Sometimes, it takes a lot of courage to do what one loves to do. For 25 years, Alba resident Stevan Johnston logged in and out of a shop in Terrell as an automotive mechanic. 

He provided for his family and he and his wife, Angie, raised their children. He watched with interest when, 15 years ago, his father set up a lawn chair and sold some of his garden produce on South Pacific St., on the west side just before the curve.

One year later, Johnston gave the automotive shop his two-week notice and made a commitment to run a produce stand at the same location where his father used to sit.

“I was scared to death,” he admitted, “I literally had to produce, with my own hands, our livelihood.” But it was his decision to do something which he loves.

For 14 years, Johnston has been doing just that, running The Produce Shack.    

Running the Shack is no small endeavor. In the growing season – May to October – he opens the stand during the week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday 8 to 3.

Most folks heading south on Hwy. 69 catch a glimpse of the Produce Shack before launching down the hill toward Tyler. Under the metal awning are some shelves, a freezer and a refrigerator. Behind the awning is a small storage building. Some display stands are out front, usually featuring some seasonal fruits or vegetables. Last week, it was watermelon.   

One of the desirous qualities of a true produce stand is that one usually knows where the produce comes from. In Johnston’s case the majority of his offerings come from five acres under cultivation at the Johnston’s holding off of Tx 182, between Alba and Quitman.

The crops are East Texas staples: okra, beans, peas, tomatoes, watermelon, onions. On occasion, Johnston will contact fellow growers in the area and arrange for additional produce which he does not personally grow.

“But,” he admits, “when I do that, I know who grew the produce; it’s important.”

Tending five acres for growing is a huge undertaking. Johnston has been working his plots by his own hand  since opening the stand.

“It has taken a bit of a toll,” he admitted. In addition to the ever-present concerns that all growers carry around in their head 24/7 (weather, pests, disease, weeds) Johnston is struggling with a joint condition of his knees.   

“When growing,” he explained, “you have to continually cultivate the soil around the plants.”

Given that approach, it is easy to understand how a long-term knee condition might develop.

However, there appears to be no plan afoot to hire extra help. That may be tied directly to the concept of doing what he loves. 

“My dream,” Johnston detailed, “would be to have a drive-through produce stand. A place where I could bring produce and folks could just pick-it up…as long as I could grow it all.” 

Although his father sold roadside produce as a hobby, Johnston noted that his grandparents – Luther and Elizabeth Johnston – had a fruit stand in New Diana for years. So growing is indeed in his blood.

“I just love nurturing plants – the whole process,” he said. “Watching the seedlings break the soil, caring for them, gauging the water and nutrients required, the whole thing.”

That courageous step taken 14 years ago rewards locals with some quality produce. 

In the mid-morning last Friday, a steady run of customers found the Produce Shack. Each was a regular customer, some who had been visiting for over a decade. 

It appeared as though folks come to the Shack with very specific produce in mind. Okra, cantaloupe, green peas and lima beans were the desired purchases last Friday. One long-time customer queried, “Can I get a discount for having to wait in line?” 

That was indicative of the good-natured relationships built over time. The consistent theme presented by the customers was voiced best by Debbie Robinson, “You get good quality and you know where it comes from,” she stated. 

Interestingly, Johnston acknowledged that many of his customers follow his daily updates on the Produce Shack facebook site. A good number of customers will drive in to purchase a specific product that they noted on the updated site.  

Being alongside a busy thoroughfare, Johnston is witness to the daily ebb and flow of traffic in and out of Mineola.

“Around 1:30  p.m. there is a lapse in the traffic. Many of my customers will wait ‘til then to drive over and pick up their veggies,” he noted.

With the end of the growing season just a short couple of months away, Johnston will be looking forward to hunting season. He is also on the hook to take Angie fishing.

“Angie loves fishing and I love hunting, so it works out well,” he explained. 

What also works out well is the love of gardening and the results of Johnstons’ labor which end up at The Produce Shack.