CALLICOON — As Sullivan County moves into the warmer months, the seasonal shift at Agway happens largely outside the store.
Fruit trees begin arriving near the end of February. By May, the garden center is full of plants, flowers, vegetables, annuals, perennials and customers preparing yards, gardens and country homes for summer.
Delaware Valley Farm & Garden Center Inc., better known as Agway, is owned by Kyle and Kaelin Salvatore, who took over the business in 2022 after buying it from longtime owner Rich Wulff.
Both had worked at the store before purchasing it. Kaelin started in 2016, and Kyle started in 2018.
“We were both here,” Kaelin said. “We had an idea of what was going on.”
Kaelin said buying the business felt like something they could handle after years of working there.
“Maybe we can even improve on it and make our lives a little better and maybe make somebody else’s life a little better,” Kaelin said.
Much of the store’s attention this time of year turns to the garden center and other outdoor needs. Kaelin said customers begin asking for flowers, vegetables, propane grills, outdoor furniture and other warm-weather items.
Agway also carries products for customers maintaining lawns, gardens, animals and rural properties, including seeds, soils, fencing, feed, chicken coops and raised beds.
Raised beds, in particular, have become increasingly popular.
“A lot of people are doing raised beds now because they’re so easy,” Kaelin said.
She said the appeal is partly accessibility and partly convenience. Raised beds make gardening easier for customers who do not want to spend as much time bending over or kneeling, and they are simpler to weed and maintain.
The store also serves customers interested in homesteading and backyard agriculture. While Agway does not hold a formal chick day because of limited space, Kaelin said customers can order chickens through the store.
The customer base changes throughout the week. Kaelin said weekdays are more local, with regular customers, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers coming through the store. Weekends tend to bring more people coming up from the city.
“When the weekend comes around, usually the locals stay away, and we get everybody that comes up from the city,” Kaelin said.
That seasonal rush can make the store especially busy. Kaelin said the garden center can be difficult to keep stocked once the season gets moving. Vegetables, annuals and perennials are delivered weekly, but some of the same items sell out before the next delivery arrives.
A busy day can include one to three tractor trailers arriving, deliveries going out, deliveries coming in and eight to 10 employees working to keep up.
For Kyle, this time of year also brings customers looking to repair winter damage and get their properties in shape. He said people come in for grass seed and lawn fertilizer, especially when snowplows have torn up yards or new construction has left bare patches.
Drainage projects are another common spring and early summer task.
“People tend to do a lot of drainage projects around their house this time of year,” Kyle said.
Since taking over the store, the Salvatores have also added or expanded some product lines. Kaelin said they now stock cultured stone for contractors and homeowners working on fireplaces or exterior home projects. They have also expanded Kalmbach Feeds, including show feeds for 4-H families, and brought in Dovetail, a women-owned clothing brand made for women.
Still, much of the business remains rooted in the same seasonal needs that have long brought customers to Agway: plants, feed, lawn care, outdoor living and practical advice.
For homeowners preparing for summer, Kaelin’s advice was simple: “Protect from the deer. Get something for the bugs.”
Kyle added mice and mosquitoes to the list, along with something more enjoyable: a grill and a few chairs.
Beyond the products, Kaelin said one of the best parts of the season is the mood customers bring with them, especially in the garden center.
“There’s not a lot of people that come in looking for plants that are unhappy,” Kaelin said. “It’s a joyful time to plant and do things that make you happy.”
The Salvatores also said they have tried to continue the store’s community role after taking over from Wolf. Kaelin said they have carried on sponsorships and donations, including support for local organizations and events.
The business also offers Callicoon Business Association members 20 percent off plants and related items and participates in the Tractor Parade.
Kyle said supporting local youth programs is especially important, including the Delaware Youth Center, school programs, FFA and 4-H.
“We always try to take care of places like the youth center,” Kyle said. “It’s pretty important, especially in a rural area.”
For the Salvatores, the warmer-weather rush is busy, but it is also the season when Agway’s role in the community is most visible: helping longtime residents, weekend homeowners and new gardeners prepare for another summer in Sullivan County.