CRe03: Imel's Greenhouse - Charlie Romans

I have been listening to people brag about Imel’s Greenhouse on Route 1 in Greenup, Kentucky almost as long as I’ve known the owner Kenny Imel and his family. And that is quite some time, because I have known Kenny for over 25 years. He and his brother started the Greenhouse a long time ago, and his brother moved on to other things, but Kenny kept growing and sharing everything with the people of Greenup and pretty much everywhere else. But don’t take my word for it; we’ll let him help tell his own story about where he started and where he is right now.

We got together most recently on a cold morning that lent itself more to hot chocolate than hot peppers, but Kenny is experienced enough to know that Mother Nature has her own schedule, and wayward temperatures don’t set her back much. “It doesn’t feel like it, but Spring is here,” he said. That’s the way it is, it’s up and down.”

“In the beginning, my oldest brother and I were partners for about a year,” he said. “He went on to do another job, and I continued to do the greenhouse business.” The whole idea, he said, began as an FFA project to keep activities on the farm. The plan was to keep records of everything to show how everything progressed for that project, but it carried on beyond that. Forty-four years later Kenny Imel is still going strong, plowing through the rough spots, and planning for bigger and better things during his successes. “I’ll be sixty this year, so it’s been a long time. But it’s been a good ride too.”

Kenny told me his hope was that he has done some good in the community, and in other areas as well. But at this point, I honestly don’t think my friend truly knows what he has accomplished – mainly because he isn’t a fan of blowing his own horn so to speak. But there are generations of students whose knowledge of agriculture, of the farms that built the area, would be quite a bit less if it weren’t for him and his family. Kenny is an agricultural champion whether he wants to own up to it or not, and he is always a willing set of hands when anyone needs help.

Proof of that is his involvement with the Farm to Table Event. Imel’s partners with Farm Bureau, the Farm to Table Committee, and FFA each year to put on an event that showcases the necessity of farm communities in Kentucky and what they have to offer. The event serves as a fundraiser, with money equally shared with the FFA, the Historic McConnell House in Wurtland, and the 4H. The dinner is held in Imel’s two huge covered greenhouses, and Imel himself is dedicated to making the event as successful as possible because of his commitment to agriculture and the good it does in the community.

“What they do is take that money and use it for youth projects,” he said. “And it gives some kids that maybe wouldn’t have the opportunity because they couldn’t afford it to do those things. It’s a win-win situation for everybody,” he said of Farm to table. “We have a good evening out and a lot to do. There’s food and fireworks, and the AG Commissioner usually speaks and there are other good speakers. There will also be some vendors this year from Farmer’s Markets, and we have a group of wood carvers coming in.”

“What we are striving to do, number one, is build awareness about agriculture,” Imel said. “Number two is to let the kids get involved so that they will know and take pride in the things they can do in this community. And as a group, we have to build our communities from the inside out. If you do that with local folks, then people are going to stay here. If we do some of these projects ourselves, then it works out better.”

Doing different things and bringing those things home is something Kenny Imel has perfected over the years. “We try to keep expanding and looking for different things to do and bring to Greenup County that’s not available,” he said. “When you go to a lot of bigger markets, there’s more stuff there, so we try to bring more stuff in here and make it better.” And his diversification means that area residents can always find things they need along with things they might want to try. The greenhouse carries a wide variety of vegetable plants, seeds, ornamental plants, flowers, and shrubs – and pertinent advice on how to make those things flourish. He also has an impressive array of concrete statuary as well that range from the fanciful bigfoot and alien statues to the more poignant veteran’s memorials and even simple welcome stonework and concrete benches. Concrete dogs, cats, rabbits, and ducks stand on or under benches surrounded by flowers, and even a few planters are shaped like pumpkins, llamas, and everything else.

Still, it doesn’t stop there. Imel’s has a play structure that is free to the public on most days when school groups aren’t descending upon the greenhouse to learn and enjoy everything they have to offer, including pumpkins and feeding goats. And again, it is more for the impact that for the money. “There are kids here that couldn’t afford to go somewhere else,” he said. “And as long as we can, we’ll keep it where there is no charge. And they can come in here any day the greenhouse is open.”

There is always more to the story, they say, and don’t think that just because Kenny Imel understands Mother Nature’s timetable that we were standing out in the weather. No, Kenny and I had a really pleasant conversation (you can listen to it all on audio) inside of “Granny Annie’s”, a specialty store inside of the greenhouse. Snacks of all sorts, jams and jellies, fudge, and other treats are available. “We try to do what we can local sourced,” he said. “And what we can’t get local sourced mostly comes out of Holmes County, Ohio in Amish Country. It’s Walnut Creek, wedding foods, and stuff like that.” The name Granny Annie’s is something near and dear to his heart as well. “My grandmother Anna Stephenson was the original salesperson when we first started,” he said fondly. “We started out at her house, in her front yard over the hill from here. So, we just wanted something in her memory.”

A trip to Imel’s Greenhouse is something people from counties away look forward to. The family owned and operated business is all about family and community, about helping people learn about agriculture and enjoy their heritage. “Anytime you can help a kid learn and enjoy themselves, then that effort is never wasted. And in the end, it always comes back to you.”

Imel’s Greenhouse can be followed here on Facebook and Instagram

Or call them at (606) 473-1708

Imel’s Greenhouse is open:

Monday – Saturday from 9am to 5pm

Closed on Sundays.

CRe03: Imel’s Greenhouse