Hale Groves
When Steve and Polly Hale opened their first roadside fruit stand back in 1947, their dream was to share the pure joy of Florida’s fresh, tree-ripened fruit with as many folks as possible. Steve had just returned from active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve, and Polly believed that Florida’s Indian River area seemed like a great place to raise their two young children, as well.
Their first mailing list was made up of names of all their relatives and friends. But it quickly grew as they added the names of all the happy tourists who’d stopped by to enjoy their remarkable fresh-squeezed orange juice alongside U.S. Highway 1.
It was a hands-on operation: Steve picked the fruit, packed it in the shed behind the house, and trucked it to the Railway Express station. Polly answered the phone, wrote gift cards and typed the shipping labels
