Roadside sales are what Kathy Luther does
Kathy Luther conducts a sale while another customer carries off a bag of oranges from her roadside sales spot near Mattawa.
MATTAWA - It's likely that no one here knows Kathy Luther by name, but probably most everyone knows of her.
Luther, 50-ish, sells oranges at the side of Highway 243 near Road 24. She's there whether it's cold or colder, bundled up and hustling.
"It's what I do," she said last week.
Luther doesn't skip days, and she doesn't move from spot to spot. There's no advantage in that.
"Every day is different," she said. "You never know which one is going to be good. It could be bad right here today and really good right here tomorrow."
Things went slow the morning of this interview. They picked up in the afternoon. Luther had sold 10 bags by about 3 p.m.
"It's okay. This is my first day right here," she said.
Roadside orange sales are a cooperative effort between Luther and her brother Dale. He drives to southern California in his pickup during season (now) and hauls oranges back to Kathy. He also arranges for the roadside sales areas.
"He got permission from the owners to be at this spot," Luther said.
Dale and Kathy have had careers, Luther said, but in the current economy, both get by with odd jobs. The orange season may get them into March. They don't do welfare.
"It's there to help," she said, "but it's a last resort. There's been times when I haven't had much, but I've hung in there."
Supposedly, Dale buys at a price that allows for a decent profit. But things don't always work out that way. Spoilage and other factors can take a bite.
Product must move quickly to minimize such losses and also to maintain freshness. The oranges are sold in 25-pound bags at $15 a bag or two for $25. And people try to talk Luther down.
"Sometimes I give people a break," she said. "Someone might have only $13, but I can't go much lower than that."
Luther enjoys roadside sales. Most people strike up conversations. The talk about kids, the weather or how her day is going.
"You might get somebody occasionally who's not friendly, but you have to be nice," she said. "Overall, I really like meeting new people."