This information comes from Tim Hodson at Greenhouse Product News. Actually it's from his Facebook Page. He mentions Pinnacle Landscape and Garden Centers foray into home brewing. Actually the garden center hosts the River Valley Ale Raisers home brew club. The club has 29 paid members, and meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Pinnacle Landscape and Garden Center. They also sell the brew supplies! "'We started selling wine and brew supplies in October of 2007,' said Garden Center owner Jim Taylor. “'We like hosting the meetings because it gives people a chance to learn more about the art of brewing.'†Brilliant! This has got to get you thinking about doing the same thing at your garden center. It could be home brewing, or home wine making, or any number of hobbies. What a wonderful way of diversifying the products offered through your store. This would be a great way to encourage people to visit during the winter months, when gardening tends to take a back seat to other interests. We are in wine country, yet I don't think there is a home wine making or brewing supply store anywhere closer than Sacramento, 40 miles away.
This is just the kind of thinking that will help smaller garden centers stay relevant in the community. Bringing people in that might otherwise never have visited your store. Now all Pinnacle needs to do is work on that web page a bit.