It would be fair to say Bartow’s newest coffee house started in a Brooksville field – the idea for it did, anyway. CEO and Creative Director of Unfiltered Coffee, Geanie Folder, worked in a nursing home for most of her life. A fierce creative, Geanie always kept a “vintage side hustle” upcycling clothing and furniture with her company Rebel Juju. THE BEATNIK EXCHANGE IS BORN When her last child left home, she left her job at the nursing home and started the Beatnik Exchange. Like many of Geanie’s ideas, the Beatnik Exchange was unapologetic, free-spirited, eclectic and kismet that gathered folks of the artistic and innovative variety. Geanie explained her idea to friend and owner of Vintage Warehouse in Lakeland, Mendy Michalec. Geanie was dreaming of an annual artisan-driven market. The plan was to keep the market one-third farm to table food, one-third artisan, and one-third vintage. Mendy cheered on the idea and said Vintage Warehouse would even sponsor the event, along with Robyn Story Designs. The first-ever Beatnik Exchange took place on Geanie’s Brooksville farm in 2016. And that’s sort of where everything started for the magical Bartow coffee shop. “I kept gathering people – artful people – and we grew from there,” said Geanie. They started gathering artists as they took the market to events like Sun n’ Fun. A few years in, Geanie and her Beatnik Exchange partner and dear friend, Luke Dickerson decided to open Luka Blue Vintage next door to Vintage Warehouse. Coffee was central to Geanie’s vision. “How many deals, and friendships, and sorrows, and celebrations have people had over a cup of coffee?” she said. She met Lisbeth Pacheco and Jolian Rios, the founders of Ethos Coffee Roasters and started serving their fair-trade coffee at Luka Blue Vintage. THIS IS IT After a year, Luke decided to open a real estate company, Luke Blue, LLC and Geanie decided to get back to her fashion roots and nurture that aspect of her creativity for a while. The pair closed their Lakeland location. Looking for a private space to sew in, along with a painting studio for her friend, Linda Cassels-Hofmann, the two met with the landlord that owns the Stuart Building to look at office spaces. They rented an office space and the landlord, whom Geanie described as “such a great friend, such a visionary,” had a space he wanted to show her for a future shop. Earlier that day, she told him, “If I’m going to do this thing, I’m going to do it right – I have to find the right building. When that comes to me, I’ll know it.” The moment they walked through the back door, Geanie turned to Linda and said, “This is it.” “The spirit of Bartow and the spirit in this building drove me from that day to come here and open this place,” she said. “It just chose me.” The 120-year-old building has lived many incarnations, Geanie found out during a trip to the historical society. It was first a hardware store carrying a selection of groceries and dry goods. Next door to Unfiltered is The Wine Stable, originally a livery stable. According to Geanie, folks would leave their horse and buggy next door at the livery stable and come do their shopping. One-sixty South Broadway Avenue has also been a furniture company, grocery store, and auto parts office. Geanie and her landlord collaborated to open and renovate the space. “I say that very lightly because really the building did it, the building told me,” she said. “I stood in one corner and I said ‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do here…’ and we just kept chronologically moving around the building and it kept happening. […] I know that sounds strange, but it is so true,” she said. “I didn’t set out with this grand plan on paper.” There were a few things she was certain of. “I knew it would be earthy, I knew it would be open. I knew downstairs I would have to keep my hand down on the color palette, but equally, I knew upstairs I could bring every color to the moon.” The Unfiltered creative director knew she wanted to have a bar. “I wanted to model it like a home,” she said. She asked herself, ‘If you came to my home, what would I do? How would I treat you? How would I serve you?’ Well, she would serve you off of one of a kind pottery plates and mugs made by other artists. “Ninety-five percent of what was used in the store came from my personal collection that I procured over the years,” complete with kitchen equipment and silverware courtesy of the Lakeland Yacht Club, according to Geanie. Even the bookshelves for their in-house bookstore, The Unbound Bookery, were made with wood recycled from doors, made by Luke Dickerson. Geanie paused and thought about the space. “It has been a collection of goods, a collection of people, a collection of art.” The food and drink offered at Unfiltered were not an afterthought. Ethos Coffee Roasters out of Lakeland continues to provide the joe and Unfiltered has partnered with Uncle Nick’s Bagels, and Got Candy & More. Some treats are baked in-house – like their gourmet waffles. THE RIGHT STUFF “Every little detail fell in place here,” she said. Like the stained-glass front door she found in St. Pete, created by an artist in 2011 that had never been hung. The tile on the bar is from Miami. She drove there and dug the tile out of someone’s backyard, which had been there for some 40 years. “The whole building, little by little, was built like that.” “The right stuff just shows up,” she said. “Along with the talent we have here.” Like her friend and performing artist, Sandi Silverman who she met at a photoshoot at her Brooksville farm. “Sandi planned and took a year to curate all her books and put a bookstore in [the shop],” said Geanie. The Unbound Bookery is a gem mine of books spanning genres and generations. The interior of the shop has all but a conventional vibe. From the carefully curated pages lining the shelves of The Bookery, to the mismatched furniture, a plush chair on a hanging platform, art abounding, and nooks and crannies ideal for a chat with a friend or a moment to yourself with a piping cup of coffee. The murals were painted by Linda Cassels-Hofmann. Painting for over 40 years in Polk County, Linda is versed in everything from painting, paper hanging, plastering, murals, faux finish, craftsmanship, and is “experienced in all types of the decorative arts, specializing in trompe l’oeil.” In a nook closest to the aqua lava lamp of a stained glass entrance, is a mural by Cassels-Hofmann depicting two stone women with flowers and greenery sprouting from their heads like every blooming idea that grew Unfiltered into what it has become. Other murals depict Edgar Allen Poe, an Alice in Wonderland themed bathroom, and a hippopotamus they call Phil on the back door. CasselsHofmann, with her business, Castles in the Air, will be one of the four resident artists working out of the second-floor studio at Unfiltered. “Castles in the Air means to daydream or imagine,” said Cassels-Hofmann. She has always liked painting whatever people can dream up. A BIT OF BARTOW MAGIC On March 6, 2020, Geanie Folder and her son, the coowner/ COO of Unfiltered, Tray Towels saw a line around the block for the shop’s grand opening. “Bartow is so beautiful. It’s not me, it’s not the people who are here with me like Linda and Sandi, truly, this whole thing surrounds us in Bartow,” she said. The grand opening crowd has been but one of the ways the community has embraced the indie coffee house. After closing their doors in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Geanie racked her brain for ways to keep the burgeoning business afloat. It came to her to do what she knew best – art kits! The morning after posting the art kits online, she woke up to around 45 orders from locals. “Bartow has been so good to us in that way,” said Geanie. “It’s magic.” Humbled by her experience downtown, Geanie added, “In all the entrepreneurial things that I’ve done that have led up to this – and there have been a lot – never have I felt so loved and embraced and loved upon. It’s incredible.” AN ARTIST HAVEN Ascending the stairs of the off-beat coffee shop will be a new experience for Unfiltered patrons as the second floor just finished renovations. “It’s as if you took Pinterest and dropped it in the middle of the floor up there. It’s like an artist’s haven,” said Geanie. Whitewashed brick walls, a rainbow explosion of colors, a claw foot tub for photography, pottery studio, paint studio, and working space for four area artists. “Every inch up there is art,” she said. Among these artists are metalsmith Cassie Bock, mixed media artist Danita Lyn, textile artist, Kimberly Boothe, and painter Linda Cassels-Hofmann. Three other artists sell their art at the shop as well. Upon reopening post-COVID-19, the shop will offer an assortment of classes from Geanie and the resident artists. Geanie eventually wants to host outside artists to come and stay at the studio as well. This second floor of Unfiltered will offer space for birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, and overflow seating for the coffee shop. COFFEE & CONNECTIONS Unfiltered is more philosophy than name. “People are always apologizing. ‘I’m sorry about what I have on today. I’m sorry about my car, I’m sorry about my house, I should have picked up,’” she said. “Why are we spending our lives apologizing for the ways we choose to live?” Geanie aims to empower people to live their life unfiltered – a way of life she has refined. “I’m one of those people, probably to my detriment, I don’t really care what people think,“ she said. “My life has never been too much worrying about what other people think. […] I’ve always had a good peace of mind with that.” Geanie says she would like to see five stores in five years. “I’m just putting that out into the universe and if that’s what’s meant to be, that’s what’s going to happen.” As for Unfiltered Bartow, Geanie Folder will keep forging connections. “I wanted this to be a place of connection. I wanted this to be a safe place where people could come, have a cup of coffee, make art if that’s what they want to do, read a book, get on their computer if they work from home and just connect,” said Geanie. “Connect here with this building, in the same way I connected with it, and with all of us artists, and connect with the community.” Unfiltered Coffee 160 S Broadway Ave, Bartow, FL www.unfilteredbartow.com FB @UnfilteredBartow IG @unfiltered_bartow Photos by Amy Sexson

