All Roads Lead To Something Good
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Lara O’Neal of Serendipity Family Farm will operate the Chamber sponsored Farmers Market when it opens in May.
Chamber Report
By Jessie Gurner
The Chamber of Commerce is excited to sponsor the upcoming Farmers Market which will open this May and will be operated by Lara O’Neal who owns Serendipity Family Farm with her family.
Lara had been running a commercial glass business in Arizona for 25 years. She recounts, “My husband Bill, who is retired military, and I took a road trip with a couple of our kids and we stopped to visit our son in Brandon.” On the return, they took a detour off the Grenada exit and then made their way up to the Hernando exit. “The beauty of the area took my breath away. I remember saying, ‘We absolutely have to come back here. One day.’”
That day arrived sooner than she could have anticipated. Upon returning home, she received a call from her real estate agent informing her that her neighbor expressed interest in purchasing her house. The call led to a conversation that if they were going to make a change, this could be the time to do it.
“I felt like God was opening doors,” Lara says. “And every time I would start to fight it another door would open.”
Having made the decision to sell their house and wind down her business, they began their search for a new property.
It was during this time that they came across a listing for what used to be the Jones Family Farm. Without ever setting foot in Water Valley or seeing the property in person, they reached out to Lee McMinn and made an offer, which was accepted. This all unfolded in January 2020, coinciding with the emergence of Covid-19 in the headlines. “The whole time I kept asking my husband. ‘Are we crazy?’”
Their children, who had been part of the original road trip that marked the beginning of their family’s adventure, sold their house in Arizona and joined them. Additionally, their daughter, who had recently welcomed a new baby, opted to join the endeavor as well. One son, along with his wife and child, now resides on the farm, while another son also calls it home. A daughter and her husband currently live in Senatobia but are preparing to relocate to Water Valley soon.
“She has a month-old baby and a three-year-old, and they come here from Senatobia to go to Dr. Hester.”
The past two years have been a lot of work, research and more work. “We have grown vegetables and our stand has been open, but for 90 percent of it we just gave it way.”
This year, with the farm operating at larger capacity, Lara decided to add the additional challenge of operating a Farmers Market as a way to give back to the community she calls home.
The market will showcase a variety of offerings, including seasonal vegetables, honey produced at Serendipity, custom-cut pork, and pre-order options for chicken pickups at the farm. Additionally, patrons can expect to find mushrooms, herbs, and flowers available for purchase. Joining these offerings, a diverse array of local vendors will participate, locally grown plants, a baker/caterer, a sourdough artisan, and sellers offering fresh eggs, among others and a new children activity at every market.
The market will run from May through November under the magnolia trees in Railroad Park on the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., or until sold out. It will be free to vendors, and anyone interested in participating can contact Lara at Serendipityfamilyfarm@outlook.com. “I am very interested in specialty vendors – anything that is garden related.”
As for the name—Serendipity Family Farm—it was chosen with purpose. “Because all roads lead to something good.”
