Back in the early ’80s, when the nation was gripped by recession, Duane Schiedler and his wife, Julie, retooled their cabinet shop to churn out geodesic-dome greenhouses.
Fast forward more than two decades and the Schiedlers are at it again, only this time they’ve expanded. In addition to compact greenhouses (they’ve ditched the dome design), the couple also are building and selling compost bins, raised planting bed systems and custom chicken coops they like to refer to as “victory coops,” a play on the victory gardens promoted during World War II to ease food rationing.
What started as a sideline business last fall has since become a full-fledged business.