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Peddling produce from the Columbia market Back in the 1950s and 1960s before Interstates 77 and 40, my Daddy would drive Highway 21 from Wilkes County to Columbia, S.C., in a 1½-ton truck. The produce market there was the main location to get large volumes of produce, such as tomatoes, lettuce, onions, green beans, bananas, watermelons and peaches. He would get a full truckload and haul them to restaurants and grocery stores that could not get fresh fruits and vegetables because the local farmers were not able to get their crops out early enough. Daddy saw this need for “produce peddling” and could make money doing it. The early tomatoes and lettuce were from Florida, but they came into Columbia. On the way there, Daddy stopped at different stores and took orders. On the way home he sold off the back of the truck. Some locations wanted a box of grapes or other fruits they needed as a novelty. Of course it gave them bragging rights to have the earliest crop, and they could tell tall tales about growing it on their own vines or gardens. Carol Messer | Yadkinville |
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