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Selling produce after seven surgeries

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Red potatoes and zucchini are among the items Vince Solberg is currently selling. Angie Landsverk Photo

Garden fresh vegetables in Waupaca

By Angie Landsverk


Vince Solberg uses his years of experience working in the grocery store business at his produce stand in Waupaca.

He says his 40 years in the business taught him how to display food.

“They love how it’s set up,” Solberg said of his produce.

He sells it each week day from a space on Churchill Street.

Solberg and his wife Sandy have a farmette by Lind Center.

He said they have been growing produce for 16 years.

Their garden is about 100-by-100-feet, with a separate space for corn and melons.

The couple also had a large garden when they lived in Neillsville.

When Solberg retired from the grocery store business, he planned to spend time fishing.

“That got boring,” he said.

He decided to get back into gardening.

Solberg said Sandy is a farm girl who “always says nothing goes on the table until it gets cleaned.”

That means he is up by 5 a.m. on week days to pick the produce and clean all of it.

Solberg arrives at his space next to The Hut by 10 a.m.

He initially sold his produce at flea markets in Princeton and Shawano, as well as at their farmette.

Six years ago, he started selling it at Nelson’s Shell.

That came about after Sonya and Kim Nelson attended a benefit for the Solbergs.

Crash

The Solbergs were injured in a head-on crash near Black Creek in April 2014.

“I was gone for 16 seconds,” he said.

Solberg had seven surgeries and seven blood transfusions.

He said willpower, prayers and a good attitude helped him get through it.

Solberg spent five months at Neenah’s trauma center and then 11 months at Bethany Home.

After Solberg was walking again, he stopped by the Shell station to thank the Nelsons for all they had done by attending the benefit.

That was six years ago.

He asked if he could set up his produce stand there.

That is where he sold his produce until some repairs were taking place there this summer.

“So I moved over here,” Solberg said. “And now people know I’m here because I’m out in the open.”

Marty Van Gompel owns the property.

A conversation between Solberg and Van Gompel resulted in the move.

Solberg plans to stay there now.

“Everyone’s happy,” he said.

Solberg said his business has quadrupled the last two years.

He attributes that to “good customer service, good product and good pricing.”

Solberg said his customers appreciate the fact everything is clean and marked so “they know what the price is.”

He may be found there selling produce Monday through Friday.

Solberg started selling in mid-July and said he will do so until October.

His customers are from throughout the area.

“They love the corn,” he said. “That makes me feel great.”

He said many of his customers are elderly.

Solberg is happy to sell just one ear of corn to those who only want that much.

But he always adds another one at no charge.

He is also known for carrying the produce to their vehicles.

“I love the people,” Solberg said. “My customers treat me like my family. They’re so good to me.”

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