meet the remarkable Tomato Lady

Barbara Davis is the Tomato Lady in Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a quaint little town, with a Norman Rockwell appeal, located on Mobile Bay. It’s long known for its rich history, beautiful scenery, and friendliness to visitors. There’s lots of shopping in Fairhope too. Among the antique shops, gift stores, art galleries, and restaurants you’ll find Barbara Davis, the Tomato Lady, selling her produce from the back of her pickup truck. Barbara is a successful microBusiness person. Why? Because after 36 years of selling produce on the shaded streets of Fairhope, she still enjoys what she does, and has a smile on her face every time a stranger walks by. Thirty-six years in the same hometown business—that’s a level of dedication that you don’t see much these days.

Barbara’s developed quite a customer base over the years including three generations of many of the local families. In 36 years she has worn out seven (maybe eight) different trucks. She’s raised three girls, and she’s seen Fairhope grow from a sleepy little coastal town, to a bustling little coastal town that’s managed to preserve its charm.

I recently spent the day in Fairhope, and while walking along several streets in town overheard the words “Tomato Lady” no less than four times. Barbara Davis is an institution in this small town; and she’s been immortalized in watercolor recreations.

Christine Linson owns the Christine Linson Gallery in Fair Hope. It’s a wonderful place to peruse and purchase impressionistic oils, figures, jewelry, and paintings depicting Fairhope’s daily street life. It’s also the  place where you can purchase a greeting card or a large framed print of the original painting of the Tomato Lady doing what she does best. Barbara is a testament to what can be achieved with a microBusiness. She obviously found her niche in business many years ago, and through perseverance and hard work, turned a simple business into a successful livelihood.