“It all probably goes back to me growing up as a little girl in Guatemala,” began Lisbeth Pacheco. That little girl in Guatemala grew familiar with the unkind sting of inequality. She would help with household chores when her brothers didn’t have to. “I had to make up their beds, serve them food, and clean after them,” she said. She can remember asking adults at three or four years old, “Why do you treat me differently?” ‘Because you are a girl,’ they would tell her. “From that moment, it instilled in me this desire to make things better and to make things a little fairer and more just.” Lisbeth left Guatemala to study abroad and eventually come to the United States. “I know we are not at a place of total equality, but I would say it’s fairly close,” she said. She saw economic advantages, freedoms, prosperity, and abundance here and wanted to champion women to achieve those things. Lisbeth first learned of the town of Poaquil through a man who grew up there, Gerson Morales. She and this son of a Poaquil coffee farmer crossed paths in college. They ran into each other sometime later and got to talking. He told her about the poor town he was from with rough unpaved roads. He even suggested they switch to producing something other than coffee as they weren’t getting much for it. Morales asked Lisbeth what she had been up to. “Well, actually… I’m starting a coffee company,” she said. The timing was serendipitous. Lisbeth and her husband and cofounder of Ethos Coffee Roasters, Jolian Rios, visited Poaquil for the first time in 2015. Backed by the credibility of her schoolmate, they sparked an ongoing partnership that would revitalize the town. LEADING THROUGH ACTION “Part of me sees herself in a lot of them and then a part of me has this thirst for making things a little bit better,” said Lisbeth of the women farmers. “If I could devote my life to one thing, it would be to create that little opportunity, make that little difference that makes them be able to go to school or just have a role model or know that it’s possible for them to be leaders – that it’s possible for them to be the ones in charge.” As small business owners, Lisbeth and Jolian want to inspire change, to create that “little opportunity” where they can. “There’s something to be said about thinking big, but always starting small and being very targeted,” she said. And what a change Ethos has inspired. In 2017, they sourced about five bags (roughly 500 pounds) of coffee from Poaquil. In 2019, they ordered three pallets (4500 pounds) from the Guatemalan co-op. “Actions speak louder than words, that’s it,” said Lisbeth. Instead of speaking about what they would do, Ethos led with actions (there is a language barrier as well with many of them speaking only Kaqchikel). Lisbeth told the farmers that she would pay them the highest price she could, while still making it work for her business, factoring in her costs. “Our goal is always to maximize the volume that we do because it’s through that volume that we can support the farmers,” she said. If Ethos can grow their volume, they can have more partnerships like the one they have in Guatemala. Lisbeth explained, “From the beginning, we said that economic opportunity is going to empower you to make changes and have greater economic development and we are trusting you to make the best decision about this money. What do you want to do with it? Do what you think is best.” In late 2015, the Poaquil coffee farmers started a women-led cooperative called Cooperativa La Asuncion. Though the co-op is very woman-forward, it has not always been this way. Many of the farmers are families, husbands and wives. When Lisbeth and Jolian first came to discuss the price with the farmers, decision-making was deferred to the husbands. They were surprised that Lisbeth was the more vocal of the couple. Surprised and inspired. When the Ethos founders returned, it was the women who wanted to handle the money. Their husbands agreed and say it’s better now that the women are in leadership. “The dynamic in that town [Poaquil] is very different from a lot of other Guatemalan towns. If you were to see how we have official meetings with them, it’s the women that step up and present.” Before, they didn’t keep records and had no idea how much it cost them to produce a pound of green coffee. This is an issue in many rural countries, said Lisbeth – farmers don’t keep track of their cost and do not assign a price to their labor. “They are used to being price takers, not price setters,” she said. “Changes like [knowing their cost to produce] are empowering them.” The rugged roads in Poaquil have since been paved, opening opportunities for further commerce and trading. “The main thing that has changed for them as a cooperative is that now they have their own coffee processing facility,” said Lisbeth. Due to the premiums Ethos agreed to pay the co-op, and their documentation of cost and accounting, they were able to get a loan from the bank with fair terms and low-interest rates. Between 80 and 90 percent of the co-op’s profit comes from what they sell to the Lakeland coffee roasters. The farmers (and the bank) are secure knowing that this massive portion of their harvest will always be paid at an excellent price. “A lot of farmers can’t say that. They don’t have a buyer that will always buy from them, so every year they have to scramble,” she said. The bank loan afforded them a brand-new drying patio made of cement poured at an angle, so moisture can trickle down and the coffee can dry under the sun. They also purchased a depulper to do their own processing. “This saves them from having to drive all that coffee somewhere to be processed which is also risky. During that transit time if you’re not careful, if it gets too hot, some of those cherries can ferment. And if it ferments, you lose it.” The co-op is experimenting with honey and natural processes. At the end of last year, Ethos put out their signature Poaquil, along with Poaquil Honey, and Poaquil Natural. A TRIP TO POAQUIL On February 14, Jolian and Lisbeth brought ten Ethos customers with them to visit Cooperativa La Asuncion during the peak of harvest season – a five-day trip that had been in the works for the better part of a year. “We visited the cooperative, we spent a whole day with them,” said Lisbeth. “They killed some of their chickens for us which was a very, very high honor. This is something they do when they have an important guest, or they want to celebrate something, or do something nice for somebody.” They ate a delicious meal together, picked coffee, and toured the facilities. Lisbeth joked that in the half-hour their group harvested, some people barely had a pound. They would not make that much money in Guatemala, she laughed. Lisbeth scrolled through her phone, showing us photos of the trip. “These are the bosses,” she said of a group of women. “They are the ones in charge.” Lisbeth pointed to a woman, Telma Tubac, president of the co-op, explaining that she and two others, Margarita Alvarez and Estela Morales received scholarships from Emory University in Atlanta last year to do training in the U.S. The latter two women traveled to the U.S. and visited Lisbeth and Jolian, staying at their home. The oldest member and matriarch of the co-op is a woman in her 70s named Octaviana. She is the head of all harvesting. Lisbeth said confidently that no one knows more about harvesting on the farm than Octaviana, whose age doesn’t seem to slow her any. “If you were to see how fast she moves in those fields, it’s amazing.” Of each of the women young and old that Lisbeth sees a bit of herself in, Octaviana resonates with her the most. “She has given us a lot of the legitimacy for everybody else to follow. If she’s behind it, everybody will get behind it,” said Lisbeth. “From that first time, she said, ‘I can see in your eyes that you’re being truthful to me, I believe you. We’re going to do this, we’re going to try. I know that all you can do is try, you cannot do more than that.’” Indeed, Lisbeth and Jolian and the farmers in Poaquil could not do more than try, but try they did. The phrase win-win seems too cheap of a way to describe the impact they’ve had. The partnership has been prosperous for the town, opening doors for growth and opportunity. It has also been beneficial for Ethos Coffee Roasters, and for all of their customers who can regularly enjoy a cup of ethically sourced, fair-trade coffee. ‘BECAUSE YOU ARE A GIRL’ Ethos is working to form a new partnership with another small group in Colombia in the town of Planadas, in the department of Tolima. “They have great women representation as well – women leadership. That’s one of the things that Poaquil also has,” said Lisbeth. “We hope to keep growing and as we keep growing, one of our first priorities is to keep supporting the people we made a commitment to,” said Lisbeth. Now in their fifth year working with Poaquil, the Ethos couple want to see them progress and grow alongside them. Ethos has committed to buy about 8,000 lbs of coffee from them this year. “They worked a lot for it,” she said. “They themselves say, ‘Wow, you really saw in us, something that we hadn’t seen, and now we see it. We see that we’re capable, we see that we can do it. We see that we don’t have to depend on anybody else – we can do it.’” That kind of earnest belief in capability can’t be spoken or bought or exported across borders – it must be acted upon. Lisbeth believes in this women-led co-op. She knows what they are capable of and she acted on that – perhaps because she is a girl. www.ethosroasters.com FB & IG @ethosroasters Photos by Jolian Rios

