Locally Grown Produce - a Find Locally Grown Produce - a Find - Talk of The Villages Florida

Locally Grown Produce - a Find

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Old 05-12-2012, 01:39 PM
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nhelleks nhelleks is offline
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Default Locally Grown Produce - a Find

I just discovered a place to buy locally grown produce that is very reasonable.
Norma Jean Burk runs it.

It is on 466A going east toward Micro Racetrack Rd.
You pass Colony Plaza and about a 1/4mi on your left you'll see a sign Fresh Produce. Take the driveway just before the sign.
All the vegetables are picked daily.
A basket of Beefsteak tomatoes is $2.50; a doz. brown eggs $2.50. Everything is grown right there. I don't believe it's organic, but the next best thing.
If the sign says closed, go to the big green house and tell them what you want and they will go out and pick it for you. Can't get any fresher than that.
They are closed on Sundays.
They are building Burk's Barbeque in the empty lot in front.

...Nancy
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Old 05-12-2012, 02:07 PM
NotGolfer NotGolfer is offline
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could you name the produce they sell? All varieties?? just curious!
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Old 05-12-2012, 02:29 PM
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Today they had tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, corn, zucchini, yellow squash, some exotic squash, garlic, green tomato relish, cucumber relish, eggs - that's all I can remember.
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Old 05-12-2012, 03:05 PM
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What a find
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Old 05-12-2012, 03:31 PM
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Sounds like a place to try.

I usually go to Markets of Marion to get my canning veggies (tomatoes and cukes). There is a place in Lady Lake on Tuesday that has fresh veggies also. But not in bulk like I need.

Johnson's(?) on 301 has fresh but a lot of it is bruised or close to going bad.
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Old 05-12-2012, 04:27 PM
NotGolfer NotGolfer is offline
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A couple of other "finds"....Bennett's in rural Wildwood and Brown's Roadside Market along 301 out near Dallas. But this one is closer so will have to check it out!
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Old 05-17-2012, 02:32 PM
dfjcschaich dfjcschaich is offline
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Default Locally grown produce

I stopped today and bought tomatoes, large and cherry, zucchini, green peppers, cukes, onions, and eggs. My husband and I have soooo missed the great farmer's markets we frequented in Wisconsin. We've been to the Market of Marion, only to discover a lot of it is shipped in from Mexico, Chile and other parts of the world. I can get those at the nearest Publix.

This produce is grown where it's sold. Some comes from relatives farms in Oxford, Wildwood and Wahoo, but that's more local than anywhere else.

She was out of sweet corn today, but will have more in this weekend. I can't wait to taste fresh corn picked that day and eaten that night rather than corn picked three weeks ago, shipped to a supermarket only to realize it has an off taste if it has any flavor at all.

Tomorrow she will have green beans for sale.

I asked if they grow kale, mustard greens or collard and she said they do, but it will be ready later on in the season. Excellent!!

She doesn't have a name for the produce stand yet but now that she knows it's been mentioned here, she thought she might create one.

I'm grateful to the person who brought this place to our attention. Thank you very much.

We're having stuffed zucchini for dinner tonight because of your thoughfulness!
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Old 05-18-2012, 01:19 PM
RedChariot RedChariot is offline
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Hope Norma gets back on the board and tells us her hours. We will be there. I miss the farm stands in my Garden State of New Jersey. Not to mention a few other things from NJ.
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Old 05-18-2012, 07:33 PM
kathyzapp kathyzapp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedChariot;49***4
Hope Norma gets back on the board and tells us her hours. We will be there. I miss the farm stands in my Garden State of New Jersey. Not to mention a few other things from NJ.
Especially Jersey tomatoes!
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Old 05-18-2012, 08:39 PM
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Default Not sold on the produce.

Don't want to be Debbie Downer but I stopped in there today and was disappointed in their produce. Not much to pick from. A few varieties of tomatoes, green beans, some melons and maybe green peppers. They only had a few ears of silver queen (white) corn and some squash. There was a gentleman there and when we picked a few things out that we wanted the gentleman said he didn't know how much things were as his sister was in charge but she went to pick up her child at school. He ran next door and got another woman who had no idea how much things were either. Finally she said a dollar. I won't go back again as I mainly went for the sweet corn and I found some delicious corn at Publix. Maybe I caught the stand at a bad time.
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Old 05-19-2012, 10:51 AM
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Was there today and got some zucchini, squash and fresh eggs (really fresh...a few more were needed to fill a container so she went right to the chicken coup to get more). She did say to pay attention to the sign in front....if it says "open" go ahead and drive in. If the sign says "closed," they are closed.
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Old 05-19-2012, 11:31 AM
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I wish they would list their hours here. If they have regular hours. Eery time I drive by it is Closed
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Old 05-19-2012, 02:36 PM
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Default Regular Hours

We were by there today and bought some veggies and a parsley plant. All look good and very reasonable. Hubby came in with some just picked squash while we were there.

I asked her about hours and she said she was there most of the time between 8:30 and mid afternoon every day but Sunday. She can't keep exact hours due to family commitments at various times.

My plan is to just go by when I'm in the area and need something. She is a very pleasant lady.

The restaurant is supposed to open toward the end of the summer.

Wildwood market on Saturday morning has some good produce too.

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Old 05-28-2012, 01:46 PM
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Is it past micro racetrack ?
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Old 05-28-2012, 01:57 PM
bkcunningham1 bkcunningham1 is offline
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Has anyone gone to the farms where U-Pick-It? Some friends were telling us they followed the signs on 301 and ended up driving right into the fields. They said they picked corn, tomatoes and other produce right off the vine, stalk, whatever and the price was very cheap. We went looking Sunday but the one we found was closed on Sunday.

I love going to the Markets of Marion because of the prices. I haven't been disappointed in their produce either. I ask if I'm not certain if it is local or not. You can usually see the label on things like cauliflower or commonsense on items you know aren't in season here.

The U-Pick-It farms might be what you need, Z. Have you tried them yet?
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