COVINGTON, Ga. — Twenty years ago, Jim Ramsey leased 1158 Usher Street’s space from his cousin Sam Ramsey, a former mayor of Covington. On that lot, Jim opened Ramsey’s Produce. 

At present, the produce stand is still in operation under the ownership of William “Bill” Garber. However, Bill’s son, Caleb runs the stand day-to-day with the help of two of his friends and his two younger brothers. 

When asked what makes Ramsey’s Produce unique compared to other produce stands, Caleb was quick to respond. 

“What separates us is our customer service,” Caleb said. “We try to respect everyone and show them that hospitality. We always treat everyone with respect as much as possible.” 

Summertime is the busiest for Ramsey’s Produce Stand. They offer a wide variety that includes: Watermelons, peaches, Vidalia Onions and much more. During the winter months, hard squashes, rutabaga and collards are the biggest items at the stand. 

But the hottest offer at Ramsey’s Produce — despite the time of year — are the tomatoes. 

“We pick the tomatoes ourselves,” Caleb said. “And we just try to find the best ones we can find. People just love our tomatoes, that’s for sure.” 

Ramsey’s Produce gets their produce from the Farmer’s Market in Forest Park. That is how they can provide a diverse selection. 

Shemar Williams and David Fraser are Caleb’s friends who help run the stand as well as Caleb’s younger brothers Isaac and David. 

Working with that dynamic makes the job easier, according to Caleb. 

“There’s never a dull moment, let’s just say that,” Caleb said with a big smile on his face. “We’re always having fun. Even when things go bad, it’s always just a good time. We always have a blast. We always run into interesting people. We have fun conversations all the way around with customers.” 

Caleb and his family are originally from California, but he grew up here having attended Liberty Middle School and graduated from Alcovy High School in 2020. 

Being familiar with the area makes the job easier serving local customers. 

“I know the area. I know what people go through,” Caleb said. “It gives me a way to bond with them, in a sense, and you can build relationships with the customers.” 

Ramsey’s Produce’s main mission throughout its 20-year history has been providing quality customer service.

Caleb believes constantly meeting that standard has made Ramsey’s Produce Stand what it is today. 

“We try to keep it reasonably consistent throughout all of the years we’ve been here,” Caleb said. “We just try and stay consistent. The people here are always nice to us and we have a good time here.”

Ramsey’s Produce hours of operation:

Monday:

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday:

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday:

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Thursday:

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday:

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday:

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Sunday:

Closed