At the top of Vegetation Plant Food’s website, it reads, “Eat like you love yourself.” This sentiment is at the core of Rima Schillinger’s personal change to a whole food plant-based lifestyle and why she started a service to help others do the same. Last year, Schillinger started her whole food plant-based meal service, Vegetation Plant Food. Working out of the Catapult kitchen, the home cook turned entrepreneur has grown a following of even the most avid meat-eaters. The proof is in the pudding – or in this case, the tomato and ricotta galette. A HEALTHY CHANGE Concerned with heart problems in her family’s medical history and prompted by her fiftieth birthday, the mother of four began searching out ways to “bypass this legacy I have of coronary heart disease.” Both parents have had coronary episodes, including high blood pressure, stents, and bypasses. She spoke with her husband, Dr. Matthew Schillinger, a physician at Lakeland Regional Medical Center about her concerns. Beyond exercise and eating well, there was not much that could be controlled. Disheartened and still on the search for information, Rima would devour books, podcasts, and internet sources. “I collected all this information about coronary heart disease and how much of it is preventable. It opened my eyes to this gigantic wealth of information that we have,” she said. “Type II diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and all the different things that a plant-based diet can address and eliminate – they are all diseases of diet. For some reason, the message is not getting through to the public it seems.” She soaked in as much information about this way of eating as she could and even earned a Colin Campbell eCornell degree in Nutrition Studies. For the love of her health and wellbeing, Rima felt it important to eliminate animal products from her diet. Once she switched to a vegan, whole food plant-based diet, she began to feel better in ways she hadn’t expected she would. “[I felt] clearer in my thinking, I was sleeping much better at night, my hair got thicker, my nails got thicker. I felt so much more energy,” she said. The 2 pm ‘I need a nap’ slumps went away. No more did she need that afternoon cup of coffee to keep her going. And though health was the leading reason she chose to lean into a plantbased diet, Rima acknowledged “the ethical reasons for wanting to eat this way are absolutely there,” including concern with the meat industry’s effects on climate change, how animals are raised and how they are slaughtered in the process. “Now, I have a very different view of eating meat and using dairy products because I understand what happens to the animals as a result of the way that we’re using them.” RETHINKING HOW TO COOK “I started sneaking more and more vegetables into the kids’ diet and my husband’s diet and I would put the meat on the side,” said Schillinger. She became less interested in the meat and dairy and focused on making vegetables and whole foods the feature of family meals. Her husband switched to eating a plant-based diet eventually as well. There was a transition period when learning to cook nourishing, delicious plant-based meals. “I wasn’t sure how to make meals that my family was going to want to eat because it wasn’t familiar,” she said. She started with vegan meat substitutes. “As I read more, I realized those aren’t whole foods. They’re vegan, they’re plant-based, but they aren’t really whole foods.” “It was relearning and rethinking the way that I cook from the bottom up,” said Rima. She has always loved cooking, trying new recipes, and entertaining. From cooking with her grandma to helping her mom entertain guests, and making fun treats with her kids, the kitchen has always been a comfortable place for Rima. “It was very organic for me because it was something that I love to do already,” she said. Rima learned how to make cheeses from whole foods and sauces that compliment vegetables. She began batch cooking with veggies, grains, and sauces for the whole week. Her husband would bring meals into work for his colleagues and she would cook for friends. Friends encouraged Rima to turn her nutritious meals into something beyond her kitchen at home. FOOD PASSION TURNED CAREER This journey of a more whole way of eating led Rima to what she called a second life career. It’s been one year since Rima started her meal service company, Vegetation Plant Food. “The idea is to make meals that you can stock your fridge with, whether it’s taking them for lunch or having them for dinner,” she explained. “I feel it is so important to show people that you can eat plantbased foods and it’s really satisfying – it’s not eating twigs and berries. There are great tasting meals that are good and filling and you don’t feel like you’re dragged down after a meal.” Every Thursday morning, an email detailing the week’s meals goes out to those subscribed to her newsletter. Her changing weekly menus generally feature a hearty salad of some kind, two entrees, and one soup, stew, chili, or mac and cheese, and a dessert. Even if you aren’t completely plant-based, Rima said, “It gives you an opportunity to eat that kind of food and incorporate it into your lifestyle.” Customers can place an order between Thursday and midnight on Sunday. Rima shops on Monday, cooks on Tuesday, and the meals are ready on Tuesday afternoon for pickup or delivery in Lakeland. Vegetation Plant Food meals feature organic produce and ingredients as often as possible and all of the meals are free of animal products (including dairy), gluten, and added oils. “I wouldn’t ever want to tell somebody that they need to do this, or that they should do this, or that they should feel compelled. I think people understand that leaning into vegetables is a good thing,” said Schillinger. The community has been receptive to the Vegetation concept. People who Rima least expected would venture into vegan meals have told her how much better they feel after ditching wings and subs for a whole food plant-based lunch. “It’s encouraging to me because I see that people feel better and they want to eat this way,” she said. “It makes me feel great about being able to provide that for them.” Vegetation Plant Food is currently operating out of the Catapult kitchen. “Catapult has been an incredible resource for me,” said Rima. “Their kitchen has been great, their resources are amazing, the people who are there are so supportive of my business and all the other businesses there. It’s been amazing.” GETTING THE WORD OUT The Vegetation Plant Food founder eventually plans to have a kitchen of her own and would like to produce meals that could be stocked for pickup in coffee houses, breweries, shops, workout spaces, and other businesses that would like to offer these meals as an option to their customers. “I want to be a resource for anyone who feels like they want to make some changes in the way that they eat and the way they think about food. I’m open to talking about this way of eating and helping anybody who’s trying to do this on their own,” said Rima. “I want to help get the word out about this way of eating.” Vegetation Plant Food www.vegetationplantfood.com FB @vegetationplantfood IG @vegetationplantfood Email: rima@vegetationplantfood.com

Central Florida has always been a regional nucleus for agriculture. Orange groves and strawberry fields seem to go on forever and the area is rife with festivals, markets and roadside stands selling and celebrating local farming culture. One trend has Polk County farmers setting sail in search of a more buoyant hobby. Perhaps these fruits and veggies will make their way to a farmer’s market near you, sooner than you think. A ferry, taxiing tourists from Newport Beach to Balboa Island in California, turned its entire top deck into a dreamscape of flowering plants native to The Golden State. Passengers could spend the quarter of a mile, ten-minute boat ride to Balboa Island admiring brambles, Coast morning glory, Cliff aster, Bush poppy, and California buttercup. The boat, called Neptune’s Nursery, is thought to be the genesis of the boat gardening trend. It soon spread to the verandas of million-dollar houseboats off Mission Bay in San Francisco and has bloomed across smaller communities working its way east. The gardens have taken many forms. Some are open-air potted plants while others have gone so far as to simulate a covered greenhouse on their boat. Even the likes of professional sports fishermen have taken the bait, with top fisherman Fritz McGee retiring early to pursue the hobby. We asked boat historian, Johnny Hopkins about just how new the trend was. “The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria – all had gardens. They were, of course, more primitive than the ones here,” he said. Prominent Polk County horticulturist, Sloan Kettering says she is happy to see the uptick in this style of gardening. “Boats are great for this because there’s so much room for activities,” she said. One Polk County farmer