On many summer mornings and afternoons, motorists on Huntsville Brownsferry and Lucas Ferry Roads are likely to see James Steelman set up with a colorful variety of fresh garden fruits and vegetables. For the past 19 years, he has been selling his bounty at the highly travelled corner.

Working the farm is something he has done his entire life. Steelman, who was born and raised in Limestone County and is a proud graduate of Tanner High School, grew up on his parents’ small farm. Farming is not what Steelman thought, as a kid, he would be doing.

“We raised a 5-acre garden as a kid growing up and I swore I would never do it again,” he said.

Today, Steelman is maintaining his own 12-acre farm off Ripley Road near Blackburn. He grows watermelons, peppers, cucumbers, corn, squash, okra, tomatoes, corn, cantaloupes, and more. He sells them five days a week out of the back of his truck to those passing by. Rain or shine, Steelman is there, and rain or shine, people stop and support him.

Steelman said not all of what he sells is from his own farm but everything he has for sale is locally grown. He buys some of the vegetables and melons from friends and family from around the area.

“I grow a little bit of all of it, but I just can’t grow all I can sell,” he said. “You have to start early, especially if you grow your own plants. We grow a lot of our own plants, but we buy some, too.”

This summer has been a great year for Steelman, especially for the watermelons and tomatoes. The rain has been good for the watermelons but the rain has made other crops, such a cantaloupes, harder.

“After you get too much rain on them and they lay on the ground too long — it already has a belly on it where it lays on the ground — it makes it get softer quicker around the belly. Some people do not like that but you can’t do anything about it. That’s Mother Nature,” he said.

“The tomatoes have been really good this year, for real. As long as you don’t get too much water,” he said. “Tomatoes can start busting out at the bottom if they get too much water on them.”

The rain has also resulted in more squash than Steelman can pick in a timely manner. He throws out what he can’t sell to the wildlife to eat and enjoy.

Business has been good for Steelman this summer and he is looking forward to fall when the pumpkins of all sizes become available. During the winter months, Steelman relies on his skills as a forklift driver to keep him busy until the next growing season begins.

Steelman sets up at least five days a week and tries to be open by 11 a.m. He is there every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

He alternates Wednesday and Friday from week to week.