BRIDGER - A family-owned fruit stand has become a staple in the community of Bridger after nearly 13 years of service.
While The Bridger Fruit Stand looks a little bit like an upscale lemonade stand, it offers a variety of fruits from all across the region and is something many look forward to every summer.
The stand is owned and operated by the Schrock family, who admit they are surprised by how successful the business has been.
"It wasn't even intentional how it started," said daughter Emily Schrock. "It just sort of happened."
The family added that the modest appearance of the stand is a bit ironic considering how it first began. One summer, the Schrock family took a vacation to Flathead Lake and had the opportunity to pick the area's infamous cherries.
"So, we picked way too many to eat and ended up selling them along the road," said the oldest daughter Melita Schrock. "Then we just thought it was a good way to make money."
That initial idea — which came from Melita — transpired into an annual tradition. The Shrocks would travel to Kalispell and fill their Ford Explorer with as many cherries as it could hold, selling them once they returned to town.
"It was great honestly and it was small," Melita said. "It was like maybe 400 pounds of cherries each summer. Just a couple hundred extra bucks."
The early days did present their challenges. In the beginning, the market wasn't always fruitful.
"When we first started, it was really slow," said Melita's youngest sister Emily. "It was nothing like it is now."
Even with the initial growing pains, Emily remembers those early days fondly.
"It was a lot of sitting in the heat waiting, begging people to come as they were driving by, but I still loved it," Emily said with a smile. "Just spending time with my mom and my sisters. Plus, it was probably the first time I had made real money."
Today, there's certainly no more begging now and the selection at the stand has grown — even adding sweet corn and tomatoes to the mix.
"We've got Flathead cherries, Palisade peaches, Dixon melons, our berries right now are from Oregon," Melita said. "So, we've got a variety."
All of the options are still picked and delivered by the family themselves. Emily will typically travel to the western part of the state for the berries, cherries and Dixon melons. While their father will take his semi to Colorado for the peaches and pears.
"It does get tiring at times but we don't do it for very long," Emily said. "And it's nice to be out on the road exploring each summer."
And while the drives can be long and the days strenuous, one thing has always remained the same.
"My two other daughters helped until they got married and moved away," said mother Murlene Schrock. "Now, I have daughter-in-laws and grandchildren that like to come help."
Nearly every member of the family has been a part of the process throughout the entire time. A headache at times, that Murlene said they've figured out how to navigate.
"At times it gets tense for sure," Murlene said with a smile. "Just having hard communication that sometimes we don't all agree with, but honestly we've gotten better at that. I think this has been our best summer yet."
It might have taken time, but after 13 years they've mastered it. For one family member, working the stand is practically all she's ever known.
"I've been working the fruit stand for more of my life than I haven't been," said Emily.
And the good news for customers is that there doesn't seem to be an end to the stand anytime soon.
"It could be generational I guess, who knows?" said Murlene with a laugh. "I guess we'll see. At this point, it seems like we'll keep at it for awhile."
