Manatee County leaders to vote on buying Mixon Fruit Farms

The Brief

  • Commissioners in Manatee County are expected to vote Tuesday on a proposal to purchase Mixon Fruit Farms.
  • Mixon Fruit Farms has been closed since 2023.
  • The 40-acre property is valued at $15,765,000 with a listed purchase price of $13,500,000.

BRADENTON, Fla. Manatee County commissioners plan to vote Tuesday on whether to purchase the 40-acre property that housed the iconic Mixon Fruit Farms for generations.

What is Mixon Fruit Farms?

The backstory:

Often called “Florida’s sweetest attraction,” the Mixon family operated Mixon Fruit Farms for more than 80 years.

It started as a fruit stand and eventually grew to feature a popular general store, café and other attractions.

Citrus greening and other diseases have taken their toll on Florida citrus in recent decades, however, and the Mixons had to sell land – shrinking their original 350 acres to about 40.

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