Meet the Beneduce Family & Team

Our Story

Vintage photo of a grower in a straw hat holding a shovel in a sunny garden

1900’s

As fourth-generation farmers, we can thank our ancestors for our innate craving to sink our hands into the dirt. Emigrating from Italy in the early 1900s, Sebastiano (Sam) Amato settled in Madison, NJ and began growing roses for the NYC farm markets (Madison was the rose capital of the world at the time). He eventually opened his own greenhouse, Amato’s, starting our family’s garden center lineage.

Vintage photo of a red barn-style building beside a greenhouse on a gravel lot

1978

Vintage photo of four people inside an early Great Swamp Greenhouses greenhouse in Gillette, NJ

Owner and founder of Great Swamp Greenhouses, Michael Beneduce Sr, is a third-generation grower who learned the business at his grandfather’s farm stand, “Amato’s” on Shunpike Road in Madison. At only 19 years old, he purchased this Gillette property in 1978 and began to build the greenhouses from the ground up. He and Casey married (reception was in the greenhouse) in the winter of 1984.

Early Great Swamp Greenhouses property with a red storage building and equipment on the gravel lot

Vintage photo of a man in an orange shirt standing in a greenhouse doorway

1980’s

A new generation emerges. Mike and Casey had three future farmers (aka children) who grew up at the Greenhouse. After going off to college to study agriculture and other related fields, all three have returned to continue the growing tradition as a family.

Since the early 80's, we’ve had a beloved family Christmas tradition of setting up an antique sleigh surrounded by Poinsettias. Families (including our own!) have a tradition of taking their family Christmas Card photo in our sleigh, and now the kids are bringing their own kids to carry it on!

Great Swamp Greenhouses team among colorful hanging baskets and red hibiscus in the greenhouse

2020’s

Daughter, Justen, and son, Kevin, are slowly taking over the family business. Their time in college, coupled with growing up at GSG, gave them the knowledge and passion they needed to run and grow the family business.

We are always looking for ways to increase our sustainability (shade cloths, solar panels, horticultural recycling programs for plastics, etc) lessen our use of chemicals with safe organic horticultural oils and biologicals (using good bugs to kill the bad bugs) and more. We look forward to positive growth in our industry and business, and welcome you to join us!

Expansion + Beneduce Vineyards

2000

We purchased our 51-acre farm in Pittstown in 2000 when we ran out of space to grow at our Gillette location. We have another full acre of greenhouses (not open to the public) and fields of mums there.

In 2012, we opened the doors to our sister company, Beneduce Vineyards, run by Mike Beneduce. Today, it is one of NJ’s premier wineries! Feel free to visit the winery from February through December!