Long's Produce in Blairsville, Georgia
Celebrating 40 years in business!
Ray Long and Betty Cook at Long's Produce in Blairsville, Georgia
Long's Produce celebrates its 40th year.
Congratulations to Ray Long for bringing fresh produce to Blairsville for 40 years! That's a long time, and a lot of food.
Ray has seen thousands of bushels of produce go from farm to table during the past four decades. He sells everything from apples and oranges to yellow squash and zucchini at his produce stand.
Selling all kinds of good food
Look for local honey, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, corn, okra, beans, peaches, plums, pears, grapes, berries, pumpkins, sorghum syrup, pickles, jellies, and other seasonal goodies. Sometimes you will even find cute bird houses and other decorative items like corn stalks, gourds, and Christmas trees.
Long time employee Betty Cook has been with Long's for 20 years. She greets customers with a smile and can answer any questions you might have. If you have bought produce at Long's, then you probably know Betty. She holds down the fort, while Ray is at the Farmers Market or is on the road looking for quality produce.
Decades of experience in the produce business
Ray Long has been in the produce business since he was a small child. Growing up in Dial, Mr. Long started out young. Working in the fields of Fannin County and growing vegetables for the market, Ray learned the definition of hard work. Now he leaves most of the growing to others, while he concentrates on getting fresh produce to the public.
Local vegetables for sale in Blairsville
Keeping everything that people want can be challenging. Long gets a lot of produce from the market, but buys locally whenever possible. In mid-summer you will find beans, corn, and other produce grown right here in Union County for sale at Long's.
Long's Produce is a landmark in Blairsville.
Located near the 4-way-stop past McDonald's, Long's is squeezed between several other businesses. You can visit the ATM machine (at the bank), get a prescription filled (at the drug store), pick up car-parts, get a car towed by Tanner's, go shopping in the old Bi-Lo parking lot, eat sushi, pizza, or Chinese -- and shop for produce at Longs without getting back on Blue Ridge Street!
I can remember when Long's was the only business on that spot. At first he was in a tent up on the hill, but over time he moved closer to the road. Mr. Long has seen lots of changes in the past 40 years, that's for sure.
Things sure have changed. The old house (across from Long's) is gone, and a shopping complex has taken its place.
I have shopped at Long's for decades.
It is easy to park, run in, and grab stuff for a salad, stir fry, or healthy snack. When shopping at Long's, customers are not tempted with candy bars and packaged goods - everything they sell is fresh and full of live enzymes (much healthier than burgers and fried chicken). I can get a good tomato or watermelon at Long's six or seven days a week during the season. Too bad they close for winter!
Long's location and business hours
Long's Produce is located at 497 Blue Ridge Street in Blairsville, Georgia and is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 pm. Monday through Saturday. (The produce stand is closed during the winter months.) Betty says that soon they will soon be open on Sundays, too. See you there!
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*Historical note - Tony says the old house across from Long's Produce was owned by the MaGahee's. Their family's butcher shop was behind the house, and Tony used to go there with his mom to buy meat. When the grading was being done for the four lane, they dug up thousands of animal bones. It was literally an animals' graveyard before becoming Highway 515.
If you have anything to add, send me an email! Thanks for reading, Jan.