looked at this idea as a way to keep his heritage alive. Flipping through the channels one afternoon, third-generation Winter Haven farmer Mike Johnson landed on a documentary about the Newport Beach ferry and the emergence of boat gardening. “Later that week I was fishing off of Lake Lulu, and it hit me! I could grow oranges on a boat… at least I could try,” he said. “My family has been in the citrus industry for three generations. I knew I wanted to continue growing oranges in some capacity or another. Boat gardening presented that opportunity.” To dip his toe into the boat gardening waters, Johnson enlisted the help of his step-brother, Brandon Hoffman. The brothers started with raised beds but found the individual potted plants seemed more viable. They’ve so far successfully harvested tomatoes, microgreens, micro citrus, and a variety of flowering plants. Because a fullsized orange tree wouldn’t realistically fit on a fishing boat, Johnson began experimenting with smaller varieties. This smaller strain of orange which he is calling “toy citrus” has been the focus of his boat garden and has been thriving on The Chain. Toy citrus varieties include Valencia Tiny’s, Itty Bitty Navels, Fun-Size Ruby Red grapefruit, Petit Ambersweet, Teeny Tiny Limeys, and Not-So-Humongous Hamlins. Johnson explained his etymology, saying, “I’m calling them “toy citrus” because they’re small and because I have two toy poodles of my own named Fefe and Chunk.” The brothers describe their toy citrus as having the same flavor and consistency as typical citrus. Hoffman dished, “I personally love to juice them for a margarita. It takes a while to juice them, and a whole tree’s worth of Teeny Tiny Limey’s, but it makes for a heck of a drink.” According to Johnson, the solution to citrus greening doesn’t lie in the soil, a spray, or the strain of the tree. It is quite literally dependent on the motion of the ocean, or the lake in this case. “The gentle rocking of the waves seems to ward off the greening. I think it relaxes the tree. I also whisper daily affirmations like ‘You are a strong, independent woman,’ and ‘Gosh darn it, people like you,’ to keep them healthy inside and out,” said the farmer. Johnson divulged that farming on a boat is all about the tools. “The utensils used in the aquatic gardening process are vital to the success of your yield. I recommend everyone interested in this particular area of farming to upgrade from their rusted hoe to a sharper 2020 model.” He went on to say, “The boat you garden on and the hoe you use will determine if you see a return on your labor. An old busted hoe could leave unwanted weeds in the soil and damage root crops as you harvest.” The success of their two-year-long trial and error garden inspired the farmers to turn their small boat from hobby to business venture. The brothers are working on a pitch for Bass Pro Shop to create a line of boat-specific gardening tools that could hit shelves as early as next Spring. Local folks could enjoy the fruits of their labor as early as this summer at the Winter Haven Farmers Market. Other Polk County farmers have expressed an interest in their own ‘boat groves’ prompting Johnson and Hoffman to launch a consulting business. Their company, Prestige Citrus Worldwide, according to Hoffman, “serves as a professional consulting agency for Central Florida farmers looking to expand beyond the family farm.” Prestige Citrus Worldwide, which Johnson and Hoffman call “The first word in entertainment,” will also branch out into other areas from management, financial portfolios, and computers to research and development, black leather gloves, and security. A music video is currently in the works as well. Hoffman and Johnson will be conducting a seminar detailing the ins and outs of beginner boat gardening on April 31, at 2 pm at the Bartow Wine Mixer (Bartow’s number one event for luxury helicopter sales held at the Bartow Executive Airport). Still raising capital to pitch their idea to Bass Pro, the brothers say they are looking for investors. In unison, they said, “Investors? Possibly you!” For more information on investing or to purchase tickets for the seminar, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

In 2011, NASA ended its almost 40-year-old space shuttle program. Economic rough waters, significant maintenance, and the fact that the shuttle program “did not truly deliver the next major leap forward” ultimately lead to its closure according to a 2017 article by Tech Times. In the years following, astronomers, astrophysicists, cosmologists, and other space experts have been trying to find the coordinates for the closest shuttle route to space – and they finally have. 27.9745°N 81.6820°W – Lake Winterset. According to cosmologists, Lake Winterset, due in part to its position above sea level, relation to the equator, and a thinner atmosphere above Central Florida make it the “ideal location to revive cosmic exploration and spaceflight,” according to Kip Mandel, a senior cosmologist with NASA’s sister organization, the Department of Aeronautics Nebula and Galaxies (DANG). “Polk County is the gateway to the final frontier.” The initial plan was to build the DANG Headquarters in the Everglades to avoid interfering with an existing municipality. The growing python population, due in part to irresponsible pet owners who release them into the wild when they grow too large, is the primary reason the department halted their plans. A secret pilot program called Area 6-9420 proved futile. We spoke with a shuttle technician who worked on the pilot program, Ben Shuster. “The alligators we could deal with, but the snakes would work their way into sensitive parts of the engine causing millions of dollars in damage. We were losing taxpayer’s money faster than we ever had before,” said Shuster. “We’ve had it with all these dang snakes on this DANG shuttle!” A grant was passed in January 2020 to lay the groundwork for the DANG Headquarters in Winter Haven. The question on everyone’s mind – “What does that mean for the citizens of Winter Haven?” In an exclusive interview with the DANG director, Karen Karenson, we got the skinny on what this will mean for the city. “Phase One will see all incorporated and unincorporated parts of Winter Haven moved. We will chisel it out of the ground and haul it in pieces to Lakeland. Lakeland will move to Davenport, Davenport will move to Bartow and Bartow will move to Frostproof – and Frostproof?” she said in a higher pitch with shoulders shrugged and eyebrows raised, “Well, that’s as far as we’re concerned,” said Karenson. The city’s name will also change to “Winter Haven to the Second Power” by a popular vote of the city council. Another vote in the same meeting was to put a motto on all of the “Welcome to Winter Haven” signs once the town is moved. The first option was, “Welcome to Winter Haven to the Second Power – Our Lakes are Better Than Yours” with the second choice winning out, “Welcome to Winter Haven to the Second Power – Don’t Hate Us, ‘Cause You Ain’t Us.” The Winter Haven DANG Headquarters will open up an estimated 200,000 jobs – most of which will go to retired northerners relocating from other states. To accommodate increased road travel from the population explosion, I-4 will expand to 15 lanes with a bridge going directly over Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Construction on the headquarters will begin in the Fall of 2022 and is expected to be completed within six months. I-4, on the other hand, will continue with construction for the foreseeable future. A statement released from the office of the contractor responsible for the interstate expansion said, “We estimate the continued construction of I-4 to last somewhere between 900 years and all of eternity.” DANG director Karenson said, “We not only plan to start another shuttle program but to also expand our exploration into space. Expanding that exploration could mean colonizing Mars, discovering new solar systems, or making a treaty with (the next portion of her comment was said with air quotes and copious winking) ‘the aliens that we definitely have not discovered, or made contact with, or currently live in Area 51.’” There is long-running suspicion that aliens already live among us in Winter Haven, disguised as typical citizens, business owners, and political leaders. A witness, who wishes to have her identity withheld, claims to have had an extraterrestrial encounter. “So, I’m sittin’ there on my porch, drinking a Mountain Dew, you know, just dewin’ the dew – when I see this little ole big-headed thing just strut by. He winked at me and shot me the double pistol hand sign. He was greener than a frog’s behind, I’m tellin’ ya. Kinda cute actually.” This account could not be solidly corroborated, but other witnesses have stepped forward with their own UFO and extraterrestrial tales. Some posit that building the headquarters in Winter Haven would mean more alien activity in the area. “When they come, we’ll be ready for them,” said Todd Bingo, head of the Polk County Alien Fan Club. “And, we’re accepting new members with the admission fee of either $20 or three bags of Cool Ranch Doritos. All applicants will be quizzed on their knowledge of basic Klingon. Let’s just say, Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam!” Is Polk County indeed a door to the final frontier? What will this DANG program mean for Winter Haven, for Florida, for the world? These and other questions as infinite as the cosmos can only be answered as this project unfolds. For more information about the DANG Headquarters or to join the Polk County Alien Fan Club, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com .

