VERSAILLES, Ky. — It’s a business that has called Woodford County it's home for more than three-quarters of a century.

Robert Cleveland is a co-owner of the Woodford Feed Company. He says the company is part of the community.

"Woodford Feed has been in business since 1940. That's 80 years we've served both Versailles and Woodford County, and other counties."

The Woodford Feed Company in Versailles is a family-owned farm supply store that caters to all the agricultural needs of farms and pets across The Bluegrass. Like other locally-owned businesses, Cleveland says they have had to re-think the way they operate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If they pull in into our lot, our showroom is closed. We have a garage door opened up on the far end of the building and you basically stay in your car, pull up, and we'll walk out to your car and take your order, do the paperwork that's necessary. Then we will have you pull around and we will load you what you need and be gone. We try to cut down on a lot of the interaction between our people and customers. Just trying to keep everybody safe."

Martha Gardner the other owner of the company still can't believe it. " It just blows my mind that it's come to this. We appreciate our customers and some appreciate the drive-thru, some do not. We're just doing what we feel like we need to do to keep us and the community safe."

It’s anything but business as usual here. Keeping their customers and employees safe means that the inside of this store must remain closed; while outside, those in need of products must now lineup in a two-lane drive-thru to be waited on from a social distance.

Gardner says it's not ideal, but necessary.

"Well, it's not as personal. Since we are a drive-thru at the moment, you don't get that one on one basis as much with the customer.

Robert Cleveland: We thought about opening back up and actually had plans to about the time that the numbers started going up. We stayed outside, waiting on people outside. It has been different. A lot of people are used to coming into the building and shopping and that's not possible now."

Continuing to find creative ways to fulfill their customer needs is crucial to this essential business, and Cleveland says especially as things constantly change day to day during the pandemic.

"Animals have to eat every day. That is the feed mill aspect of our business is what I deem essential. Then earlier in the spring, when crops had to be planted, you can't delay when you plant a crop. It has a timeline and so we had to be here to sell seed, and sell fertilizer, and sell chemicals and so forth. We were very fortunate. We've never been forced to close. We've been here every day, exception Sunday, trying to take care of people."