Grassroots initiatives in Manatee County have gained momentum following the election of new commissioners in November 2024. Despite state interference limiting local governance, residents are actively engaged in community projects like the transformation of Mixon Farms into an agricultural education hub. The site aims to foster entrepreneurship and sustainability, reflecting the county's evolving identity amidst significant growth and budget increases.
The author reflects on their transformative trip to Africa, contrasting their initial anxiety with newfound insights about contentment and happiness. Exposure to the Maasai Mara tribe highlighted the disparity between materialism in the U.S. and the joyful simplicity of life in Africa. The increasing threat of climate change underscores the need for global accountability and stewardship of the Earth.
Agritourism has transformed Florida's agricultural sector, linking farming with tourism to boost income for farmers amid rising costs and decreasing product value. Legislative support since 2013 has enabled this shift, with over 4,000 farms in Florida adopting agritourism. Manatee County hosts notable operations, enhancing community engagement and economic viability.
March marks the historic beginning of spring! This year spring begins on March 20th, but in Florida, spring has already begun! The flowers are budded up or blooming, new foliage is breaking, and the itch to garden is real! The other great part about spring is that it brings a multitude of spring flings! From… Continue reading Spring brings more than flowers!
What is your pleasure, one stop shopping, curbside pickup, same day delivery? In today’s market we have options that simply didn’t exist 20 years ago, and many of these options make life ‘easier’. We are happy to trade money for time because isn’t time our most precious commodity? It seems the use of that purchased… Continue reading Make the Connection
Fall in Florida my not be your traditional drop in temperatures and changing of the leaves, but there certainly is still something special about fall in Florida. It's prime time to start planting your vegetable gardens, farm markets start to open, and festival time is in full swing! Do we wish the temperatures were in… Continue reading Falling for Fall
Why should you make the effort to shop local? It’s not as simple as going to the grocery store and assuming they have sourced in state foods and goods. If you have checked the labels in your local store lately, odds are you have first-hand experience and knowledge that food is rarely sourced in state. … Continue reading Fresh from the Source
There's been quite a bit going on in our nation recently. Rising interest rates, inflation, higher gas prices, labor costs, the list goes on. It can be quite overwhelming, especially if you're a farmer. Lately I've seen many posts about farmers and sadly, a big portion were negative. How grocery prices rising are the fault… Continue reading The Threshold of American Agriculture
Depending on who you are, spring break is either a blessing or a curse. If you’re a teacher, you probably ran out the door as fast as you could when the principal announces “the parking lot is being re-paved at 2:30PM.” If you’re a parent, it certainly can be stressful. It’s like a flashback from… Continue reading Spring Break is here!
The Veranda View 