What will the former K-Mart building on Cypress Gardens be? Target, Ulta, and Trader Joes are only a few of the suggestions tossed out by the community. Last month we finally got an answer to that question. The 6,340 squarefoot space at 6031 Cypress Gardens Blvd. is slated to be the site of MEGAPLANET, an interactive indoor amusement park by the children’s toy conglomerate and direct competitor to LEGO, Mega Bloks. As the former retail space is already in a plaza, the plan is to build up instead of out, according to Mega Bloks CEO, Megan Blok. Initial construction plans are to build up an additional twenty stories above the ground floor. The park plans to have one staff member per floor, adding a staggering 21 jobs to the local market. Analysts say tourist dollars are wholly dependent on LEGOLAND with one expert tourism analyst remarking, “The odds of people traveling here specifically to go to MEGAPLANET are very slim – very, very slim.” MEGAPLANET will have a Mega Blok obstacle course, a Mega Pit (filled with leftover Mega Bloks inventory from the former K-Mart), and various other small-children focused rides and attractions like gator pits and karaoke. A Mega Blok tower, constructed at the center of the building, will be an observatory complete with telescopes to look out over the park. The company has called in top architects to make the observation tower realistic to their ill-fitting building blocks. The top of the tower will slant slightly and teeter at the top as if not completely connected. Though, we were assured it will be structurally safe for little ones. The main attraction will be the right angled slide called the “Southern Slammer” wrapping around the corners of each story starting at floor twenty one leading down to ground level. As opposed to rounded slides, the ride engineers felt a “blockier” slide was more congruent with the Mega Blok brand. The whole family will be able to enjoy the on-site vegan restaurant, Phony Bologna. The imitation plant-based bologna themed bistro will be made possible through a partnership with Oscar Mayer. The menu will have fan favorites like bologna sandwiches, bologna-wrapped cheese, bologna burgers, bologna tacos, bologna-topped pizza, bologna on a stick, and bologna-wrapped bologna. Bologna shakes, bologna cake and bologna flan will be available for guests with a sweet tooth. The Blok family and LEGO have been intertwined in a feud for as long as the two companies have existed – at least according to one anonymous Mega Bloks spokesperson. “We know we’re ‘LEGO’s ugly step-sister,’ – ‘the poor man’s LEGO,’ if you will, but we think we can bring an unparalleled theme park experience to Central Florida,” said the CEO. “Move over and make room for some Mega competition!” The company has already taken a firm stance against naysayers of the project. “We’re aware that not everyone is going to embrace this move into Winter Haven,” said Blok. “Like Karen C. who left us a one-star review on Amazon. You’re not invited, Karen.” The initial backlash to their attempt to compete with LEGOLAND, a company that has become embedded in the community, was handled defensively. A spokesperson for MEGAPLANET said, “We’ve started a local ‘BLOK’D haters list. John Kilpatrick – you’re blok’d, Olivia Detwiler – blok’d, Mark Goodburger – consider yourself b-b-bblok’d.” The company already hit one snag in the project when a team-member tasked with commissioning a sign for the park misspelled it “Mega Blooks” which is now in the process of being corrected. This mishap set them back substantially both monetarily and on schedule. Though things are off to a bumpy start, Mega Bloks is hopeful to open MEGAPLANET on April 1, 2085. Ticket prices are still being solidified, but will be comparable to Disney World Magic Kingdom. To reserve opening day tickets, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com .

Winter Haven mayor, Brad Dantzler has announced his bid as an Independent nominee in the 2020 American presidential election. Will America, ‘Save the last Dantz’ for Brad? “I’ve always said if there was any other office I would run for – it would be for president,” remarked Dantzler. His strategy to win the hearts of voters is simply to combine responsible, forward-thinking policy stances, with his love of the arts, specifically dance. Dance has always been the first love of this thirdgeneration Winter Haven City Commissioner. He can remember telling his mother, through the merciless teasing of his brothers, that he wanted to take ballet. From age five into adulthood, Dantzler honed his craft – exploring ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and even interpretive dance. In that tiny Winter Haven dance studio, Dantzler learned grit, poise, perseverance and a damn good pointe technique. He says these skills have helped him personally, professionally, and would continue to help him as the leader of the free world, should he win the election. “I think it’s time for a major change in this country,” said Dantzler. “… a step-ball-change.” Dantzler has a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He also has the professional designation of an Accredited Asset Management Specialist, awarded to him by the College of Financial Planning. He is the managing director and senior vice president of investments for Raymond James, whom he joined in 2006, bringing over 25 years of experience as a financial advisor. In a special election in spring 2013, Brad Dantzler was elected to Seat #4 on the Winter Haven City Commission and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. He served as mayor in 2016, 2018, and 2019. This year, he plans to enter the biggest race of his life. Asked to synopsize his stance on some of the major issues he’ll have to hurdle, the Winter Haven mayor said, “We are going to Dantz our way out of debt, and triple pirouette towards a more affordable healthcare system.” Perhaps one of the defining marks of a campaign’s success is a nominee’s campaign slogan. Dantzler turned for inspiration to his favorite movie, Dirty Dancing, for his campaign slogan: Nobody Puts Dantzler in a Corner. Don’t expect the same old song and Dantz from this nominee either. The mayor says he will back his words with action and keep his perfectly quaffed silver mane en pointe. Also if elected, the mayor says he would institute a program to relieve college debt. This relief program would use “Dantzler Fun Bucks” backed by taxpayer dollars to alleviate the financial burden of the country’s emerging and future workforce. His first stop on the campaign trail will be the Big Lots parking lot on April 31. There, Dantzler will officially announce his bid for presidential nomination and give his first speech of many. Shirts with the phrase “I Hope You Dantz,” a nod to the 2000 chart-topper by Lee Ann Womack, will be available for purchase, as well as a “Dantz, Dantz” version for millennials with a nostalgic affinity for Fall Out Boy. We finished our interview with a few final thoughts from the presidential hopeful. Dantzler promises to be as nimble in his policy and decision-making as president as he is on the dance floor and says he doesn’t mind stepping on a few toes to do what’s right for the country. He concluded, “I think Whitney Houston put it best, ‘I wanna Dantz with somebody… with somebody who loves me…’ I hope that somebody is you, America.” To join the ‘Dantzler for President 2020’ newsletter for all the latest campaign trail news, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

Lake monsters and giant sea serpents have been the stuff of folklore and nightmares for centuries. Something about the murky depth of a barely explored ecosystem on the same planet we inhabit is unnerving. Perhaps the most infamous freshwater mythical beast is Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Accounts of a staggeringly large prehistoric animal date back as far as ancient stone carvings, with the first written account surfacing around 565 AD. The “surgeon’s photograph” snapped in 1934 by English physician Robert Kenneth Wilson stirred up modern fanfare around the mysterious creature. Murmurings of a similar long-necked aquatic creature from the abyss have surrounded Lake Eloise for decades. One of the larger lakes in Polk County, Lake Eloise has the potential to hide many secrets. More recent reports of beers being stolen off of boats and on the beach and three missing water skiers have local authorities in a panic. The culprit, which was first thought to be a large gator who had lost its fear of humans, is now being described as a “Loch Ness-type monster.” Because Polk County is home to The Chain of Lakes, experts worry that this creature, if real, has the potential to move from lake to lake along The Chain. At least nine people have reported beers going missing from their boats and on shore. “I swear I had a 24-pack,” said Winter Haven resident J.T. Miller. “And I don’t mean like I got drunk, pounded them back and don’t remember. It was there!” On January 5, Miller and two friends were fishing for bass off the right side of his pontoon boat on Lake Eloise. Miller described the day as clear and the waters calm. While waiting for a bite, the three men heard a splash behind them and turned to see a dark mass sinking into the water below the boat. What was perhaps most odd was the ‘allegedly’ unopened Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life (the champagne of beer) sitting on the seat opposite them, now gone. Asked to describe his feelings during the encounter, Miller said, “Honestly, pretty bummed. I was on my way to a good buzz.” Experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) speculate that for a creature of that size to maintain obscurity, it would have to live at the deepest points of the lake, potentially traveling between lakes for renewed