The Sebring area has a delicious little secret. While most known for Lake Jackson and Sebring’s sports car racing, the area is home to many family-owned farms that welcome visitors. Enjoy fresh air and fresh fruit, relax in the shade, sip freshly made drinks, and watch the kids laugh and play with animals. It’s the perfect recipe for a lazy day outing everyone will love.
Relaxing in a rocking chair on the porch, enjoying orange ice cream or a glass of citrus wine… do you really need more convincing? If you’re not in the car yet, maybe we can sweeten the deal. Maxwell Groves, which has been a fixture in the area since 1935, has all kinds of locally made goodies such as honey, key lime and lemonade ice cream, fresh orange juice and bag-your-own citrus. They also have an incredible selection of Florida wines with tempting names like Honeydew Hideout, Cranberry Key and Mamma Guava.
Did you know blueberries can lower your blood pressure? Picking them will, too. At Sunshine Blueberry Farm the friendly staff will tell you everything about blueberries, including how to pick the most mouthwatering ones. Kids really love U-pick farms and it’s a great way to teach them where their food comes from. Fun, healthy and educational? It’s an activity that ticks all the boxes.
If you’re not already a fan of muscadines, you’re about to be. Extra-sweet grapes with a thick, tangy skin, muscadines are native to Florida and the Southeast. Secret Gardens grows 5.5 acres of them to create flavorful jams, jellies and wine. They also sell craft beer, other fruit wines and grape juice for the kids. Drive along a portion of the scenic Florida Cracker Trail to the winery, then shop for gifts, play cornhole, listen to live music and soak up the simple life. Bring the dogs, too; there’s a pup-friendly patio so your fur family can join the fun.
Forget postcards—give your loved ones a real taste of Florida with spirits from Sugar Sand Distillery instead. This 10-acre sugarcane farm was built on the idea that overseeing the entire process from farm to bottle was the best way to produce high-quality vodka, rum, gin, moonshine and whiskey. Tour the farm and distillery to see how it’s all done, sample drinks and then stock up on your favorites in the gift shop. Kids are welcome on Saturday tours; tasting is over 21 with ID.
No farm adventure is complete without animals! At LaLa Land, a 50-acre ranch in Sebring, you can play with all kinds of barnyard favorites and exotics. Pet a potbellied pig, feed the wallabies, kiss a donkey, take a selfie with a camel and much more. An added bonus: many of the animals are part of TLC Therapy Hooves, a nonprofit that brings animals (and smiles) to senior care centers. Visits are by appointment only, and all proceeds go to the charity.