Vero Beach, FL: White Rabbit Organic Farm

We first heard about White Rabbit from our friends, Jim and Rene…they had done some workamping there. You can read about there experience here. We were going to be passing right by it, so we decided to check it out for ourselves. The farm is located down a long dirt road, just minutes from the ocean. The road itself was so washboarded…I was catching falling items in the RV all the way down! When we arrived, we introduced ourselves to Valerie and Brian, the owners, and also to Mike and Nick, who were living there and working for a short time before they headed on in their own travels. They provide housing and meals in exchange for work on the farm (similar to WWOOFing).

Matt got the RV parked and then got on his work clothes so he could pitch in with whatever they had for him to do! There is nothing Matt loves more than a good project to dig into…so he was in his element! Bella and I enjoyed the farm atmosphere…we checked out the goats, sheep, chickens, and dogs. It was so nice to have the open space to just run and play games and play. The sunsets were heavenly and the orange groves smelled delicious!


We had a great nights sleep…and woke up to a very loud and persistent rooster right outside our window! Now, I’m somewhat of a chicken/rooster fanatic, I’ve always wanted some of my own. I love being around them…and actually don’t even mind having one as an alarm clock! Bella loved checking out the rooster and his hens too. I think they inspired her to scratch in the dirt…because she did a lot of that while we were there…creating masterpieces like this one.

Valerie and Brian also run a farm store there on site that is stocked with organic produce and other natural products. It was so much fun to load up our fridge with an abundance of organic goodies…especially knowing that our money was going DIRECTLY to the farmer! The tomatoes were like candy…and the lettuce mix so tasty!! I loved that they have a self-service/trust based system…people would come and go all day, writing out their own ticket and leaving a check. There was just something so earthy and old fashioned about it. Good stuff. In addition to that, they produce biodiesel on site and sell it. Matt was able to spend a lot of time with Brian talking about biodiesel vs. straight veggie and learning how his system worked. He had a GIANT stockpile of veggie oil…it was amazing!


Bella really hit it off with Mike and Nick…she loved their dogs and was always wanting to take them on a walk. They were so sweet with her and would always stop to engage her in conversation. She, of course, had a million questions about everything that was happening at the farm. It was a learning experience for everyone!


While we were in town the first night, we ran into another traveling family, Anna and Nathanial. They had just arrived in Florida after a long trip from Ohio…so we invited them to come over to our place for some showers, food, and movies. We had a delightful time talking, laughing, and eating…and stayed up LATE! It was a fun night!

We ended up staying for 2 nights…and it was one of the best unexpected stops of the tour! They work SO HARD at the farm, doing something that they are passionate about. It was completely inspiring. Thank you to Brian, Valerie, Mike, and Nick for welcoming us with open arms!

Photo album here.

2 Comments »

  1. It’s so great to see the harvest has come in for Brian and Valerie! We were bummed that we had to miss that. Florida does have some good things about it, like the best weather for almost year-round growing.

    We hope to make it back there in the Fall. They are such incredible, good people. Glad you had the chance to meet them.

    Comment by Rene — March 29, 2008 @ 3:55 pm

  2. I find it ironic that, though your family eats very healthy food & organic food every day, your voyage is powered primarily by the poor eating habits of the general public who love fried foods.
    Ron

    Comment by Ron Wright — April 1, 2008 @ 11:31 am

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