Local Farm Stands Expand in Hernando County, Boosting Small Sellers

Hernando County has seen a recent uptick in farm stands as entrepreneurs move from pop-up carts to permanent locations, creating new local retail outlets for baked goods, preserves, eggs and specialty breads. Lucy Lou’s Farmstand opened a permanent location at 1229 Carlton Road in Spring Hill after the owner expanded her offerings beyond dog treats and small cart sales. April Johnson-Spence and Jaime Sheridan have also launched stands that combine sales with community goals and artisan baking.

Frances Miller founded Lucy Lou’s after making all-natural dog treats for her Dalmatian, Enzo, who is allergic to most commercial products. “My first passion came from making sure that I have dog treats that only have limited ingredients for dogs that have a lot of allergies or medical conditions,” she said. As demand grew, Miller broadened her menu in December 2025 to include chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread cookies and cake pops. Miller identified s’mores cookies and a confection she calls Dubai chocolate among her top sellers, and she said lemonade is another frequent favorite of shoppers. “They all love my s’mores cookies. That is a huge fan favorite. We have some type of s’mores usually every week. Then, my Dubai chocolate is probably the second thing the shoppers love the most. Then, if I ever stop selling lemonade, they might riot outside my house,” Miller joked.

Simply Sweet Cottage Bakery, at 1212 Carlton Street in Spring Hill, opened on Oct. 1, 2025 and focuses on sourdough and artisan breads. Owner Jaime Sheridan said everything she sells is locally grown and organic, and her jalapeño cheddar bread has quickly become a top seller. “I specialize in breads: sourdough [and] artisan,” Sheridan said. “I sell farm fresh eggs (duck and chicken). I also sell chocolate-covered Oreos, brookies, cakes, cookies, I do specialty orders for parties… I also have toys in there for kids and trinkets and stuff like that.”

April Johnson-Spence’s new stand at 14445 Mocking Wren Road in Brooksville serves as the fundraising arm for Hernando County Homesteading, a local nonprofit focused on promoting property-level self-sufficiency. “The non-profit (Hernando County Homesteading) was to support educating and creating awareness for homesteading for what people are doing on their own properties to be more self-sufficient. We give grants for little micro-gardens, we do seed exchanges in the community, and plant exchanges,” Johnson-Spence said.

Farm stand owners and organizers point to community connection, affordability and the cottage-food culture as drivers of this expansion. For Hernando County residents, the stands provide convenient access to locally produced food, alternative income streams for small-scale producers, and venues for community education such as seed swaps and micro-garden grants. As more vendors convert informal sales into fixed locations, the trend could strengthen local food networks and support homegrown entrepreneurship across the county. Residents can visit Lucy Lou’s at 1229 Carlton Road in Spring Hill, Simply Sweet Cottage Bakery at 1212 Carlton Street in Spring Hill, and Hernando County Homesteading at 14445 Mocking Wren Road in Brooksville to sample offerings and support local sellers.