• HOME
  • BEST OF PARTY PHOTOS
  • FEATURES
    • Best Of Cover Shoot
    • Pet Owner’s Stories
    • People
    • Places
    • Issues
    • Remembering
    • Things
    • To Do
  • DEPARTMENTS
    • Finance / Real Estate
      • Financial Articles
      • Real Estate
        • Real Estate Experts
        • Top 10 Most Expensive Homes Sold
        • Articles
    • Around Town
    • Business
      • Belle Hall Shopping Center
      • Lowcountry Women in Business
      • MP Business
    • Dwellings
    • Entertainment
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Food & Drink
    • Giving Back
    • Health & Wellness
    • Love & Marriage
    • Pets
    • Relax & Retire
    • Sports & Fitness
  • Read Magazine
  • MORE MAGS
    • Charleston Women 👩‍🏫🏢
    • Lowcountry Cuisine 🧀🍷
    • Best of Mt Pleasant Mag 🏆🏆
    • MP Business Mag 🏢
    • MP Pets 🐶🐱
    • Charleston Independent School Directory 🏫
    • MP Senior Living 👴👵
    • More Mags
      • IOP Mag
      • SI Mag
      • MP Town Hall Magazine
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Attorney Directory
    • 2025 Charleston Wedding Venues
    • Pool Builders/Services Directory
    • Financial Planners
    • Mount Pleasant Area Hotel Directory
    • East Cooper Worship Guide
    • East Cooper Fitness Directory
    • Senior Living Directory
    • 2023 Local CPA Tax Directory
    • Mount Pleasant Apartment Directory
  • SUBSCRIBE

Mount Pleasant Magazine

Mount Pleasant Magazine is the premier lifestyle magazine for Mount Pleasant, SC. Read about local news, events, businesses, people, and more. Subscribe today or read our digital magazine online.

  • Best of Mount Pleasant
    • 2025 Best of Mount Pleasant Including Previous Years
    • Best of Mount Pleasant Winner Articles
    • Best Of Party Photos
  • Podcasts
    • Mount Pleasant Podcast
    • Carolina Real Estate Podcast
    • Georgetown the Podcast
    • Coastal Home Podcast Video Tour
    • Best of Mount Pleasant Podcast
    • Hammock Coast Podcast
    • More Podcasts
      • Charleston Women Podcast
      • Isle of Palms Podcast
      • Charleston Pet Podcast
      • Charleston Wedding Podcast
  • Top Ten Homes Sold
  • Advertise
    • Advertise With Us
    • Media Kit
    • Video Testimonials
  • About Our Team
  • MORE
    • Real Estate Experts
    • MP Town Hall
    • Attorney Directory
    • News
    • MP Neighborhoods
    • East Cooper Online Network
    • Contact

Veggie Tales: Heath Farms in Mount Pleasant

Posted by MPM 4 Comments

unnamed
The Heath family farmed in Mount Pleasant from the early 1950s until the 1990s.

Once upon a time, the main thoroughfares of Mount Pleasant were not gateways to the beautiful neighborhoods we recognize today but expanses of fertile land where hardworking farmers grew scores of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other staples of Southern produce. It was, of course, long before I moved to this area – even before I was born – but, as I spoke to Douglas M. Heath about the industry that sustained his family for decades, I could almost picture it.

The original Heath family – made up of Alva M. Heath and his wife, Iva Lee Heath, as well as sons Douglas, Alec, Clayton, Marvin and George and daughters Gloria, Diane, Joye and Cindy – established themselves in the heart of East Cooper as farmers of produce and grain from the 1950s until the 1990s. Douglas, Alec, Clayton and George were instrumental in the business – but they also had a little help from their friends, as the song goes.

Born in Georgia and raised in Mount Pleasant, Douglas recalled his earliest days when his dad worked for Seaboard Coast Line Railroad as a fireman and “would travel between Savannah and Charleston.” A new opportunity awaited the family when Iva’s uncle, who owned the land now known as Wakendaw Lakes, needed help farming and broached the idea of a partnership with Alva. The rest, as they say, is Mount Pleasant history.

