{"id":233965,"date":"2026-04-16T08:43:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T08:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/233965\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T08:43:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T08:43:17","slug":"farm-stands-bring-back-old-ways-in-north-central-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/233965\/","title":{"rendered":"Farm stands bring back \u2018old ways\u2019 in north central Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the end of a dirt road lined with chicken coops and backyard gardens, a small wooden stand filled with homemade goods draws a steady stream of visitors.<\/p>\n

The menu is simple: eggs, jams, baked goods, soaps. But what\u2019s really being exchanged is something less tangible. This small business is serving a return to older ways of living, eating and connecting.<\/p>\n

Across rural north central Florida, farm stands are quietly reshaping how some communities think about food. Built on homegrown ingredients and community, they are reviving a farm-to-table model that predates modern grocery chains, offering a healthier and more connected alternative.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a trend seen across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on-farm markets, which include farm stands, farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer efforts, were present in nearly 30%<\/a> of U.S. counties. Quantifying the true number of farm stands across the country is difficult since data is limited and often relies on self-reporting.<\/p>\n

\"Farm<\/p>\n

Farm Stand Girl owner Brianna Havatian lists the ingredients of her homemade soap. (Emily Drelick\/WUFT News) <\/p>\n

Brianna Havatian started her farm stand, the Farm Stand Girl, with her husband in Live Oak, Suwannee County. She said the idea to build her own stand began with an overabundance of eggs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had chickens, lots of chickens,\u201d she said. \u201cWe started getting more eggs than we could consume, so we put out a little chair and said \u2018Free eggs to a good home.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At first, the eggs were free. Then demand grew.<\/p>\n

Neighbors began lining up to get ahold of Havatian\u2019s fresh eggs. Soon, what began as a small giveaway turned into a full-fledged stand offering eggs, homemade jams and soaps.<\/p>\n

\"Chickens<\/p>\n

Chickens nest inside a chicken coop on Brianna Havatian\u2019s property. She takes care of over 200 chickens. (Emily Drelick\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

The expansion wasn\u2019t random. Each item offered in the stand reflected a deeper shift in how Havatian and her family approached food and health.<\/p>\n

After facing personal health challenges, Havatian said her family made significant lifestyle changes, cutting out processed foods and focusing on natural, locally sourced ingredients.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to keep ingesting poisons and toxins,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to be as natural and healthy as we possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A small blackboard lists the items offered at the Farm Stand Girl, including fresh eggs, jams, whipped tallows and soaps. (Emily Drelick\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

That philosophy now defines the farm stand. Fruits used in jams are picked from nearby farms. Tallow used in soaps is bought from a butcher. Each ingredient used can be traced back to a local source.<\/p>\n

For customers, the appeal is both practical and personal.<\/p>\n

According to Havatian, some people seek out farm stands as an alternative to store bought goods. Others don\u2019t have the time to produce everything for themselves but still want access to natural products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of time and love that goes into this,\u201d Havatian said. \u201cSome people just don\u2019t have that time, but they still want it. So we make it accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

That accessibility is part of a broader movement taking shape in rural communities. Farm stands are filling gaps left by limited retail options, offering something big-box stores cannot.<\/p>\n

In Havatian\u2019s neighborhood, the closest grocery store is nearly 10 miles away. That reality has made locally sourced goods more convenient for the community.<\/p>\n

\"Amy<\/p>\n

Amy Showers cleans off the shelves of her farm stand, Kneady or Not, in Live Oak. (Emily Drelick\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

Amy Showers, who runs a farm stand down the street from Havatian called Kneady or Not, said she was surprised by how quickly local support grew.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think that I had a chance,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the community likes to support small businesses instead of going to big-box stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

The community\u2019s support for Showers\u2019 stand went beyond buying her homemade baked goods.<\/p>\n

Showers opened Kneady or Not soon after she was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer. The stand gave her a community and a reason to smile through the hard days.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt kept me going,\u201d Showers said. \u201cIt kept me moving. It gave me a purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Amy<\/p>\n

Amy Showers puts her homemade sea salt blend on display at the Kneady or Not farm stand. (Emily Drelick\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

Customers dropped off electrolyte packets, handmade cards and thoughtful notes for Showers. The stand, she said, expanded her small circle into a much larger support network.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople in the community have followed what\u2019s been going on,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve made great relationships with some of these women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her experience highlights the role of farm stands as informal community hubs.<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional retail spaces, farm stands are often unstaffed. Owners rely on trust that customers will leave cash or use digital payments for their goods.<\/p>\n

\"Homemade<\/p>\n

Homemade banana bread sits on the shelf at the Kneady or Not farm stand. (Emily Drelick\/WUFT News)<\/p>\n

For some, the creation of communities around food reflects a return to older ways. Jenifer Solida, who helps connect local producers and farm stands in north central florida, said the shift is partly a reaction to modern food systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are missing something,\u201d she said. \u201cInstead of these faceless big-box stores, you actually get to see your neighbors and connect with your community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Solida traces her interest in small-scale agriculture back to her great-grandmother, who ran a dairy farm and raised a family largely on her own. That legacy inspired Solida to help others learn skills that were once common but are now fading.<\/p>\n

Through her work, she has assisted more than a dozen people in starting homesteads or small agricultural businesses. She also shares information publicly to make the process more accessible.<\/p>\n

Farm stands, she said, play a role in rebuilding local agriculture by linking producers with one another. For example, bakers source grains from local growers and jam makers pick fruit from nearby farms. By connecting with local producers, stands are strengthening their business and that of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is for everybody to start working together,\u201d Solida said.<\/p>\n

That collaboration is already happening. Havatian, for example, sources ingredients from local farms and sells her products in other stands and co-ops, creating a network of producers who support each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more farm stands,\u201d she said. \u201cMore farmers, more natural ways to feed and produce for our families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some small farmers argue convenience is a recent development that came at the cost of traditional farming knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur grandparents knew how to do all these things,\u201d Havatian said. \u201cThere weren\u2019t a bunch of chain stores. We\u2019re trying to get back to the basics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those basics of knowing where your food comes from are now being rediscovered by a new generation.<\/p>\n

For Showers, that process is still evolving. While she sources some ingredients locally, she continues to learn more about integrating fully local production into her baking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a work in progress,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Together, these small stands are quietly creating a shift in how rural communities interact with food. They offer convenient access to local food and connections in otherwise isolated areas.<\/p>\n

And on a dirt road in Suwannee County, that\u2019s proving to be more than enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At the end of a dirt road lined with chicken coops and backyard gardens, a small wooden stand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233966,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-233965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}