Swansea, SC 08/09/2024 (Paul Kirby) – Swansea area businessman Michael Bishop has bought and reopened the old Swansea Milling Company and Feed and Seed store at South Spring Street and West 2nd in the town. The purchase includes the small building on South Springs that was the florist shop and the land across the street from the Feed and Seeds store’s front entrance. In total, the purchase included 8 separate parcels of land.
Bishop was recently elected to Lexington County Council as the representative of District 1. He has been employed by Clemson University for nearly 30 years where he serves as an agriculture agent that collects samples of fertilizer, seed, sod, and other items for testing. He also owns a farm and Dust to Dust, the green cemetery, on Nulty Crossing Road off SC Highway 6 just north of the Swansea town limits. When asked why he was taking on a new business when he already had so much going on in his life he said, “The old store and the property around it are a big part of Swansea’s history. It’s been here since 1947 serving the people of this and the surrounding communities. I consider this a preservation and community service project as much as anything,” Bishop said during a recent interview with The Lexington Ledger.
When you enter the Feed and Seed store, one of the first things you’ll notice is the rebranding of the business. It is now called Bishop’s at the Mill and has a new logo on the front of the store. As you step inside, you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time. Except for the new computerized point of sale system on the front checkout counter, very little has been modernized. The construction of the building includes block walls, and a mixture of old pine plank and concrete floors that look as if they’ve been in place since the business opened almost 8 decades ago. Even when it’s hot outside, the building construction keeps it pleasant on the inside as you browse or chat with friends or the store’s staff.
The stock that’s in the store now is stock Bishop bought as a part of the property purchase. The warehouse side of the business already has feed for goats, cattle, chickens, horses, hogs, and dogs and cats. Bishop has ordered a great deal of other items to fill out his stock and now has or will soon have deer corn, wildlife seed, and lawn and garden needs like seeds and fertilizers.
Bishop said that he will have different qualities and types of feed including some high-end and performance feed for animals that have specific dietary needs. “Many people don’t realize that feeding some of your cheaper feed to your animals doesn’t really mean you are spending less to maintain them. As an example, it’s proven that dogs require less feedings of high-end feed because of its digestibility. Yard kept pets also leave less feces for their owners to clean up for the same reason. The animals draw more energy and stamina from higher quality feeds, and this cuts down on the number of droppings they leave in your yard.”
On the sales floor you will find feeders, waterers, garden chemicals, a small assortment of fishing supplies, insect poisons and traps, and even t-shirts with the new Bishop’s at the Mill logo. He also carries high quality hand tools and has a beautiful wooden table he’s taken on consignment. Stock here is also expanding rapidly as Bishop contacts sales representative and has his store added to their routes. “I’d like to eventually add some outdoor wear like Carhart pants and jackets, a larger assortment of hats, and those types of things. I even have a pool table in the back where you can challenge someone to a friendly game and enjoy a cold drink with a friend. I want the atmosphere to be laid back like the feed stores of old, a place where the latest gossip is mixed in with some hunting and fishing lies.”
Across the street where the old grain bins were is a wooden and tin covered shed where bishop has square bails of hay, wheat straw, and pine straw. Across Spring Street, there’s a lot where mobile Pet Med organizations can set up to vaccinate domesticated animals and provide the new county required microchip. “Again,” Bishop said, “I really think the citizens of this area deserve a one stop shop for these types of items and services.”
Bishop’s at the Mill will be open Monday thru Friday 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. On Saturday their hours are 7 until 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. You can reach the store by phone at (803) 422-1024.
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