“We initially worked out of a four-room shack located where Stuhr Funeral Home is now,” Douglas Heath said. “We started out with one mule – a huge mule named Julia – plus a very small tractor and a sled. We’d load the sled and drag it around.”

Back in those days, the 1950s, both Mathis Ferry and Bowman Road were dirt roads, according to Heath. And even the site of the former Wando High School building, at the corner of Mathis Ferry and Whipple roads, was nothing more than a lush grove of pecan trees. The Heath family, making good use of the available land, farmed among those very pecan trees until the school was built in 1973.

“Where the Live to Play swimming pool and tennis facilities are now, that’s where our largest packing house was from the late 1960s on,” Heath explained. “Our original packing house, located where Riverwood Apartments are now, had been burned, and the second one was built at 1503 Mathis Ferry Road. The house and shed are still there.”

Eventually, Douglas Heath’s son, Douglas L. Heath, was introduced into the family business. He and his mother, who taught at Wando High School, were original Warriors.

“I’ve lived here all my life,” the younger Doug Heath remarked. “Not many people know how Mount Pleasant used to be.”

Students from the new Wando High School as well as from Bishop England High School, proved to be a welcome source of labor for the Heaths. Even maintaining the packing house was entirely too much work for the family to accomplish alone. Business was thriving, and Alva and sons stayed busy farming many areas along Mathis Ferry – the current sites of I’On, Olde Park and Point Pleasant, to name a few – as well as along Long Point Road and in McClellanville.

“We would hire at least a hundred local students to help us pack,” Douglas Heath remembered. “We would also hire locals from Snowden as our tractor drivers. And we’d have crews from Immokalee, Florida. We had a number of migrant workers helping as well. When the crews would leave Mount Pleasant, they’d head up the Eastern seaboard and continue working other farms.”

According to the Heaths, helping out at the packing house, which was 230 feet long by 100 feet wide, was a coveted form of summer employment from mid-May until July. Boxes of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, beans, cabbages and more were prepared to be sold in different areas of the region. Produce from Heath Farms was available at the juncture of Ben Sawyer Boulevard and Rifle Range Road in an open air market, at the downtown Charleston market and even as far away as in Columbia, in what Douglas Heath called “a natural progression” of business.

Then, in 1983, Alva Heath passed away, and plans changed. In an effort to scale back but still honor the family’s legacy, Douglas Heath, his brothers and their immediate family members decided to open a produce stand at 1503 Mathis Ferry Road, known as Heath Farms Fresh Produce. The business was a true family effort and remained a cornerstone of Mount Pleasant culture until the early 1990s.

“My two sisters-in-law – Clayton’s wife, Sally Heath, and Alec’s wife, Jeanie Heath – ran the produce stand, which was about 60 feet by 30,” Heath remarked. “We still farmed, but we did it on a smaller scale. The one thing we knew back then was work.”

Today, Douglas Heath and his remaining family members are no longer in the produce industry, but East Cooper residents can still view the brick house where the Heaths lived, plus the packing shed and the slab of concrete where the produce stand was near the corner of Mathis Ferry and Whipple roads. Meanwhile, Douglas Heath now lives in Seaside Farms and enjoys a more leisurely pace of life.

And probably a salad for nostalgia’s sake every now and then.

 

By Denise K. James.

Photo courtesy of the Heath family. 

 

 

Sharing is Caring

Possibly Related:

Rob Fowler, Chief Meteorologist, NEWS 2Brace Yourself: Expecting Above-average Hurricane Season for 2024 A beautiful meal setup with scenic greenery by the table, which is set with dishes, fine tableware, candles and a floral centerpiece - by Curated Events.Fall into Fabulous: How to Style Autumn Events A construction contractor with his tools.Home Renovations: Redesigning Your Desires

Filed Under: People, Remembering

Advertisement

Comments

  1. Karla Borowsky Kaddas says

    July 11, 2016 at 9:47 am

    My Grandfather, Borowsky, planted those lush peacan trees when he settled here from Germany. Glad everyone enjoyed them!

