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Beloved Austin feed store is closing after decades of service

Austin's beloved Buck Moore Feed and Pet Supply is shuttering after more than 40 years.

A cash register from the '20s, an adding machine from the '30s and scales more than 50 years old.

Stepping inside Buck Moore Feed and Pet Supply can take you back.

"Most of our customers back then were farmers and ranchers,” said Ken Bushong, co-owner of the store.

"Back then" was 1972, when the store opened and has remained off North Lamar near 51st Street.

Ken Bushong took over from his father-in-law, Buck Moore, in the '90s and has run the store with his son, John, since.

"It's nice when you work with your best friend, your son, it's really great,” said Ken Bushong.

Family is a cornerstone of the shop. It is why the are closing.

John Bushong commutes six days a week from Copperas Cove.

"Thirty minutes with your kids is just not enough,” said Ken Bushong.

But the father and son are closing their shop's doors February 10, 2018.

"It's just a passing of Austin,” said Harvey Graeber, a customer since 1976 and friend of Buck Moore. “It's something you witness and you hate to see it happen, but that's progress.”

John Bushong will stay in business online through Patreon.com/countryknowledge -- a subscription service where Bushong offers farming advice that customers have come to rely on.

But when the store's final day comes, Ken Bushong said, "It's hard not to get emotional … about something that's such an integral part of your family.”

It's a care they have shared with their customers.

"We enjoy our customers and we enjoy each other's company,” said Ken Bushong. “We feel like we make a difference. And we truly do."

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