By Hamilton Richardson
Nothing says summer like the warmth of the Sun and fresh fruits and veggies, which is exactly what a new local produce stand hopes to provide (except the Sun of course) to Prattville and surrounding residents right near the heart of downtown.
First Fruits Market, located at 425 E. Main Street directly across from the Dollar General store and right next to Autauga Home Supply, was the desire of a local Prattville couple, Wade and Megan Hurst, to bring fresh produce to the community they grew up in.
“Really it was the brainchild of my wife,” said Wade Hurst. “She had an epiphany of sorts while visiting a produce stand in another city, and really the circumstances surrounding that is a story all by itself.”
The Hursts are both from Prattville and are currently both employed by the Autauga County Board of Education. Wade is a Social Studies Teacher and coach at Marbury Middle School and Megan is a bus driver.
“As the old saying goes, if you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life,” said Wade Hurst. “We find that to be true and we always catch ourselves referring to our students as ‘our kids’.”
Hurst said that although the produce stand is a business, the couple has a bigger goal in mind.
“As the name indicates, there is a broader vision at work, one in which we can be of service to the community in a small way, using this to contribute to the Lord’s work,” Hurst explained. “And while we’ve encountered some hurdles along the way, there is no doubt that the Lord has been in the middle of each part of the process.”
Megan Hurst has always had a strong interest in more natural methods of living and healing, said her husband.
“Health begins with diet so the idea of providing the public access to more local, and in some cases, more sustainably-grown produce, was a perfect fit,” he said, adding that agriculture and self-sustainability in general have always been of interest to him.
“We are at a point in history where food is shipped cross country in many cases, and in a real sense we are all disconnected from our source of life,” stated the coach. “With the rise in fuel costs, this is becoming less sustainable. The more people we talk to, the more we find that people are wanting to know where their food comes from. They want local food grown by local farmers.”
When possible, First Fruits Market sources from local farmers, although there will be times the Hursts have to go through a supplier to get items that are out of season or unavailable.
“We want to focus on the smaller scale farmers in our area, to help them grow and give them an outlet for their produce,” Hurst commented. “We are hard at work building our network of local producers. Our vision is, Local, Sustainable, Fresh. Reconnecting the public with their source of food. Certainly, our vision is to grow from the small space we are in now. As we grow, we will help local farmers connect with the public and in our own small way, we hope to be able to participate in opportunities that serve the community at large.”
Hurst said that the public’s response to First Fruits Market, which sits in the exact spot that a previous well-known produce stand sat for years, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We are very excited to be a part of the Historic District,” said Hurst. “I can think of nothing more historic than an open-air produce market. The market that was previously here was a staple of the city, they established a reputation for great products and great customer service, and we will certainly work hard to uphold that legacy.
For more about First Fruits Market, check them out on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/first-fruits-market.
