While St. Augustine is all about history and the beach, our neighbor town just west of us is a little more farm focused. Rype & Readi is a 22-acre farm located in Elkton, about four miles past I-95 off of SR 207. Rype & Readi Farm-to-Fork Marketplace sells fresh local produce to restaurants around St. Augustine like Collage, The Hyppo and Black Fly. These fresh products are also for sale to the public in their air conditioned market.
If you have kids, or you’re a big kid yourself, Rype & Readi makes for a fun morning outing and you get to check some grocery shopping off your list while you’re there. First things first, grab a Blueberry Meyer Lemon shake and a bag of animal feed, then head on out to make some new furry friends.
Don’t forget to check the board for the animals’ names. I recommend taking a photo of this board with your cell as you walk up to the animals’ area, then you’ll know some of their names as you walk through the farm.
In addition to these furry characters, keep an eye out for Renegade the rooster. He apparently showed up one day and never left, and now he seems to think he’s the boss of the animals. Dr. Ripp Smith, one of the owners, is under the impression Renegade is planning “to mount a coup.” Their rooster seems to have a complex.
After visiting with all of the adorable farm animals, it’s time to shop! Fresh local eggs, seasonal fruits and veggies, prepared sauces, fresh bread and more await you inside the market. Rype & Readi’s hummus is some of the best I’ve ever had by the way, definitely worth a try.
Outside of the market, Rype & Readi is growing their own mushrooms. They will be announcing when these mushrooms are ready via their Facebook page.
CLASSES & EVENTS
If you’re looking for a new recipe, consider attending one of the Cooking Classes offered by Rype & Readi. The classes are taught by local chefs, and include complimentary paired beverages, the wonderful meal being demonstrated, and of course, dessert.
Jean-Sebastien Gros’s statement, “We love what we do,” shines through in the quality of their products and the welcoming, clean atmosphere of the farm. Rype & Readi Farm Market has already grown so much, I can’t wait to see what else these guys do.
FALL AT THE FARM
Pumpkins are now available at Rype & Readi. And, their whole fall events calendar sounds pretty exciting between burning scarecrows, the Not so Scary Haunted Mansion, October Farm Feast & Galley Wars Culinary Competition and other festivities.
Mark Your Calendar: October 7, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Rype & Readi hosts a Pumpkins and Peacocks fall festival to celebrate Fun-4-First-Coast-Kids. On October 17, join Rype & Readi for a Farm to Feast competition with three culinary teams in a “Chopped” like competition. On October 24, join Rype & Readi for a family-fun Oktober Farm Fest. At 9 p.m. there will be a burning of the scarecrows. To learn more about these events, follow along with Rype & Readi on Facebook.
