DATE: Friday, June 20, 1997                 TAG: 9706200559

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 10   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: BEYOND THE BRIDGES 

SOURCE: BY MILES DANIELS, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CURRITUCK                         LENGTH:   90 lines

FEELING FRUITY? STOP AT A CURRITUCK PRODUCE STAND

Margaret Newbern peeps through two hanging sacks of North Carolina peanuts. Fresh strawberries, moist peaches, and luscious apples are brightly displayed around her. A brisk northeast wind blows through her gray hair.

``This wind is tough,'' she says, folding her arms to keep warm. ``But the people always come out. They don't seem to care about the weather.''

At 76, Newbern has seen her share of bad weather. She's survived hurricanes, floods and bitter winters. Still, with stamina usually seen in someone 20 years younger, she continues doing what she's done for 45 years.

Newbern owns Hilltop Market on Highway 158 in Powells Point, one of about 20 fruit and vegetable stands on the road that carries tourists from Virginia to the Outer Banks. Each day, from early spring through December, she bags bananas, weighs tomatoes and greets shoppers with a friendly smile. Stopping at fruit stands is a great diversion during the 90-minute drive through Currituck County.

From tiny roadside stands to full-blown fruit supermarkets, each has a personality of its own.

Newbern sells fruit and vegetables to customers who demand one thing: freshness. ``There's no comparison to what it was the first year and what it's grown to be,'' Newbern says as she spots two customers checking out her ripe-red tomatoes.

``How are they?'' asks Lillie O'Neal of Portsmouth, on her way home from a funeral in Manteo.

``They're good tomatoes. But they're from Florida,'' says Newbern.

Without hesitation O'Neal requests a pound.

``That'll be $1.49 plus tax,'' Newbern says. ``Your total is $1.58. You have a nice day now and come back to see us.''

O'Neal has been at Hilltop often.

``We have a lot of customers that stop by year after year,'' Newbern says. ``You'd be surprised at the younger ones who came when they were little and now come by with families of their own.

``I consider the customers part of my family.''

Newbern's son, Carlton, who also works at Hilltop, agrees. ``We've got fourth-generation customers coming,'' he says. ``It's not the same old thing every day.

``The weather changes. The faces change. Even the fruit changes.''

The Newbern farm is about two miles from the family's produce stand. In season, the vegetables and fruit they sell come straight from the field. Out of season, their produce comes from within the United States. The only things foreign at Hilltop Market are the yellow and red bell peppers. They're flown in from Holland.

Six miles north of Hilltop is Grandy Produce, owned by Colon and Allie Grandy. This place shines with psychedelic neon lights, sells a medley of gourmet coffees and has its own frozen yogurt machine. And don't think for a minute that the specialty is plush plums or fuzzy apricots. It's fresh squeezed orange juice - and customers claim it's the best this side of Florida.

Betsy Selig, a 58-year-old Elizabeth City resident, stopped by Grandy on her way home from Southern Shores. Selig knows the owners and swears that Colon Grandy has a love affair with sweet corn. Because of the variety, Selig only shops at Grandy Produce.

``They have everything from soup to nuts,'' Selig says. ``And I love their orange juice.''

Local customers seem to pick their favorite stands by personal preference. Prices don't matter too much. It's the quality that counts.

``Prices are not really an issue with us,'' Allie Grandy says. ``It's not a flea market.

``People don't ask price.''

``It's kind of like a stock market,'' Grandy says. ``Prices are always changing on certain items.''

Perched between Grandy Produce and Hilltop Market is a quaint produce stand crammed with fresh harvest. Tarheel Produce is about half the size of its competitors. But business is booming in the Carolina blue hut.

``It gets a little better every year,'' says Joe Howington, the owner. ``The customers are what keep me going.''

One of Howington's weekly customers, Sarah Simons, has just stopped by to pick up some cantaloupe, grapefruit and fresh vegetables for her husband. Her husband is on a saltless diet and enjoys eating Howington's goods. Simons spends $20 to $30 a week at Tarheel Produce. Today, she's stocking up for the week. Her total is $21.12.

``I believe I have enough money left to buy this pineapple,'' Simons says, smiling as she puts one on the counter. ILLUSTRATION: STAFF PHOTO BY DREW C. WILOSN

Margaret Newbern bags cherries at the Hilltop Market in Currituck.

``This wind is tough,'' she says. ``But the people...don't seem to

care about the weather. At 76, Newbern has seen her share of bad

weather: hurricanes, floods and bitter winters, but continues to do

what she's done for 45 years.

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