The summer in Durango brings sunshine and beautiful weather, but it also brings in fresh Palisade produce, which can be found at the Just Peachy produce stand.
The produce stand sets up shop near the Durango Community Recreation Center in north Durango every summer. It’s gone by several names in the past but is now known as Just Peachy. The stand is no roadside tent – it more closely resembles a small open-air market. Roughly 90% of the produce is sourced from Palisade, but the stand sells goodies from local Durango shops as well.
Just Peachy doesn’t have an online presence. Its summer success is based on word-of-mouth and loyal customers coming back week after week and year after year.
“We have locals who come back consistently. We have people who come from other states consistently just to come see us,” Joshua Bair, owner, said.
Even afternoon showers don’t deter the customers. As the business has grown, so has the tent shading the produce and its buyers. Bair said people come rain or shine to stock up on their fruits and veggies. Just Peachy employees will even grab umbrellas and walk customers to their cars when the weather calls for it.
Khara Wolf stopped in Tuesday morning, beating the afternoon rain. Wolf, who lives in Durango, said she’s been going to Just Peachy for years now.
“It’s the freshest produce in town,” she said.
For Wolf, the quality and importance of fresh local produce keep her coming back each year. She doesn’t care for crowded farmers markets or the limited grocery store options, so each week she pays Just Peachy a visit.
This year, the stand opened in May and will likely remain open through September, Bair said. In the past, the stand has run from June to October.
Bair and his business partners were born and raised in Durango, he said, so it’s the perfect place to come back to each summer. Perfect doesn’t mean easy. Bair’s summer days ensuring operations run smoothly are long and grueling.
“Keeping all this stuff coming fresh and ripe, and making sure it gets to the donations properly without going bad. It’s a constant struggle,” Bair said. “It’s a lot more work than people think.”
Just Peachy works closely with Manna Soup Kitchen, donating roughly 10,000 pounds of produce last year, said Bair.
After those tiring hours, Bair makes sure to truly enjoy his November and December, spending the holidays with his family. His respite is short-lived. In the new year, Bair and his team are back at work in Palisade getting the fields, equipment and irrigation ready.
“You have to have all your ducks in a row to start this, and then it takes a lot to keep it running fluidly because you can’t take a day off,” he said.
Each summer is worth it. The repeat customers and community keep Just Peachy coming back. And despite their lack of online presence, the quality speaks for itself, Bair said.
“We’re not great salespeople. We just have really good product, and the produce sells itself,” he said. “We love our community. They support us. We can’t be here without them.”
The stand near the Recreation Center is not the only one in town. A smaller, one-person tent is located near the Office Depot.
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