Helping customers, farm owners at Malta Farm & Garden: Spring Gardening

But what sets the company apart from big-box stores is that the business is one of five locations operating under the Millerton Co-op, a farm member co-op.

“A portion of the profits are paid back to the farmer members of the co-op in the form of a patronage's dividend,” said store manager Paul O’Neil.

Other locations include Millerton (the first store), Chatham, Claverack and Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

So when customers shop at the store they’re not only supporting a local business but local farmers as well, O’Neil said.

In Malta, anywhere from 100 to 125 farmers are members of the co-op. Becoming a member is easy. O’Neil said there is a small questionnaire that needs to be filled out, then the co-op verifies that the applicant makes money living off the land or animals. “Farming — be it a fruit farm, chicken farm, horse farm, cow farm.”

The 20,000-square-foot location opened in October 2020, smack dab in the middle of the pandemic after the co-op saw more and more business in the Saratoga County area and decided it needed a closer location than Chatham.

“There were definitely some challenges,” O’Neil said about opening during the pandemic.

First, there was no grand opening for the store due to social distancing, but O’Neil said opening day was still well attended.

Since then the store has done well. O’Neil said the lawn and garden portion of the business has grown each year, along with supplying feed for horses, chickens and other animals. He also noted that bird feeders are big in the area.

“That part of our business is just phenomenal,” O’Neil said of providing feed. “I couldn’t even imagine it’s to the point where it is after three and a half years.”

The business supplies feed for participants of Saratoga Harness Racing and other horse organizations.

For O’Neil, a Saratoga Springs resident and owner of 21 horses, being able to do that is huge.

“I love animals,” he said.

O’Neil said word of mouth has really helped the business grow, and now he’s looking to get the company’s name out there even more.

“I still think there are plenty of people we haven’t reached,” he said.

O'Neil said that while they sell many of the items that big-box stores do, and at fairly similar prices, customers can expect knowledgeable service in the store from him and other employees such as his wife and son, who also work there.

“I think a lot of people feel comfortable coming and talking to us because of our experience and because we’re a local business and invested in the community,” he said.

He loves getting to know the customers.

“I still enjoy interacting with people, talking to them mainly about their animals,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll have a conversation with somebody that comes in that just bought a house, never did their yardwork or anything like that, and just going through the process of how to get whatever problem they came with solved and the fact that they’re like, 'Wow.' They’re just so appreciative that you spent time with them, and we’re able to do that.”

O'Neil said once they've helped someone solve an issue, they've made a customer for life.

For information, visit maltafarmandgarden.com.