SIDNEY — The Hill & Valley Garden Club of Sidney has recognized three local gardening efforts with its 2026 Green Thumb Awards, including two residential gardens and a business known for its farm produce.
The club’s Green Thumb Committee spent the summer looking at gardens in Sidney and surrounding communities, selecting properties that demonstrated notable gardening efforts.
The first residential award went to Jodi Gray of 37 Pineview Terrace in Sidney. Her property features colorful flower plantings, including petunias and impatiens in the front and side gardens. By late summer, black-eyed Susans add yellow blooms to the landscape.
Gray tends several flower gardens and potted plants, as well as a large vegetable garden in the backyard.
The second residential award went to Debbie and Joe Chirico of Baker Street in Sidney Center. Their property includes flowers and shrubs throughout the front, side and back gardens, along with grapevines. An outdoor seating area behind the house is surrounded by the gardens, while decorative features are placed throughout the property.
The club’s business Green Thumb Award went to Down Home Acres at Tryons Corners in Unadilla, operated by Paul and Hana Crognale.
The Crognales manage 38 acres where they grow vegetables, fruit and flowers. Their farm stand on Back River Road between Sidney and Unadilla offers seasonal produce including corn, squash, potatoes, lettuce, garlic, onions and cucumbers.
The farm also operates greenhouses. One greenhouse contains about 1,000 tomato plants currently being harvested. The Crognales said they grew 15,000 tomato plants from seed in the spring.
The property includes a 200-tree orchard with apple and peach trees, as well as strawberries and blueberries when they are in season. Seasonal flowers, including mums, are also sold at the farm stand. Eggs and milk products are available as well.
Down Home Acres also supplies farmers markets in Manhattan. Each Sunday, Paul Crognale transports produce to markets including one at Columbia University and another near the American Museum of Natural History. Surplus produce is taken to the Fort Plains Produce Auction.
Crognale, a Kutztown University graduate, credits his grandparents with inspiring his interest in farming. Hana Crognale previously managed the large garden at Delaware Opportunities in Delhi. She studied marketing and also attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
The couple operates the farm while raising four children, ages 4 to 14.
The Green Thumb Awards are presented annually by the Hill & Valley Garden Club to recognize residential and, periodically, business gardens in the Sidney area.
