BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - What began as a vegetable-growing hobby for a married couple has grown into a community market serving Coast residents for more than a decade.
Fred and Anita Eckles opened Woolmarket Produce and More after Fred’s roadside sales from his pickup truck drew attention from city officials.
“I was always growing more than we can eat, and I was sitting on the corner on the back of my truck selling it,” Fred said. “The city didn’t like that idea, so I had to get a building, and so here I am.”
The couple has operated from their building on Woolmarket Road for about 12 years.
The couple opened the current location in 2013 and expanded the building four years later. The permanent location eliminated the daily routine of harvesting, loading, and transporting produce.
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“It was rough getting up in the morning and going out in the garden, picking things up and loading them on the truck,” Fred said. “No more packing up, moving here, and going back. It’s really convenient.”
The market stocks shelves with jams, peanuts, green beans, and other produce. The business sells items individually rather than in bulk to accommodate different customer needs.
“We sell individually because you have elderly people, single people, people on a budget,” Anita said. “They’ll run in and grab just whatever they need.”
Anita said the business has developed regular customers who have become like family over the years.
“It can be a lot of fun, you meet a lot of great people, but it can be a lot of work with a lot of challenges,” she said.
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The market carries locally grown items, including broccoli, peas, green beans, and collards. The business also sources fruits and vegetables that don’t grow in the area.
Additional items include sweet treats, small packaged meats, fireplace wood, and freshly boiled peanuts.
“It started off small, and we just slowly keep expanding and getting more products in and trying to help other local businesses. We all try to help each other out,” Anita said.
Woolmarket Produce is located at 8416 Woolmarket Road in Biloxi.
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