Mike Cairo may have thought of the best use of indoor space in the plaza he owns with his father. He created an indoor farmer’s market, The Fresh Farm, on the corner of Providence Rd. and Bloomingdale Ave. Cairo explained, “I just thought that at a roadside stand in the Florida heart, the produce would do better in a climate controlled environment.”
“It will increase its shelf life in the store and at customer’s houses,” he continued. The 3,500-sq.-ft. market is stocked with tomatoes, squash, broccoli, onions, peppers, apples and so much more. In addition to its impressive selection of produce- both organic and traditional- The Fresh Farm also offers Daikin Dairy milk, which comes from grass-fed cows in Myakka City; hand-churned Amish roll butter from Millersburg, Ohio, which has only two ingredients- salt and cream. In addition to the Amish butter, The Fresh Farm carries 50-60 Troyer’s Amish Products. Troyer’s has a restaurant in Sarasota, Cairo mentioned, called Troyer’s Dutch Heritage. He sells their products because they are very low in preservatives and use old-fashioned recipes.
“The Daikin milk is processed in the morning, and we pick it up in the afternoon,” Cairo commented on the freshness of the dairy. The Fresh Farm also gets deliveries weekly of Wisconsin cheese.
Every morning, Cairo travels to Ybor City to pick up fresh Cuban bread. They also roast the own coffee every Tuesday morning, using 100 percent Grade A coffee beans. It is their own label of coffee and they offer it free to customers while they are shopping.
Locally, Cairo journeys to Plant City to pick up local eggs from J & K Farms, both brown and white.
Cario and his wife, Christie, have been Brandon residents for eight years and have four children, all of whom help out at the store.
“We carry your bags to the car,” he said. “We really push that personal service.”
The Fresh Farm can also make fruit trays and veggie platters for parties. It will have a 6,000-sq.-ft. pumpkin patch this October.
Stop by The Fresh Farm, located at 5914 Providence Rd., Monday-Thursday, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
For more information, please call 685-FARM (3276), visit www.thefreshfarm.com or find them on Facebook.
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