TAMPA, Fla. — A family farm that’s been a household name in manatee county is selling their property.
These days, Dean Mixon is doing a bit of everything to keep his farm going.
“We keep the freshest fruit we can out here,” he said.
That means helping bag up oranges. He says it’s one fruit that the farm is known for.
“It’s red navels — very popular actually,” he said.
But keeping up with the demand in today’s economy has its challenges.
“We haven’t been able to keep and maintain a steady workforce,” Dean said.
Dean grew up helping his dad on the farm. He never had to guess what his career path would be, as he knew he would carry on the family business of 84 years.
“As a kid, this is where I grew up. This was my playground,” Dean said. “Of course, I thought driving a tractor was a lot of fun. I didn’t realize it was work.”
As he looks at the bamboo he planted years ago, he said it’s a different time now than it was back then.
“A multitude of things came together,” he said.
Dean said he is selling the land because of insurance costs, citrus industry regulations and Hurricane Ian.
“It knocked off 50 percent of our crop that we had this year,” he said.
It’s a bittersweet time now, as he reflects on how the farm began.
“My grandfather was the one that started (it),” Dean said. “My dad is the one that really built the business.”
The old farmhouse that Dean’s father built is full of memories. If you take just a few steps into the house, a wall of family pictures will greet you.
“That was our original packing house,” Dean said as he pointed to one of the framed family pictures on the wall.
And he shows another framed document, the deed of the original purchase of the land in 1849.
“Up until a few years ago, we still had trees in the original grove from 1849,” he said.
The farmhouse was remodeled to be used for weddings, but the family kept its history inside the home, like all of the documents and framed pictures.
“Well, this is part of our history,” Dean said. “Glad we can share it.”
The pictures and pages on the wall are part of Dean’s story, but he says it’s time for his next adventure in life.
“Times are changing, things are changing all around us,” he said.
Dean said it’s about the people that have worked for him for decades and the people that keep coming back to the farm.
“We are glad people are coming out buying stuff with our name on it, our logo on it,” he said.
Dean also said he’s thankful for a community that helped make his farm a household name.
There are several upcoming events to attend on the farm, with the next one on March 24.
The family said they are closing the store on July 29.
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Mixon Fruit Farm announces closure, owner reflects on its history - Bay News 9
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