Pictured here (left to right): Dave Becker (father), Mark Becker (youngest son), Joseph Becker (middle son), and Daniel Becker (oldest son)
Becker’s Farm is devoted to providing the best quality annuals, perennials, nursery stock, and roses possible. We strive for quality over quantity to ensure that it’s easy maintenance for you with a very low chance of anything happening to your flowers, assuming proper care has been performed. We also carry just about any product you would need to maintain your garden through out the season including, mulches, pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides.
Once fall arrives, we provide top quality uniform mums that will bring you color straight into the Christmas season changing with the seasons is our inventory. For Christmas, we provide trees, kissing balls, wreaths, and the all time classic Christmas flower, the Poinsettia.
History
Becker’s Farm situated at 420 Columbia Turnpike has been an operating family farm since 1875. Reinhardt Becker purchased his first 5 acres from Michael Nagle on October 20, 1875.
With fruit trees already in place Reinhardt began to develop a small fruit and vegetable business. In 1894 the farm was too small to support his growing business. Reinhardt purchased more property from David Phillips and continued to farm until his death in 1931. His son Frank Becker continued the tradition of farming, expanding the fruit, vegetables and strawberries. Most of the produce was marketed through the Menands Market, as there was a large demand for fresh fruits and vegetables by local groceries.
After Frank’s death in 1963, his son Frank H. Becker Jr. expanded once again growing sweet corn. At this point nearly every possible piece of tillable ground was used for the production of sweet corn and tomatoes. Frank Jr. had grown to the point it was necessary to rent property to keep up with the demand of the retail consumers. However in the 70’s and 80’s retail groceries were able to mass market quality fresh fruits and vegetables at a less expensive price.
Frank Jr. recognized this early on and decided to grow a few bedding plants to compensate for the declining fruit and vegetable business. This endeavor was an immediate success. He built 3 more greenhouses with growing space of about 3800 sq ft. But in 1989 Frank Jr. became overwhelmed with a full time job and managing the farm.
It was time for additional help. His son David came back to the farm to manage the greenhouse business. Together they began to make plans for an extensive expansion project to include a state of the art greenhouse. Today the farm has two state of the art greenhouses with computer enhanced environmental controls and computer assisted watering. The total growing area of all greenhouses currently is 75000 sq ft. with an additional 35000 sq ft of outside growing area.
Next in line to take over the family business is Mark Becker, Dave’s youngest son. After attending and graduating from SUNY Cobleskill, he returned to manage the retail area of the business. After working for two years, Mark then decided to join the Army Reserves. While still serving, he is now the general manager and with David, continues to research options for improving both the customers shopping experience as well as new and exciting varieties of plants.