By Myles Ma
Like the wide variety of flowers in A&M Farmworks and Garden Center’s greenhouses, Kathy Acolia has watched her business grow in her 21 years as co-owner.
A&M is set to open soon, a few weeks later than its usual mid-February date thanks to the snow. Acolia, 61, said everything would be ready for spring, particularly Palm Sunday and Easter, which are big days for flower purchases.
Until about 20 years ago, A&M was a farm with a produce garden, but after Acolia joined Bob Marcinkus as co-owner, the two decided to convert the business into a full garden center. Over the years, the pair added greenhouses and a warehouse to the property.
Today the business has a landscaping department, sells decorative stone to paving businesses and deals in custom patio furniture. About 15 years ago, they started selling pies, which have become an attraction all their own, with people ordering them for every occasion, even birthdays, in place of cake.
“We have so many people that come in for the pies,” Acolia said.
A&M offers up to 35 flavors of pie on any given day, including crumb pies, cream pies and sugar-free pies, enough variety to satiate almost any customer. Acolia said they try to bake as many as possible each day.
Part of the attraction is the pie crust, made using a special extra flaky recipe. Acolia said A&M often bakes pies for fundraisers for schools and nonprofits, and donates them to senior citizens groups for special events.
A&M sells its last pies of the year around Christmas, before it closes for the winter on Dec. 28. It remains closed for all of January.
Though a garden center seems like a spring-oriented business, A&M does business throughout most of the year, offering special items for each season. For example, during the fall as the weather cools, the garden center sells chrysanthemums and decorative kale and cabbage. The store is always busy around autumn and winter holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A&M has been around for many holidays. It first opened by Marcinkus’ parents in 1953, the year Marcinkus was born.
He grew into the business; Acolia walked into it. She was a long-time customer when Marcinkus offered her a job.
At the time, she was working as a manager at a warehouse company, but she has always been interested in gardening.
“I thought about it and I thought it would be a nice change of pace,” she said.
The business has had its own change of pace since Acolia took the job, beginning its expansion soon after her arrival. Acolia said she enjoys the work more than at her corporate job, and she particularly likes working outside with the flowers, all grown on-site.
“We take exceptionally good care of them,” Acolia said.
Acolia has lived in Robbinsville for 19 years and went to Cathedral High School in Trenton. She has four sons, two of whom are involved in the business. Marcinkus is a lifelong Robbinsville resident who attended Allentown High School.
Co-owner Kathy Acolia stands with flowers at A&M Farmworks and Garden Center, Feb. 9, 2010. (Staff photo by Myles Ma.),
