MODE @ Work
Biographies of New and Established Small Businesses

Tucked in the countryside, a little off the beaten path, Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses is food for the soul. Sure, when you drive into the parking lot it looks like a greenhouse, but Ashcombe’s is definitely not just another garden center. Once inside the Ashcombe complex you’ll not only find fresh fruits and vegetable and garden supplies, but a plethora of decorations, furniture, pottery and more.

Originally opened in 1965 the complex began as a small roadside fruit and vegetable stand on the Ashcombe Farm property. The creation of owner and President Glenn Gross, Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses has grown into a multi-faceted retail establishment with over 100 employees, offering a variety of services, boasting a line-up of food, retail, and customer-related programs, such as the children’s gardening program that the store is currently offering. Some 34 years later, Gross continues to be "very much involved in every aspect of the business" says Marketing Manager Andrea Bixzel. Employee Naomi Kuntz says she’s "seen him everyplace but in the kitchen."

The layout at Ashcombe is more than customer friendly, with the fresh fruits and vegetables out front so you can select your goods as you’re on your way into the main building or shop for them on your way back to your car. There’s a cash register stand located nearby for added customer convenience. But don’t stop there, make sure you visit the rest of the Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses retail store.

Home furnishings, gifts, antiques, and pottery are housed in the heart of the main building, which extends out to the bakery where you can enjoy lunch or indulge in a treat. The wonderful aromas of candles, fresh produce, and potpourri drifting throughout the rooms, help you relax and add to the welcoming, warm atmosphere. Ashcombe’s is known for it’s "unique, one of a kind gifts," Bixzel explains. "There’s something for everyone."

The bakery and snack bar are behind the kitchen department full of gourmet food items, kitchen furnishings, and specialty items from jams and jellies to natural hand-soaps. For a snack or lunch, the snack bar has hot lunch items, sandwiches, hot dogs, and the assortment of chips and condiments, but don’t forget to leave room for a tempting dessert or two.

Beyond the main building you enter the greenhouse and garden center. It’s strategically set up with paths to easily navigate throughout the grounds while perusing plants and making your landscaping decisions. Customers can be overheard commenting how beautiful the grounds are and how everything is kept looking so nice. The center changes their flowers, foliage and hanging baskets corresponding to the seasonal weather, so like a garden the greenhouse visually evolves with the seasons. Their beautiful presentation is part of what’s helped make Ashcombe’s a success.

There’s an herb garden with flavorful herb seasonings like thyme, chives, cilantro, and sage, and sometimes hard to find herbs such as chamomile or chocolate mint. If you’re just beginning your home herb garden, the staff is knowledgeable and very helpful in helping you select the plants to start with.

Get away from the hustle and bustle of crowds and drive out to Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses. Not only will you see the grounds covered with autumn decorations, but it’s also time to buy bulbs to plant for spring flowers. Look around, you might even see Glen Gross out on a tractor or ringing up sales at a cash register.

Growlers and Meowers. What is that, you ask? Well, it is just another name for our fine, furry friends. But it’s also the name of one of Harrisburg’s finest new eateries — a quaint deli that features some of the freshest and uniquely named menu items in the area.

Open since June, Growlers and Meowers is the brainchild of Sherri Taylor and Michele Reber who became friends — and working partners — while at their previous job. According to the two owners, it was a combination of their common interests and their success in working as a team that brought the deli to reality. "We both really liked to cook and love animals," said Taylor, while Reber agreed, adding, "We both also wanted to open up our own business, like a café or a deli." And so the match was made. After some six months of planning and various location searches, the duo decided to make their first stop the Broad Street Market, and it is that location that Growlers and Meowers currently calls home.

Like all Market vendors, the deli/café is open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, serving a menu that boasts some traditional and some non-traditional offerings for both the hearty (the growlers) and the healthy (the meowers). And that mix is something of which Taylor and Reber are proud. "We did a lot of research and recipes to come up with the menu," said Reber, who added that from start to finish, the products are homemade … right down to the bread, which they buy from the Mussoline bakery in Hershey. In fact, the unique pet-related names of their menu items are homemade, too — a direct result of a pre-opening party during which family and friends got together, tasted the items, and christened the creations.

In addition to serving visitors to the Broad Street Market, the duo from Growlers and Meowers are also intent on developing a catering business. "We pretty much just finished our catering menu," said Taylor, "and we’re starting to see that pick up a little more now." Although Reber explains that they have found the catering business to be somewhat seasonal, with peak times seeming to be summer and holidays, the two hope that with their previous successful catering jobs and word-of-mouth, catering will become just as popular and create just as much fun as their time in the Market.

Although Taylor and Reber are still somewhat novices in the eatery business they both see themselves as part of the industry for the long haul. "We hope to stay in this business, it’s really fun," said Reber. "We plan on someday being in our own location." Whether that location be closer to the Capitol, as they hope, or just a quaint little storefront somewhere else, the two from Growlers and Meowers envision themselves sharing their creations with the community for as long as they can — in whatever position time may bring, especially if that position is more of a managerial one — or as Reber suggested, with a laugh, "I just hope we’re still not the ones making the sandwiches."

Don’t wait to see what the future holds — take advantage of the great food and gift items that Taylor and Reber have on hand. So, make it a point to visit Broad Street Market and see what the meowing and growling is about.

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