Bananas in Selma?

Published 12:28 am Saturday, September 15, 2012

Joe Peasant and his wife Rosie stand with their three banana trees in their backyard in the Selmont side of Selma. After Joe sprinkled some Miracle Grow on the trees they bloomed this year with several pods of bananas. -- Ashley Johnson

In an unlikely place, bananas are harvesting and ripening by the pod.

Joe Peasant is a banana grower, a raccoon raiser and vegetable grower, according to his wife Rosie who showed off their almost ripened bananas this week in their back yard in Selma.

Peasant said he has been growing these trees for several years now without much success until he decided to sprinkle Miracle Grow on the plants and they now sport 50 to 60 unripened bananas.

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Peasant said he grows fruits and vegetables in his backyard to give to his grandchildren who live in Texas. In his spare time he takes care of his several pets as well.

“I am the only one in all of Selma,” Peasant said when asked about how many others are growing bananas in town. “I’m going give [the bananas] out to some of the people in the neighborhood and some kids.”

Peasant said he has about three or four more weeks to grow the fruits before the colder weather comes in.

“Yeah some people even came to take pictures of them,” Peasant said about neighbors coming to see his very odd banana harvest.