A Florida landmark is now in public hands. See plans for the $13 million site
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Manatee County approved $13.5M purchase of historic Mixon Fruit Farms site.
- Plans include agricultural education, library services and community gardens.
- Officials aim for early 2026 program launch; final purchase expected in 2025.
Two years after Mixon Fruit Farms closed for business, Manatee County commissioners approved the county’s purchase of the property to preserve the historic site.
On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with the $13.5 million purchase of Mixon Fruit Farms with the goal of incorporating educational programs, community-based agriculture and library services on the 39-acre property in East Bradenton.
The property includes the former 38,000-square-foot Mixon Fruit Farms store, a pavilion and a 2,500-square-foot house. Mixon Fruit Farms began in 1939 as a fruit stand and had its last day of business in July 2023.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard, whose district includes the Mixon property, led the effort to purchase the land. She reallocated about $4 million in funding from other projects in her district to ensure this deal would happen.
She also worked with county staff and met with nearby residents to help create conceptual plans for the property once it is under county control.
“One of the things that I’m really most excited about is the opportunity to preserve the agricultural heritage of this land,” Ballard said. “What we have the ability to do is carry on that farming legacy, as well as train a new generation of Manatee County farmers.”
“I think it’s really important that, as we grow, we don’t lose sight of who we are, and Mixon is Manatee County in a nutshell,” she added. “There are very few places that represent Old Florida in the way that this location does for Manatee County. And I think it would be an absolute shame to let this pass us by.”
Manatee County officials approved the purchase despite Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Department of Government Efficiency auditors raising questions about the purchase. DOGE will be on site next week to review various aspects of the purchase, including the county’s plans for the property, any alternatives that were considered and projected operating expenses.
County envisions plans for Mixon Farms
At the meeting, county staff reviewed several options for the site, including microgardens where interested people could learn the basics of gardening on plots of the Mixon Fruit Farms land. There were also talks of education programs about water quality, soil conservation and nutrition.
Ballard said she has spoken with various local organizations to incorporate local partnerships, namely with New College of Florida, which is open to partnering for internship programs.
Now that the purchase has commission approval, county staff can move forward and expect the purchase to close later this year. As long as that happens, staff said they expect some of the proposed programs could start in early 2026.
“A lot of the programs I spoke of are already going on throughout the county in different areas, just lacking in this area,” Director of Sports & Leisure Molly White said. “So those would be pretty immediate.”
Commissioner Jason Bearden said he would like to see county activities happen sooner rather than later.
“What I don’t want to do — I’m going to tell you guys right now — is buy a piece of property and sit on it,” Bearden said. “If we’re going to say we’re going to do this, I support this. We better do it.”
Director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Elliott Falcione spoke about the long-term vision of utilizing the farm in a push toward agritourism and incorporating it with the bureau’s existing promotion for the Manatee County region.
“History ranks third in the eyes of the tourists,” Falcione said, adding it is third to beaches and unique food. “The value in this opportunity is to cluster attractions together.”
Library services on Mixon property
Additionally, about $2 million of library funds are being used for the $13.5 million purchase, which means the county must incorporate some library services in the plans.
“Any type of renovation would go toward the library services aspect,” White said.
The basic idea is to provide a stop for the county’s planned bookmobile that travels the county to bring library services.
However, commissioners debated over how much further to expand library services on the site. When Commissioner Tal Siddique asked county staff how much a new library would cost, estimates ranged from $5 million to $40 million, depending on the scope of the project.
“It’s important for the public to understand the long-term commitment,” Siddique said. “We’re locking ourselves into the purchase, so I think it’s important to get some of the numbers out there.”
Despite the questioning, Siddique affirmed his approval for the purchase and to bring library services to the site, but said he wants to ensure the county goes all in.
“I don’t think we should do this as cheap as possible. I do think we should look towards the long-term needs in this community,” Siddique said.
Manatee officials approve Mixon purchase
Commissioner George Kruse noted that this purchase and the future maintenance costs of the farm will be a milestone for the community in terms of what it gets back from the county.
“This is a funding desert,” Kruse said. “These people pay taxes to Manatee. I can’t recall the last thing we’ve purchased or built within a five mile radius of this property.”
Supporters of Mixon Farms and the county’s purchase filled the chambers. Before the final vote, many spoke in favor of the purchase, including Mixon Farms’ current owners Dean and Janet Mixon.
Dean Mixon told commissioners he was thankful for the county’s interest and appreciated the ideas discussed. He said the family had plans for similar programming, but “ran out of steam.”
“We built our reputation around good people and doing things right. We want to see that continue,” Dean Mixon said.
And Janet Mixon said the family isn’t going far.
“We look forward to working with you on making this happen,” Janet Mixon said. “We would love to be a part of the future of Mixons.”
