By Chris Aldridge
Kentucky Ag News

If it wasn’t for agritourism, Kenny Imel might have been forced to close his 45-year-old Kentucky Proud greenhouse business in Greenup County.

“Without some type of agritourism with our greenhouse, we couldn’t make a living,” Imel said. “In eastern Kentucky, there’s not enough flat land for production agriculture, so what we tried to do is build a little niche in our little part of the world.”

To do that, Imel’s Greenhouse switched its business model from 90 percent wholesale to 90 percent retail. It carries a variety of bedding and garden plants, hanging baskets, planters, shrubs, trees, soil, and mulch. Flowers are its best seller.

Imel invites customers to bring their children and grandchildren. While their parents shop in the greenhouse and browse a selection of local honey, apple butter, old-fashioned candy, and other goodies, kids can amuse themselves by zipping down 70 slides of all sizes and feeding goats.

What parents and grandparents like best is the kids’ activities are completely free. Imel said he has about $100,000 invested in that free playground.

“Most other places charge, but we do not,” Imel said. “We make our money in the front when the parents shop while their kids go out back and play.”

“You can make it (agritourism) what you want it to be,” added Imel, who was voted vice chairman of the newly-revived Agritourism Advisory Council. The council was established per statute (KRS 247.804) within the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) to advise and assist the agritourism program in determining the best ways to promote more than 500 agritourism destinations in Kentucky, including Imel’s Greenhouse.

“We’re a destination location,” Imel said. “We have people drive (about 120 miles) here from Lexington.”

“Imel’s Greenhouse is one of our many Kentucky Proud agritourism operations that offers locally grown products for customers, agriculture education and learning experience for the kids, and enjoyment for all,” said Sharon Spencer, director of the KDA’s Direct Farm Marketing Division, which oversees agritourism.

“Kenny and his family has done such a great job in building a strong community in Greenup County by linking agriculture and local businesses together to support area tourism and youth organizations,” Spencer added.

Imel’s Greenhouse annually hosts the largest farm-to-table dinner in the state, scheduled this year for July 15. A thousand people are expected to attend the event, which features live music and an auction, capped off by a fireworks show.

“We do it as a fundraiser for 4-H, FFA, and The McConnell House,” Imel said.

The McConnell House, a nearly 200-year-old structure in nearby Wurtland, Ky., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored by a non-profit organization to host community events.

“We fed 800 people last year and raised $53,000,” he added. “(Kentucky Agriculture) Commissioner (Dr. Ryan) Quarles has spoken every year. We hold it in two 42-by-96 foot greenhouses. It’s a way for us to give back to the community.”

Imel’s Greenhouse also hosts Christmas in the Country, a fundraiser for Greenup County Farmers’ Market that raised $39,000 in 12 hours in December.

Check out Imel’s Greenhouse’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/imelsgreenhouse. Spencer recommended its “flowers and fall adventures.”

Imel has plans to expand those autumn activities with an apple cannon and a pumpkin patch for picking. Imel’s Greenhouse has always sold pumpkins, but they were pre-picked and placed in a pile for kids to select.

For the first time since the COVID pandemic, Imel’s Greenhouse will welcome back school field trips this fall.

“We had 2,000-2,500 kids visit in a normal year, plus parents,” Imel said. “We’re already full every evening and every weekend (in the fall).”

Imel, 60, said there have been several generations of families visit on those school trips since he started the business as a 15-year-old teenager with one greenhouse. Now there are nearly 20 buildings of greenhouse and retail space.

“We’re going three to four generations back,” Imel said. “Now we’re getting some great grandkids and even some great-greats.”

Imel sees those kids as future customers, like their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

“If you don’t get young kids accustomed to the farm now,” he added, “they’re not gonna come back when they grow up.”