I’ve told the story far more times than I can remember, that I spent one day picking strawberries and as a result learned a new definition for back-breaking work.

This one day of picking was a fill-in role for someone who was out sick, while I worked at large farmers’ market in south Alabama.

During my years working at the market, I learned an awful lot about produce, business and jobs that I was probably not very good at; picking strawberries was one of them.

But, the number one thing I learned during my time at the market was a newfound respect and appreciation for those who grow and produce many of the foods we enjoy.

It is kind of hard to have a juicy, ripe tomato during the summer if there isn’t the farmer who toils and sweats growing them or those who beat the heat picking them.

It is nearly impossible to have your grandmother whip up that awe-inspiring peach cobbler if there aren’t those who grow the peaches, those who worry through the weather reports, concerned about late spring freezes.

Going through the grocery store or some supermarket, it is hard to have that appreciation; it is hard to garner that respect, because very rarely do you meet the farmer, the picker or the trucker who helped bring the product to market.

But, there is the local Vicksburg Farmers’ Market where you can get that appreciation.

Last weekend, Stephanie and I took our two youngest to the market.

We walked past and admired Kate’s James and Jellies, all the while telling one or both of the boys to keep their hands to themselves only to look up and see Clayton holding a piece of squash from the nearby booth. He asked if we could sword fight, to which I replied “maybe later after I buy the swords.”

We walked past vendors offering fresh breads, amazing fresh grown produce and a dairy stand offering a wide variety of cheeses, including a jalapeno cheddar that now sits almost entirely devoured in our refrigerator.

But, there tucked in the corner, was a booth that took me back; took me back to a few years that I worked in Clanton, Ala., working as editor of The Clanton Advertiser.

Clanton is the largest city in Chilton County, Ala., and among many landmarks and beautiful landscapes is their water tower — a water tower in the shape and the color of a peach.

Chilton County is one of the largest producers of peaches outside of Georgia and a booth at Saturday’s farmers’ market in Vicksburg was selling those renowned Chilton County peaches by the basketful.

As an experienced peach consumer, I knew these peaches were some of the first of the season, but they were still amazingly sweet and juicy.

As the summer moves along, the number of vendors might increase, the variety of items sold might grow, but for me, the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market is already peach perfect.