Sunshine and Soil

Hi, I'm Michaelle, born and raised in sunny South Florida. After spending more than ten years traveling the world as a chef, adventure travel blogger, and yoga teacher, I eventually found my way back home. Now, I'm focused on sharing the incredible fruit that grows right here in my beautiful home state of Florida.

Florida is full of amazing tropical fruit, and my goal is to source the freshest ingredients I can find directly from local farmers. I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting varieties- the kind of fruit you don't usually find at the grocery store. I seek out fruit that is grown naturally, without sprays and pesticides. Just real, good fruit grown close to home.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of eating juicy ripe mangos, fresh coconuts, avocados, and other tropical fruits straight from the tree. There is truly nothing better than the taste of perfectly ripe fruit.

Alongside fruit, my husband Eric and I run a small ornamental tree farm where we grow magnolia, cypress, and olive trees whose foliage is used in holiday wreaths, bouquets, and garlands. I also love baking sourdough and specialize in pretzels, bagels, and English muffins. We've recently begun a small nursery and hope to offer herbs and vegetable starts in the future.

We're also growing many fruits of our own, including pineapple, blackberries, mulberries, figs, dragonfruit, mango, guava, avocados and more. It's all part of the same mission: connecting with the land, growing what we love to eat, and creating delicious products without preservatives or unnecessary additives.

At Violet Farmstead, it's all about the fruit.