WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — Fall is one of the busiest times of the year for Sherwood Nursery, which has been family-owned and operated in Washington County for more than half a century
Even though they have the most loyal customers, who have been coming for decades, a lot of those customers just aren’t spending like they used to because of the economy, as costs are on the rise.
October at Sherwood Nursery means pumpkins, corn stalks, fall flowers and repeat customers.
“I have some beautiful customers they’ve been coming here literally for years, we are like family! They’re here every year every year for 51 years,” said Val Jean Ciaffoni. Ciaffoni and her husband have owned the nursery since 1970.
Fall and spring are their busiest months.
Ciaffoni said she worries about how the economy is impacting her customers.
“I noticed some of the customers aren’t spending as much money as they used to because of the cost of fuel,” she said.
Costs at the farm have increased as well. The price of the soil they import has increased, and the cost of the freight that transports it has skyrocketed.
They’ve increased the pay for all employees to help them through tough times. Ciaffoni remains positive, however, and is thankful through the COVID-19 pandemic that she was able to continue doing what she loves best — farming.
“We reinvented ourselves a million times,” she explained. “We’re farmers so we had food and different things to sell, corn and tomatoes, it’s a little different for a farmer — a farmer always survives.”
The owners told 11 News that while they grow all the flowers, they actually drive to Amish country to buy the gourds. They pay for each one, driving 100 miles there and back, and they are doing their best not to pass on those expenses to the loyal customers.
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