed store on Johnson Drive, now you know. That alone is worth the trip.
We're at 9309 Johnson Drive in Merriam, KS. Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. Saturday, 9 to 3. Bring your chicken drama, your lawn complaints, and your hardest bird identification question. We've heard it all and we love all of it. That's the whole point of the place.