food sources. “We’re not sure what it is,” said Bob Butts, director of the Florida Aquatic Research Team (FART). “Is it omnivorous, is it predatory? Could be anybody’s guess.” Suggestions for names have been thrown around from “Old Greg” to “Mega Monster 3000.” The most popular moniker is “The Lake Eloise Beer Bandit” from the most recent occurrence. Recent reports of the Lake Eloise Beer Bandit have coincided with the disappearance of three water skiers from a local water ski team. “This is super inconvenient for us. We have a competition next week and I’m three skiers short,” said the team’s coach. “How am I supposed to make our big pyramid with three fewer people? Now it looks more like a trapezoid. We haven’t completed our trapezoid training. Plus, ask people if they’d rather see a human pyramid or a human trapezoid – you’re going to hear ‘pyramid’ ten times out of ten. They’re just a more exciting shape… they really dazzle!” One solid piece of evidence tying the water skier snatchings to one another is their outfits. Each disappearance happened on separate days, but each of the skiers were wearing flashy costumes with an abundance of sequins. “The monster only appears to be interested in flashy dressers and cheap beer – for whatever that’s worth,” said Butts. Other beer nabbing instances have included Busch Light, Natural Light and Schlitz. “Clearly this creature has no preference or at least no taste in beer,” said one PCSO investigator assigned to the case. “He’ll drink anything.” “Hide your kids, hide your wife, because they’re drinking everybody’s beer out here,” said another beerless victim. Only one blurry photo of the boozed-up beast of Lake Eloise exists. The picture, taken by amateur sunset photographer, Amanda Keet, appears to show a beast of mammoth scale with a long neck protruding from the water. An empty beer can be seen floating in the image’s foreground. Plans to drag the lakes, starting with Lake Eloise, will commence later this month. “We hope to find this thing before it strikes again,” said the FART director. “If we don’t, it’s only a matter of time before it happens to you or someone you love. And then what? You’re out of beer… sad.” If dragging the lakes don’t turn up anything, the county plans to unleash their “secret weapon” of robotic alligators or “Robo-gators” with infrared and sonar capabilities. Until the Lake Eloise Beer Bandit has been located, lake-goers are urged to keep their beer in a cooler. When asked to comment on the safety of swimmers, which seemed to be a strange afterthought to investigators, we were told, “This thing loves cheap beer and sequins. Other than those two things, you should be safe. We think?” The public is urged to contact FART with any sightings of the creature at april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

Bread has been at the center of everything for Honeycomb Bread Bakers founder, Benjamin Vickers. In an interview with LKLD Haven last summer before the opening of his brick and mortar bakery inside of Twenty Seven, Vickers said, “My dream is to serve people, and fill their bellies, and make good bread.” The formally trained baker seems to be fulfilling this dream with the success of his golden bee brand. Honeycomb has become synonymous with honest, humble, good food. At the Bay Street bakery, Vickers and his artisans serve up treats from tarts and bagels to cookies, muffins, and of course, a diverse offering of bread. The east side of the county has become happily acquainted with Benjamin’s breads and baked goods through the likes of N+1, Nutwood, and the Winter Haven Farmers Market. Whether at the farmers market or his Lakeland bakery, folks flock to pick up a country sourdough or a beautifully braided Challah, which have doubtless been the perfect vessel for many a sandwich. Vickers is working on a new sandwich concept that will defy convention – turning bread from a mere vessel to the feature. The Winter Haven sandwich shop will be called The Inside Out inspired both by his inverted sandwich idea as well as The Upside Down in Stranger Things. “I make artisanal bread – I am an artist. When conceptualizing the restaurant, I thought ‘What could be more avant-garde than an inside-out sandwich?’” said Vickers. The sandwich artisan will start with two bases of meat, topped with whatever veggies are appropriate to the sandwich, followed by a single slice of heavenly Honeycomb bread (or two slices if you decide to go crazy with a double stack). The meat sides are pressed together making for an inside-out sandwich – but it isn’t finished yet. The piece de resistance is when he dips the inverted sandwich into its condiments. He is working with local artists to come up with trendy bib ideas as the concept will get messy. “That’s part of the experience,” said Vickers. “Feeling the Thousand Island dressing squish between your fingers while sauerkraut drops into your lap as you treat yourself to an Inside Out Rueben is all part of what I wanted. It feels messy sure – but life is messy, love is messy, LUNCH IS MESSY!” A Honeycomb Brioche bun is in the works for their Inside Out burger which will consist of two Angus beef smash patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle hugging a whole brioche bun. The masterpiece will then be dipped into individual vats of ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Yes, please! Other revolutionary menu items will include inside out burritos and pie as well as upside-down avocado toast and pizza. “The pizza is done beautifully,” said Vickers. “We put toppings on a pan followed by cheese and ladle it with sauce – a secret family recipe – and a drizzle of olive oil. Our Honeycomb pizza dough will be placed on top like a little pizza hat and baked. Most of the toppings stick to the dish, but the dough soaks up the flavor. That means fewer calories – high-five.” The Inside Out bagel with lox is a bit more difficult as cream cheese is less of a dip and more a spread. Customers with a hankering for this dish will stand with their hands out as Vickers spreads cream cheese on each palm, topping it with lox, radishes, chives, and a warm Honeycomb bagel. “Then I slap their hands together and there you have it,” he said. A spin on his childhood favorite, The Inside Out will feature a gourmet grilled cheese. “We start with a layer of sharp cheddar followed by Gruyere. Once that starts to melt and the cheddar gets a nice crisp, I put on a slice of country sourdough followed again by Gruyere and sharp cheddar,” he said. That alone sounds delicious, but Vickers keeps it extra cheesy by dipping the sandwich in a bucket of movie theatre nacho cheese. “I call it the ‘Nacho Momma’s Grilled Cheese,’” he said. Forget a bag of chips and a soggy pickle with your sandwich – The Inside Out will boast sides that even the pickiest foodie will crave. These include Inside Out fries, which are quite simply French fries covered in mashed potatoes, and the ‘Take What You Can Hold Soup Bar’ where patrons can scoop as much soup as they can fit into their hands for a flat price. “I recommend bringing a friend with larger hands – more bang for your buck,” said Vickers. Vickers is working with the architects behind the Wonderworks building in Orlando to take a not yet disclosed existing Winter Haven space and turn it upsidedown to contribute to the ambiance he is going for. The restaurateur plans to focus on perfecting the lunch menu for now with plans to venture into breakfast options early next year. “The community has been so graciously supportive of Honeycomb – I know they’ll show up to support The Inside Out too,” said Vickers. Keeping with the eatery’s topsy-turvy theme, the wait staff will be required to greet guests and take orders facing backward, in Pig Latin. Vickers dramatically concluded our interview in a velvet smoking jacket, back turned, peering out a large window, “Elcomeway otay the uturefay of oodfay...” Guests can pre-reserve a table at The Inside Out by emailing april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

Cynics have long pushed the idea that the future of content is entirely electronic – that books, newspapers, magazines are soon to go the way of the dinosaur. At Haven, we’ve found that if you keep your product hyperfocused on a community you care about and do your best to be a resource for and a reflection of that community, there will be no end in sight for print. Everyone here at Haven and LKLD Magazines are very excited to say we are expanding! (Or contracting depending on how you look at it.) We have stepped into the future – you can now read us every month, in the palm of your hands. Telling the community’s story is our job – so when you talk, we listen. We’re often asked, “How can I get Haven on the go? I want to take it with me to read at the mall or the beach, but it’s just so darn big and clunky. My hands get tired turning the oversized pages!” Problem – solved. After exhaustive market research, Haven has invested in a miniature printing press, about the size of an EasyBake Oven, to print pocket-size versions of our monthly magazine. This means a mini Haven Magazine that will be no bigger than your iPhone. We will continue to print our usual run of oversized magazines that will be free in racks around the county as well as mailed to homes. This venture is new to us, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us as we work out the kinks. To fit all of our monthly content like Top 10’s, profiles, cover story, arts section, calendar, sold homes, and #kindachill without sacrificing font size, the magazine will be smaller in length and width than traditional Haven but will be substantially thicker in depth – roughly the size of a brick. For legal purposes, we have to elaborate that when we say “pocket-size” that is only if you are wearing stretchy pants, cargo shorts, or JNCO jeans. In the vein of propelling our community forward through the latest in sensory technology, we will be adding a pop-up and a scratch and sniff section to Haven Mini. Is that fried chicken or gator tail I’m smelling? Did someone break wind, or did I drive by an orange processing plant? You’ll have to wait and find out! Haven will now be at the tips of your fingers – literally. Velcro kits are available to attach the magazine to the back of your phone, so you never have to be without us! Other Haven Mini merch will include hip holsters with an elastic line so you can check a calendar listing on the go. The first ten people to subscribe to our monthly mini’s will receive a monocle, one pair of JNCO jeans complete with belt loop wallet chains that attach to the magazine, and an autographed scratch and sniff photo of our production manager, Steven. Traveling abroad? Pick us up! We’ve grown so much that we’ve expanded across the pond. For some reason, Scottish citizens are very interested in the goings-on of Polk County, Florida. So, we launched an office there – Haven International. It has the same monthly content as Haven and Haven Mini, but it’s medium-sized and is translated to Scottish Gaelic. Tapadh leibh airson taic a thoirt don iris againn agus amadan April! For more information or to subscribe to Haven Mini or Haven International email us at april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photo by Amy Sexson

