Mal’s Fresh Produce

On the outskirts of the buzzing college city of Morgantown, West Virginia, lies the more rural, suburban town of Cheat Lake.

Coming off the I-68 Airport/Pierpont exit, you can bypass the main stretch by taking Old Cheat Road—a winding, scenic route with commercial businesses peppering the roadway. If you take your time driving through, you may stumble upon a red building overflowing with freshly harvested bounties of spring, summer, and fall—better known as Mal’s Fresh Produce. 

Loyal customers will tell you that once you’ve tasted a fresh peach or cantaloupe from Mal’s, it’s hard to enjoy produce from a grocery store ever again. Founder and owner Mallory Moholt, age 24, laughs when she recalls the beginning of Mal’s Fresh Produce in comparison to the loyal customer base she has now. She had just $1,000 to her name when deciding to test out a small pop-up of fresh produce in the area. Freshly graduated in the midst of a pandemic, Moholt put everything she had into the original small farm stand.

“The world was at a standstill when this began, but I was confident because my family roots are in the produce business and I grew up learning about it,” says Moholt. “I noticed the lack of local, fresh produce in Morgantown and decided I would drive the three hours home just to bring it back to my community—so I took a chance and risked it all.”

Just four years later, Mal’s Fresh Produce has grown to a network of more than 30 farmers providing goods to five locations, including the flagship location in Cheat Lake. When produce is in season, the open-air market attracts hundreds of shoppers each day. 

“It was really just supposed to be this little pop-up,” says Moholt. “I was just winging it. But immediately within two weeks, because of the demand, people were loving it and I knew there was a way we could start offering daily items.”

During the open season, customers can choose from freshly picked fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, eggs, and bread from local farms and vendors within a 60-mile radius, as well as Mal’s Fresh Produce-branded canned items like apple butter, peach preserves, salsas, and salad dressings. Visitors rave over juicy garden tomatoes, get-them-before-they’re-gone strawberries, and sweet, crunchy corn picked hours before hitting the shelves. 

As you walk through, the scent of perfectly ripened stone fruits and melons fills the air, while the vibrant contrast of local cherries, green onions, and wax peppers makes it difficult to leave empty-handed. Mal’s will soon roll out wholesale deliveries, neighborhood subscription boxes, and grab-and-go items made with imperfect produce. 

Each morning from April through October, trucks arrive at 6 a.m. sharp at the original location where Mal’s Fresh Produce staff quickly load up goods to be delivered to each of its stands. All goods are then dropped off, unloaded, and available for sale to the public at 9 a.m.

“We’re on a mission to nourish the community with locally sourced nutritious food while fostering a sustainable and resilient food system—and that takes a highly efficient, customer-oriented operation to see it through,” says Moholt. 

As if high-quality food isn’t enough, there’s another reason customers remain loyal: Mal’s Fresh Produce has ingrained itself deeply in the community, offering free family events at the beginning and end of every season that include pony rides, live animal interactions, pumpkin
painting, chili cook-offs, and more.

“We’re lucky to be in a community that values what we do, that takes initiative to find healthy food from local business—these events are a way to give back and say thank you,” says Moholt. “The investment is well worth it. We literally exist to serve our customers, and we’ll continue doing that one roadside stand at a time.”