The Real Farmville

While on our way home from our first family vacation, we stopped at Crone's Cradle Conserve. This is an amazing place in Citra, FL. Where's Citra, FL? Basically, in the middle of nowhere. We took I-75 to the Orange Lake exit, then drove many miles through the wooded areas, until we had to veer off the paved road. After that, we still had to drive a few miles...until we found this absolutely amazing place! It's a farm with a country store. They sell fresh goat cheese, eggs, grass-fed beef, jars of pickled items and jellies, and all of these wonderful fresh veggies and veggie/herb plants. They had chickens and pheasants and a big ol' pig. They're also extremely eco-friendly. I spoke to one of the employees, and he said that they try to avoid using any plastic products. It felt like stepping back in time to a simpler life, where people took pride in their work. The raised garden beds were so well-taken care of, the animals roamed free or in very large cages, eating healthy fruits and vegetables.

Here are a few pictures I'd like to share:

We purchased some fresh arugula that I put in a quiche, carrots, some romaine lettuce, several veggie/herb/fruit plants (cantaloupe, watermelon, oregano, and a few others), fresh goat cheese (which tasted so different than the store-bought stuff...so much earthier), and Richard got some grass-fed beef that he used to make meatballs.