Lakeland and Winter Haven are Polk County’s two most populated cities. For almost as long as the two cities have existed (Lakeland was founded in 1885 and Winter Haven in 1923), these have made up the two largest parties in the figurative east/west divide of the county. This unspoken feud spurred the drafting of a 1934 bill to “build a great and indestructible partition” between them. Support and funding fell through and the bill was to be buried in the depths of the county’s history – until now. There was a clear distaste for each other in which Lakeland thought Winter Haven to be “uncool” and Winter Haven thought Lakeland to be “snobby” according to court records and diaries from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Oddly, those old feelings appear to persist even today, bringing new life to the 1934 bill. A three-phase plan has been put into motion by Lakeland city officials who say construction on the Polk County wall could begin as soon as the first quarter of 2021. At a county meeting in February, Winter Haven’s spokesperson for the wall task force, Peter Lutz said, “We’re going to build this wall, and we’re going to make Lakeland pay for it.” Winter Haven city officials voted unanimously to pass the bill, but Lakeland has yet to agree on terms. Lakeland officials agree there should be a wall, but its placement and who will be footing the bill is still up in the air. Though they haven’t always seen eye to eye, now the cities won’t be able to see each other at all. “We want to build it high enough that they can’t see our beautiful lakes,” said Lutz. The 40-foot tall, 36-mile long wall will start in Polk City, going through Auburndale and Bartow before stopping in Homeland. Lake Hancock, which sits in the wall’s projected path, will have to be drained. The bill for that and all of the lake’s water will also go to Lakeland. Proponents of the wall are demanding nothing but the best. An initial shipment of 80 tons of luxury Italian marble has already been placed. The marble will be shipped to the states via cargo ship and taken the rest of the way by railcar. “It’s needlessly expensive and that’s why we’re – I’m sorry I mean why they – are investing in it,” said one official. Renderings of the wall show two-way mirrors every five miles or so. Winter Haven residents will be able to see Lakeland, but Lakeland will only see a reflection. “I think it’s time they take a good hard look at themselves,” said an official who wished to remain anonymous. In addition to difficult terms with Lakeland on who is paying for the wall, logistics have been a point of contention. Several people who were offered buyouts for their homes refused. As these homes won’t be demolished like most in the wall’s path, the wall will be built directly over these properties. Other concerns raised with the project is the fact that there will be no way around it. The average 30-minute trip from one city to the other may now take upwards of an hour and a half depending on where you start and where you have to go. There will be a bike path along the top of the wall, though it will only be available to Winter Havenites with guards at each end checking ID’s for addresses. World-renowned muralist Edgar Monroe has been contracted to beautify the Winter Haven side with “realistic and very cute dog faces,” according to the task force website. The artist will paint the other end of the pup in an equally realistic fashion along Lakeland’s side of the wall. It is still not entirely clear how Winter Haven intends to force Lakeland to pay for the wall, but officials say not to worry. Lutz said, “When it’s all said and done, the wall will cost Lakeland around $2B. Cost of finally having privacy and peace of mind to Winter Haven – priceless.” Though some city leaders and citizens are in support of the wall, an even larger movement from politicians and citizens on both sides of the county in opposition to its construction, has begun to form. “As it turns out, Lakeland isn’t as snooty as we thought,” said one wall detractor from Winter Haven. A Lakeland resident agreed, adding, “And Winter Haven is actually kind of chill.” This collective of forward-thinking folks have started an online petition to immediately tear down the wall should it be built. At a rally in protest of the wall at Lake Hancock on February 10, a leader in the ‘Tear Down the Wall’ movement, Robert ‘Bob’ Bobertson, said, “They might build the wall, but we’re going to come together to tear it right down. And we’re going to make Tampa pay for the demolition!” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. To write your congressman about building the wall between Polk or tearing it down, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com .

Seven hundred and fifty bottles per minute shoot down a production line outside a large window in Julie Williams’s office. One thousand cases worth of beverages will expeditiously clink down the line during the hour we talk with chief operating officer Julie Williams and chief financial officer Stacey Oakley of The Florida Brewery. These two ladies are kind of a big deal. Together, they operate the largest women-run brewery in the United States. A HISTORY OF THE BREWERY The Florida Brewery (TFB) was originally founded as Duncan Brewing Company by an Ohio brewmaster in 1973. Duncan chose Auburndale as the ideal spot for a brewing facility for its quality of water and community support. He railroaded a gargantuan copper kettle down from Dayton and began brewing in the outskirts of Auburndale. The brewery has changed hands several times throughout its history but has remained continuously operational. In 1983 it was renamed The Florida Brewery. Also during the 80s, the Duncans released a line of craft beers along with brewing and packaging generic store brand beers for stores like Winn Dixie and Albertsons. Their own craft line didn’t take off. TFB’s Gator Lager gained some traction making it as far north as Michigan but did not last against other large beer distributors. In 2009, Venezuelan industrial conglomerate Empresas Polar purchased the brewing company. Today The Florida Brewery produces over 110,000 barrels of product per year. They distribute their craft beers from Miami to Orlando. TFB also produces Malta, a barley-based carbonated sweet beverage. “We are the largest co-packer for [malta] in the southeast,” said Oakley. They produce the sweet beverage for Publix, Goya, and Bacardi along with other private label brands. In addition to beer and malta, they produce nonalcoholic Ginger Beer and Blood Orange Ginger Beer for Powell & Mahoney, a company that distributes to Target and Starbucks. These products are also used in the mixed cocktails at Crave & Copper. Polar is their biggest beer distributed internationally, shipping to over 20 countries and throughout the U.S. On any given day, TFB produces between 8,000 and 13,000 cases of product. THE GRAND TOUR Williams and Oakley gave us a tour of The Florida Brewery. We walked into the lab where they test PH, brix (the sweetness of the products), color, oxygen, CO2, bitterness, stability, and other aspects. “In here they are testing for all the parameters throughout the entire process – microbiological and physical-chemical,” explained Oakley. We walked outside to a grouping of immense tanks. They explained that some were wastewater tanks. Currently, all of their wastewater is trucked to a farm, regulated by DEP, along with spent grain which goes to the cows. They are working with Cambrian to change that system to an Ecovault solution. That will allow the brewery to reuse part of the water for cleaning processes and the other part will be cleaned and go back to the city. “It will be a lot more efficient, and a lot more environmentally friendly,” said Oakley. They have eleven tanks that are interchangeable as maturation and Brite beer tanks depending on need. These are controlled with jackets and ammonia temperature control. There are four cylindrical-conical tanks in which the beer starts before moving over to a maturation tank. Each tank holds between 650 to 700 barrels equaling about 8,000 cases of 12oz. beer. Into the brewhouse, we went. “This is where the magic happens,” said Oakley. The barley comes by railcar from Canada. It is sucked up through hoses to the top of the building to be milled. She explained, “It goes from the mash ton which