Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Old Man In The Blue Pickup' Enjoying A Good Year At Market
Banner County vegetable farmer Tracy Gifford sells his produce on Highway 71, a few miles south of the Wildcat Hills, at a food stand he calls Megan's Market. He's open 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Even though it is hard work and long hours in the hot sun, Tracy Gifford, with the help of his daughter, Megan, loves his days in the fields, planting, tending to, harvesting and selling his produce.
Gifford said he went broke farming in 2005 but "hung on for a couple more years," and then, due to medical reasons, he was unable to continue teaching math, so they began with a little garden by the house – but now they have expanded to acres of vegetables.
He built a machine to plant the produce and says the soil in his area of Banner County is better suited for making the "best-tasting produce."
This year has been a very productive and prosperous year. For the past few weeks, he had taken loads of corn to the mall in Scottsbluff, and it virtually sold out each and every time.
He said there are rumors that "the old man in the blue pickup has the best corn around."
Gifford grows green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers, zucchini and onions.But he is incredibly excited about his watermelon and cantaloupe crop.
Last year was the first year that he harvested a ripe cantaloupe. Gifford anticipates he will get four or five pickup loads of watermelons.
