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Still a family

by Lily Thompson
JR's Produce was begun in 1991 by Jr and Patty Yarber. After the store opened in 1991, the business became a staple in the community. After Jr's death in March, Patty ran the store by herself until September, when she sold it to Kyle Beckham, nicknamed Karl. At Patty's suggestions, the store was re-named Karl's Produce. Patty still works there part-time to help Kyle transition.

Family employees, local produce, a loyal customer base. For these reasons and more, JR’s Produce is special to many in Mt. Sterling. JR’s Produce has been considered a staple by hundreds over the nearly three decades it has been open.

“It’s personal,” says Judy Townsend, a local whose family’s farm supplies sorghum to the store. “They treat everybody like family.”

James (Junior) Yarber delivered and sold produce nearly all his life. He opened the store on Indian Mound Road in 1991. But relationships mattered more than what was sold, says Patty, 63, his wife.

“It’s a gathering place,” Patty says. “You came down here and you laughed, you cried. If there was something going on with your family, we stood over in a corner and we talked and prayed and cried, whatever needed to be done.”

After Jr passed away in March, Patty ran the store on her own for six months. In September, Kyle Beckham, a local businessman, purchased JR’s Produce.

“I thought it was important to the community,” says Kyle, 42. “I had faith that as long as Patty would help me through the transition, it would be a good investment.”

In working together, Patty and Kyle have grown close.

“I think we’re a good team,” Patty says. “Jr and I were a team. And while Kyle and I will never be the same kind of team, we continue right on as a team, and I like that.”

It was Patty who insisted that Kyle change the store’s name. JR’s Produce is now Karl’s Produce. Kyle plans to keep things the same while expanding the delivery routes, modernizing the record-keeping and starting a Facebook page.

“I’m tickled to see that it’s gonna go on,” Patty says. “Even though it’s never gonna be JR’s Produce, there have been so many things that have happened that it makes me feel like the right choice was made.”

Karl's Produce sells dozens of varieties of apples, among other staple crops in their store. Every morning, fruits and vegetables are hand-checked for imperfections and flawed produce is marked down and sold to cut down on waste.
Patty (left), Carol Wiggins, and Sue McCoy chat while Carol buys some tomatoes from Karl's Produce. Sue, Patty's sister, has worked in the store on and off for about 15 years. JR's Produce has been a family affair and Karl's Produce continues the same tradition. Patty and Junior's children grew up helping in the store. Junior's sister previously worked in the store, and currently, Kyle's parents help out often. "No matter what you've got going on, you've always got other people to support you," says Kyle.
Local farmer Glen Spencer supplies all the pumpkins for the store to sell in the fall. Kyle tries to sell as much local produce as he can and is continuing the relationships which Junior established over the past three decades and beyond. "It was more than just a store, a business," said Patty. "When Kyle bought it, I wanted to make sure there was something there more than just a dollar."
Karl's Produce focuses on helping each customer individually. According to Kyle and Patty both, it is the one-on-one customer service which keeps people coming back. "It's the relationships that you build, that's what it's all about," says Patty.
Even before Junior opened JR's Produce, he ran a wholesale produce delivery route which has continued over the years. Kyle would like to expand that portion of the business. "There's a lot of small businesses, not just in Mt. Sterling, but in the outlying counties who rely on this place to get their produce at wholesale prices," said Kyle. "I don't know where we fit in the future of the county, but I hope it's a bigger presence."
After Patty sold the store to Kyle, he asked her to stay on to help him transition. They have built a close working relationship. "It's like I've got two wives and two mothers," Kyle said with a laugh. "I think we need each other and we complement each other."