SAN ANGELO, Texas — The Kvapil family has been a staple in the lives of many throughout the last 50 years. Their family business started with their daughters out in front of their home selling watermelons, similar to children selling lemonade on a hot summer day.
As the years went on, their customer base grew as did the relationships that the family built throughout West Texas. Consistency has kept them intertwined with those that need fresh produce. However, according to second generation farmer Terri Kvapil Walling, it is the hospitality that brings customers back.
"I think that people appreciate that kind of simplicity. We go out in the field, we pick every morning, we come right back here, and we unload everything right here. Bam, it's over. No middlemen, no complications. You know, it's just us and our field. And I think people do appreciate that," Walling said.
Walling said her family never expected to have the business they currently possess. Yet, she gives all the credit not only to the locals that have supported them over the years but her parents, Dorothy and Gene Kvapil, for starting a multi-generational business.
"I have to give my parents all the credit in the world for starting us on this. They planted the seed, though, in my parents' mind about, well, maybe next summer we will plant a few more and then a few more and then a few more. And so the years went by, and by the time I was in junior high and high school, we were supplying all the stores in San Angelo with watermelons," Walling said.
As for what is next, you can count on Kvapil Farms to continue selling homegrown fruits and vegetables from their field to your table, that same day.
They believe the possibility of this business lasting another 50 years is definitely in the cards.
"That would be amazing. There would have to be some grandkids that would have to step up and take the farm. There are a few possibilities there, you know, but I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Walling said.
You can visit the Kvapil Farms at 3093 Country Club Road in San Angelo, where they sell their produce seven days a week from sunrise to sundown.