Perhaps my favorite part of my job is getting a sneak peek at what others do for a living in our Punching the Clock series. I am always amazed by the business and industry that exists in Chenango County, much of it unknown to the general populace.

The Page Seed Company in Greene, the site of my most recent on-the-job experience, is a prime example. Founded in 1896, Page is a historic part of the Greene community and a thriving business. In fact, it’s one of the largest seed packagers in the world. It employs between 65 and 100 people, depending on the season.

This week’s visit to the historic seed company wasn’t really a first for me. I remember touring it as part of a primary school field trip. My recollection may be vague, but I do remember thousands of colorful seed packets with every conceivable variety of flower and vegetable. In fact, their seeds were what we used to plant our garden when I was growing up.

Page’s still packages all of those seeds, shipping them to distributors and retailers all over the U.S. and even to Puerto Rico. Their biggest retail garden customer of the moment is Family Dollar, an order so big it takes nearly five months to fill.