News

Sep 20, 2023

Country Side Greenhouse Celebrates 30 Years of Blooms

Harlan Martin operates Country Side Greenhouse with his wife Emma (not

Harlan Martin operates Country Side Greenhouse with his wife Emma (not pictured).

CLYDE, N.Y. — Thirty years ago, Harlan and Emma Martin decided they had enough of milking cows on their 280-acre dairy farm in Cayuga County.

They moved there a decade earlier from Myerstown, Pennsylvania, for New York's comparatively inexpensive farmland.

But after dairying for 10 years, the Martins were ready for a new direction, so they opened a plant nursery.

They bought 100 acres of land on the outskirts of Clyde in Wayne County and began Country Side Greenhouse with one 24-by-72-foot greenhouse.

Since that humble beginning, the business has grown to include two greenhouses of more than 15,000 and 2,000 square feet. The Martins also raise 15 beef cattle and grow corn, soybeans and hay. Although they purchase the plants they sell to the public, it takes Emma's attentive care to keep them healthy.

"We wouldn't be where we are today without her," Harlan said. "She likes the plants looking good and keeping happy customers."

Emma readily offers growing tips to help customers succeed in their gardening efforts and oversees the market while Harlan keeps the mechanical aspects of the greenhouse going and raises field crops.

Five seasonal employees, aka the grandchildren, help with the workload.

The Martins learned the plant nursery business from off-farm employment at a greenhouse while still running their dairy farm.

"She always wanted plants; I didn't care either way," Harlan said. "But I knew dairy cows weren't my thing."

With the success of the nursery, some customers suggest the Martins expand. But as he nears 65, Harlan wants to keep the business the same size with his eye on retirement so he can hand it off to the next generations.

The Martins primarily sell popular annual flowers and a few perennials in both flats and hanging baskets, herbs and vegetable plants, along with gift items. Interacting with customers helps keep the inventory in demand.

Emma and Harlan's neighborliness extends to fellow greenhouse owners. Harlan said his philosophy is to not undersell other growers.

"You don't try to price gouge," he said. "The best thing to aim for is quality. Some growers say they can't make money because their neighbors are undercutting them. Don't aim for pricing, but quality. If you have quality stuff, they’ll buy. If you have quality stuff, they can't deny it. It doesn't pay to sell things that don't look healthy at a discount. If something doesn't look healthy, we throw it out because it's not quality and people want things that will grow well. People find out about us and tell their neighbors."

He added that if 10 customers have a good experience, they may let one person know, but if one customer has a bad experience, that person lets 10 others know.

Positive comments help drive most of the business, which is on a rural road that doesn't get much through traffic.

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