HILL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Some 11-year-olds might ask for video games or a cell phone for their birthday, but one 11-year-old in Hill County asked for a greenhouse for his birthday to expand his fresh food business — all for the community.
- Joseph Ellis is 11-years-old, but he was 8-years-old when he started pursuing his business plan — selling fresh produce through his business, Joe's Real Fresh Food
- Making a profit wasn't his priority, his first goal is to make sure everyone can put food on their table by keeping his produce prices affordable
- With the community’s support, he has no plans of stopping anytime soon, from starting up a fall garden this year to one day open up his very own grocery store
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It all started out as a vegetable garden, and four years later, 11-year-old Joseph Ellis now runs his own roadside produce business — Joe’s Real Fresh Food.
“I sell cucumbers, I sell onions, I sell potatoes, I sell a lot of different vegetables,” Ellis said.
Ellis was 8-years-old when he started pursuing his business plan, but it hasn’t always been easy spending every day in his garden.
“We hit the drought in 2022 and 2023 — I made a small sale but I still managed to keep on going," he said.
"You've got to make sure that nothing else bad happens, like our cow is getting in and eating it — so you just have to defend your garden."
His number one goal is to help the Central Texas community put food on the table.
“I knew every price was rising, and so I wanted to make sure that everyone could have something to eat and that I would have the affordable things,” he said.
Even though grocery store prices are higher than they were four years ago, making a profit isn’t what on this 11-year-old's mind.
Instead, his mission is to help his community fight inflation by keeping his veggies at two dollars a basket — the same price it’s always been.
“I also love the idea that he’s using that talent and that skill to give back to the community and not losing sight of what’s really important, which is helping your friends and neighbors and being part of that community,” said Joe’s mother and business manager, Wendy Ellis.
Due to the community’s support, he has no plans of stopping anytime soon — he plans to start up a fall garden this year, and to open up his very own grocery store someday.
“I wanted to make sure that I could keep on continuously doing it, because that would be better for everyone — it’s a win win on both sides,” Ellis said.
He' also starting to plant some fruits raspberries, blue berries, and figs, to expand his business and one day open up his own grocery store.
To follow Joe's journey, visit his Facebook here.
