Changing with the times keeps Brock going strong
Over the years, business shifted from produce to nursery stock
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

Eric Sucar staff The Brock family has been a fixture on Route 9, Freehold Township, selling produce and nursery stock for more than 50 years. Family members (l-r) son Ed Brock Jr., Jean Brock, Ed Brock Sr. and daughter Linda Arcoleo all have decades of experience in the operation.

Ed Brock's idea to open up a roadside produce stand in Colts Neck at the age of 10 has yielded him an empire over the last 50 years.

In an interview with the owner-operator of Brock Farms, of Freehold Township and Colts Neck, Brock, 74, said he was just looking for a way to make some extra money when he was young. He also liked the idea of having his own business selling fruits and vegetables, something he believed he was capable of doing well even at a young age.

History, expansion and the diversifica-

tion of his business has proved Brock right. Just take a ride down Route 9 and visit the 40-acre property in Freehold Township where Brock's main business is located, or take a trip to his Route 34 Colts Neck location, which houses a variety of water gardening products and equipment.

Ten-year-old Ed Brock was an early western Monmouth County entrepreneur, selling produce from his farm stand in Colts Neck.

Brock knew when he was young that he would not only have to work hard, but that he would also have to work smart. Even at the age of 10, Brock said, he was negotiating for better prices on the produce he purchased from area farms and produce growers.

By the age of 13 he had purchased a wooden farm stand and was bringing in extra money for his family by selling produce.

"In those days all you needed for equipment was a stand, signs, paint and a paintbrush," Brock said, remembering the business of his youth.

He said that during the 1940s, the local competition was fierce.

"We'd have to keep watch on the prices of the other farms around us and then move our prices up or down to get the most customers," he said, laughing and

remembering. "Prices for certain items would start out at say 3 pounds for $1. By the end of the day the signs would read 10 pounds for $1."

That was competition, the American way, as Brock remembers it.

While Brock was in the U.S. Navy, his parents ran the produce stand for him.

After his military service ended, Brock rented property a stone's throw from where the business currently stands on Route 9 north near Schibanoff Lane in Freehold Township. After five years of renting land, Brock purchased 4 acres. He saw the area begin to get built up and eventually purchased 40 acres.

"Produce was the game," Brock remembered, adding that he bought a barracks from Fort Monmouth for $40.

"I tore down the barracks and used the lumber to build my stand," he explained.

At that time produce work was seasonal, so after the growing and selling season Brock worked for Western Electric installing telephone equipment.

He married Jean Pellino of Freehold in 1957.

The business became more successful over the years but eventually, Brock said, he had to diversify his business to "stay in the game."

"The difference between then and now," he said, "is the way people bought."

Brock said that years ago he would sell thousands of ears of corn per week.

"People would buy fruits and vegetables in baskets for family get-togethers every weekend. They would can or freeze them," he said.

Today, Brock said, people buy a couple of tomatoes, maybe six ears of corn and a couple of peaches or tomatoes at a time.

"It's the volume that's changed so drastically and I liked working with the volume," he said. "That's the excitement. Unless you have a little retail in this business, it really is not profitable."

Brock diversified by incorporating the sale of nursery stock in the early 1960s and the business became a produce and nursery business. During this time Ben Castronova came on the scene and he has remained with Brock for 45 years. Castronova is currently the nursery retail manager of the Freehold Township location.

Brock incorporated the nursery stock and began selling his stock to landscapers, becoming what he called a depot for landscapers, contractors and architects.

During the 1970s Brock bought some trailer trucks and began hauling melons from the south up to New Jersey on a regular basis, bringing fresh summer produce to his customers.

Just to keep things interesting he also created a Christmas shop at the Freehold Township location in 1964.

By 1985, Brock said, he was selling more nursery stock than produce.

"By then, produce had become more difficult to sell. There's more dollars in nursery stock and the dollar volume went up," he said, adding that he decided to give up the produce business.

"Years ago," Brock explained, "we would have three grades of produce, and there was a customer for each of those grades. By the end of our produce selling, there was only one customer - the one who wanted the very best. This was true with all commodities."

Although Brock said it took him five years to make the decision to give up produce, and that it was a difficult decision to make, he also said, "It was the best move we ever made."

Brock's children, Linda Arcoleo and Ed. Jr., literally grew up in the business, so it's no surprise that they work with their father on a daily basis.

Linda's forte is the retail end. She spends her days at the Freehold Township shop and runs the Halloween barn, which

opened in 2003, and the Christmas shop.

The Halloween barn carries anything and everything for the fall holiday season, including spooky and scary stuff, as well as colorful custom wreaths, centerpieces and just about any other festive accessory you can think of.

When the winter season comes, "everything in the whole store turns Christmas," according to Brock, who said his wife still makes all of the beautiful custom crafted bows on display for customers to see and buy

While Linda spends her days in Freehold Township, Ed Jr. spends his work days, which at this time of year are about 16 hours a day, at the Colts Neck location, where all of the water gardening equipment and products are housed and sold.

The business is gearing up for its 13th annual Water Gardening Festival to be held at the Colts Neck location on June 23. In addition to water gardening displays, products and equipment, there will be free seminars: planting a beautiful water garden; installing a fish pond or water garden; keeping your pond crystal clear; and maintaining a healthy fish pond.

Brock tapped into this growing industry (water gardens) more than 20 years ago. Starting small, according to Ed Jr., the business now carries everything that is needed to start, clean and maintain a water garden.

For further information about the Water Gardening Festival, call (732) 462-0900.

Ed Brock has come a long way from the 10-year-old whose dream was to own his own business. Through the years and with the help of diversification and moving with the times, it would appear that he has more than managed to "stay in the game."