    Reply
    • Glenn Rothe says

      July 28, 2018 at 4:04 pm

      My mom would collect those pecans for the holidays near Wakendow lakes…thanks.

      Reply
  2. Glenn Rothe says

    February 18, 2018 at 1:41 am

    In 1971-72 ,As a student at Moultrie High, and a resident on Mathis Ferry road ,I picked tomatoes with migrants and packed tomatoes at night during summer,my mother washed and waxed cucumbers..Great days ,wonderful people ,My teacher at Moultrie was a Heath.English….bless them,wonderful memories at Mt.Pleasant..

    Reply
  3. Virginia says

    July 5, 2023 at 6:30 pm

    My dad Mr Henry Stokes from the Snowden community worked as a tractor driver on the Heath farm. I can still him so very clearly as he climb down off that tractor dusting off his cap.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search The Site

We're on Facebook We're on X (formerly Twitter) Mount Pleasant Magazine Youtube Channel We're on Pinterest Mount Pleasant Magazine Facebook Community We're on Instagram
Ad: South Carolina Federal Credit Union, enjoy life banking on the best.
Ad: Visit Woof Gang today!
Mount Pleasant Magazine Sep/Oct 2023 magazine coverREAD DIGITALLY
Read the digital magazine
now.
GRAB A COPY
Where can I pick up a copy of Mount Pleasant Magazine?
SUBSCRIBE
Get Mount Pleasant Magazine Delivered.
Ad: Premier Health and Wellness in Mount Pleasant, SC. Let’s Redesign Your Health & Wellness.
Read about the History of the Bridge Run
Visit Palmetto Christian Academy.org
Ad: 1st Choice AC, Heating, Plumbing and Gas, for the best AC Service for your home in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Pleasant Family Dentistry in Mount Pleasant, SC. Experience the BEST, and find out why we've been awarded 7 times in the BEST of MOUNT PLEASANT!
Ad: Visit Front Beach IOP and SHOP, DINE and DRINK in the SUNSHINE.
Ad: Get Carried Away - Real Food, Real Southern, Really Good!
Click for Stores & Services
on Coleman Boulevard
Coleman Blvd Merchant Alliance
Best of Mount Pleasant logo is a registered trademark
Ad: Every Day is a Good Dog Day at Michael's Barkery

Most Recent Posts

Palmetto Christian Academy Mount Pleasant’s #1 Private School 11 Years Running!

Emily Faile, Academic Counselor with Palmetto Christian Academy, sat down for a chat with host Brian Cleary. Their opening discussion revolves around why she believes the Academy was named Best … Continue Reading

Georgetown’s New Gem: The Making of The George Hotel

Get the inside story on The George Hotel, Georgetown's exciting new addition! Host Bill Macchio sits down for a compelling conversation with Christy Whitlock, a Realtor and developer with The … Continue Reading

Georgetown, SC Rising: A Look at the City’s Dramatic Growth & Downtown Revival

Join host Scott Richards and Main Street Director Al Joseph for an insightful look into the remarkable transformation sweeping across Georgetown, SC. This video dives deep into the revitalization of … Continue Reading

Front Street Georgetown

Opening Batch: Georgetown Crafts First Brewery

A craft beer fan and teacher from Cincinnati, Chase Runyan started brewing in his house by tinkering with kits and learning how to bottle the beer after fermentation. After making five or six batches … Continue Reading

Revolutionized: Georgetown’s Downtown Makeover

When the port city of Georgetown was laid out in 1729, merchant-oriented businesses and homes lined the land side of Front Street, originally called Bay Street, overlooking the sparkling Sampit River, … Continue Reading

Gold Standard: Georgetown’s Own Crowned Olympic Champion

When 23-year-old Nike athlete and Georgetown native Melissa Jefferson arrived at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, she was determined to secure her … Continue Reading

More Front Street Georgetown

SEARCH

Get Our Free Newsletter!
Mount Pleasant Apartments
Pleasant Family Dentistry
Water's Edge Dentistry
34 Waterway Island Drive

Copyright © 2025 · Mount Pleasant Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy

▲