The Friendly Man at the Fruit Stand

By Megan Stock

Nestled in the busy intersection at 21st and Harvard lies a humble little striped tent filled with fresh produce.

I went to this little stand a few times this summer, but only to stop in and get some of the best peaches in town. When I stopped in this fall I was greeted with a smile and an enthusiastic “nice to see you again!”

This welcoming made me feel bad because I had no idea who the man behind the counter was. Before I began my search for the perfect peach that day, I asked the friendly fellow little bit about the stand.

I learned that all the fruits and vegetables were delivered fresh daily. That’s right, every morning the owner drives to local farms and gathers the best fruits and vegetables and brings them back.

When I asked about my beloved Georgia peaches, the man laughed and told me those too were hand delivered by the owner himself from Georgia back to Tulsa.

“Jeff, the owner, bought a truck at the end of May with 33,000 miles on it. He told me yesterday that it now had over 100,000 miles from all of his pickups," the man said.

All of the fruits and vegetables are freshly gown and, not counting the peaches, all from local farmers.

The man raved about how great it was to work there. Its one of the few jobs where the owners really cared about their employees.

“Sometimes they just drop by to gives us drinks or food if we are working an extra long shift, and the best part is we can eat whatever produce here we want for free… too bad I don’t like fruit."

This little produce stand may go unnoticed. But if its good fruit or vegetables and a friendly face you are looking for, then it’s worth the stop.

Megan Stock is a TU communication major from Springfield, Mo. A member of Delta Gamma sorority, she plays intramural basketball and flag football.