Meet the mothers growing plants, families at Brenckle’s Farm and Greenhouse
BUTLER TWP — Mother-daughter relationships are cemented on the grounds of Brenckle’s Farm and Greenhouse on Evans City Road and are key to how the business has grown over the years.
Amy Smith, Christina Williams and Stephanie Costlow — the daughters of owner Gary Brenckle — all work there, as do Amy’s children and Stephanie’s daughter, Eviee.
“The hours are endless,” Gary Brenckle said. “Employees work their shift and go home. The family doesn’t do that. We stay until everything that needs to be done, gets done. And that can be a lot. The farm itself is about 20 acres.”
The Brenckle farm is in Connoquenessing, a few miles down the road from the greenhouse. The planting of the business’s goods is done there.
The facility has only two full-time employees outside of family. Much of their work is seasonal.
“It’s taken the dedication of family to make this work. I’m forever grateful for that,” he said.
But along the way, family bonding has taken place.
Smith tried a year of college before deciding the greenhouse was where she wanted to be. Williams earned a degree in criminal justice at Edinboiro University, but returned to the greenhouse to make her living as well. Both, along with Costlow, began working at the greenhouse at age 15.
“It felt like home,” Williams said of the greenhouse. “I just didn’t want to do anything else.”
“We’ve all tried things,” Smith said. “We’ve all wound up here. I just love it. I can’t leave it.”
Nor can her daughter, 20-year-old Ally, who has fond childhood memories of hanging out with her mother at the facility.
“I remember putting a bunch of flowers together to make perfume, putting flowers in their (adults in the family) hair, my mom always made it fun for us. My favorite part of the job now is talking to people.
“I work the cash register a lot, talk to the customers, meet new people. I enjoy being courteous to people I meet.”
Smith agreed that having her children work in the greenhouse “has definitely improved their people skills. My kids are friendly and outgoing. I became that way when I worked here as a child.
“A family business isn’t easy. We all have to make sacrifices, work together to get it done.”
Besides Ally, Smith’s 13-year-old son Bauer also works at Brenckle’s. Her eldest son, Easton, is now in boot camp with the Marines and used to help out at the farm and in the greenhouse.
All of the families have homes within a few miles of the greenhouse.
Costlow’s daughter, Eviee, is 10 and comes to the greenhouse once school lets out.
“She wants to help any way she can,” Costlow said. “Sometimes, I think she wants to do too much, but I love the hard work ethic she’s picked up on and our experiences together here do make us bond better.”
Eviee just smiled when asked if she would rather hang out with her friends than come to the greenhouse after school.
“No way,” she declared. “I love coming here. I greet people, sweep up, whatever I can do. I can work the cash register if I have to.”
“We try to limit her on that one,” Costlow said.
Everyone in the family has a role. Smith does the bookworking, Williams handles the social media aspect, Costlow does “pretty much whatever needs done,” Brenckle said.
“We’ve all gotten good at this. This isn’t work to us. It’s quality time together … and it shows,” Williams said.
The family noted Brenckle’s son, Gary Jr., also works at the facility that has been at its location since 1993. Smith said her niece, 8-year-old Madi, and 7-year-old nephew Lane help out at the greenhouse as well.
Smith said she spends at least 60 hours a week at the greenhouse, including weekends. She’s grateful her children have shown enough interest to get involved in the business.
Because the younger children have grown accustomed to the surroundings and the work, she hopes the greenhouse “remains a family business for years to come.”
“We all support each other,” Ally said. “This goes beyond mother-daughter. It’s a great feeling, seeing how tight we’ve all become.
“This is who we are.”