is used to convert the starches in crushed grains into sugars for fermentation. Then it moves to the lauter ton where the mash is separated into the clear liquid wort and the residual grain. Now the liquid is ready for the boil and goes to the kettle where eventually the hops are added. From there, the brew will ferment and mature and 18-21 days later, there will be finished product.” The brewhouse smelled like bread. This was because they were making lager, she said. An ale carries a fruitier aroma. A large swing panel with valves and buttons and nozzles is where staff transfer the beer from tank to tank. We entered through a set of thick clear flaps into a chilled room. “A lady leads in beer,” said Oakley of their propagation/yeast cellar. “We call her our lady because she reproduces constantly.” “We propagate all of our yeast. We’re using either the mother strand for Polar or using a basic yeast depending on which beer we’re doing whether it’s an ale or a lager. We take very small amounts of it and then we grow it. We grow it in the lab and then we eventually grow it in the yeast cellar,” she said. “It’s very cold in here because she’s temperamental – she has to stay at a certain temperature so that she continues to eat and reproduce. As soon as the yeast finished being propagated, then that’s what we will use to pitch into the beer.” Next, we went to their filtration room. Oakley showed us a candle filter with cylindrical stainless steel tubes with holes in them. “We then use diatomaceous earth or volcanic earth and depending on the size, that’s how we’ll filter the beer. For a Pilsner or a lager, which is a very clean, filtered beer, we’ll use very small earth that pressurizes around these candles and then the liquid goes through the candles until all of that yeast or any of those particles are left behind and the clean beer goes through filtration.” “Another thing we bring to the table being all women is that we are clean freaks,” she said as we walked through the facility. “That is the other comment from the majority of vendors who walk through is how clean the facility is at all times.” The brewing company has a 40,000 square foot warehouse shipping between 8 and 10 truckloads a day. BOSS BEER BABES Julie Williams was a CPA by trade with her own accounting outsourcing firm. In 2007, the owners of the brewery before Polar’s proprietorship became one of her clients. When Polar took ownership, they asked Williams to come aboard to run the brewery. She passed the accounting business to her husband and has overseen brewery operations since 2010. Williams was the first female plant manager Empresas Polar had ever hired. Stacey Oakley comes from the finance side of the hospitality industry. She was the CFO for a Nantucket yacht club for six years. Looking to escape the frigid northeast winters, she and her husband, Matt Oakley moved to Auburndale, Florida where Stacey’s brother lived. Oakley worked as a senior financial analyst for a resort outside of Disney. When a position came up with The Florida Brewery, she was interested. She met with Williams and remembers thinking, “I don’t care what I end up doing or what [the job] is, but I want to be there.” She and Williams clicked and have been successfully growing the brewery since. That was six years ago. “We are now the largest women-run brewery in the U.S.,” according to Oakley. Shortly after taking ownership of the brewery, Polar gave the two women the opportunity to run it independently. Williams became the COO and Oakley took on the role of CFO. Completing the female beer boss trifecta is their brewmaster, Daniella Velasquez. Velasquez is from Venezuela. She attended school at UCF and came to the brewery as an intern. “I’ve always known I wanted to be an engineer. I love processes,” she said. “I fell in love with brewing when I started working here.” Daniella started as a maintenance intern at the brewery. A couple of months in, the remodel of the brewhouse began and she was moved to quality. “I went to the lab and I learned about the chemistry of the beer,” she said. “Making beer is a lot more complicated than people think and you have to be on time. Especially if you want to keep the quality and consistency of the beer.” She continued to learn more about the technical side of brewing and worked her way up to Lab Quality Manager. In 2016, Williams and Oakley offered Velasquez the opportunity to travel to Germany for a year to be trained as a Certified Brewmaster. She accepted the offer without hesitation. The experience is one that sticks with her. “I not only learned about beer, which was the main part, I learned about other cultures and how the beer culture is different,” she said. Velasquez returned to Florida as TFB’s assistant brewer, brimming with ideas on beers she thought their audience would love. “When you think about brewing, you have to brew something that you love, but you also have to think about the people that you’re brewing for,” she said. “I love brewing beer. That’s my passion.” Velasquez became The Florida Brewery’s brewmaster in 2018. NEW BEGINNINGS FOR THE BREWING COMPANY When Empresas Polar allowed them to run The Florida Brewery independently two years ago, Williams and Oakley knew it needed a complete change. A brand remodel commenced with new logos, beer research and development, and strategy. What better beer to debut their company facelift with than a vintage favorite, Gator Lager. The original formula wasn’t available, so they devised their own recipe. The 1980s Gator Lager had a phrase on the label: “A Taste of the Florida Lifestyle.” This embodied everything Williams and Oakley wanted TFB to be. “A Taste of the Florida Lifestyle” is now the company mantra and the essence of every beer they create. When creating a beer, they try to imagine where someone would be drinking their beer in Florida and what kind of memory they would be creating around it. Oakley likened it to a song. “Music always brings you to a place and time and our beer, we want to be the same,” she said. Williams and Oakley, of course, wanted to continue to perfect and grow the manufacturing aspect of The Florida Brewery but wanted to draw people not only to their brands but to come together. Construction began to convert part of the facility into a public tasting room and hangout spot. “The main thing we wanted to do was provide a place for the community to come,” said Williams. Auburndale is a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone, but it needed a central gathering space and The Florida Brewery was going to give them one. On January 19, 2019, The Florida Brewery opened its doors to the public with a Tasting Room, Public House, and Beer Garden. A few months ago they celebrated their one-year anniversary. The public space was built around a house that sits in the middle of the facility. The house belonged to the Duncans who lived on the property. The following owners also occupied the house until Polar bought the brewery in 2009. “It was a normal, functioning house around this big plant,” said Williams. “The Beer Garden used to be their backyard,” she added. The former owner’s grandkids would come and play out in the yard. The outside space was completely reimagined with a deck, painted lake backdrop, and a row of colorful Adirondack chairs. Cheery beachy-hue umbrellas cover a row of picnic tables and lush plant life brightens up the Beer Garden. “We wanted to take people out of being in industrial Auburndale to being in an oasis away from everything,” said Oakley. Graffiti art murals are tagged across different surfaces. The brewery gave graffiti artist, Hiero Veiga, free reign to create with only one request – that he include a gator. He did, along with a polar bear in honor of Polar, and a detailed mural of Stacey Oakley’s hand pouring a beer from the tap. A roomy wooden pole barn, “The Public House,” covers part of the exterior lounge area. An immense copper kettle overlooks the seating area as an art fixture. The kettle is the same one Duncan had railroaded down from Dayton, Ohio in the 1970s. It was still being used to brew at the facility as recently as 2013. The copper kettle is the inspiration behind the Crave & Copper by The Florida Brewery’s name and decor. The plan is to epoxy the top of the kettle to convert it to a functioning bar top. The Tasting Room was constructed from the mother-in-law side of the original home. The space still feels a lot like a comfy living room. All of the rooms that were previously used as offices and before that, bedrooms and closets, have been turned into storage and retail space. One feature you won’t see is the home’s inground pool. It remains but is inaccessible to the public. “We had the Duncan family here about six months ago and they told us all these stories about where they would unwrap Christmas presents and where they would hang out by the fireplace. They were so excited that we’re back open to the public because I think it’s something they dreamed of back in the 80s,” said Oakley. The space has sayings and signs across the walls. “We didn’t realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun,” read one sign. That’s how they want patrons to feel, said Oakley. Another sign, appropriate for the female-operated brewery, hangs outside of the restrooms. “Men left. Women are always right.” LET’S TALK BEER The Tasting Room is purposely devoid of TVs. Williams and Oakley wanted it to be a place without modern distraction where people could connect. Oakley said they wanted the “Cheers” vibe, “Where everybody knows your name.” The Tasting Room currently has twelve beers on tap with some beer staples and some rotating. A beer that remains a Tasting Room fixture, The Florida Brewery’s signature beer, Gator Lager is a traditional German pale lager. Their number one seller (depending on the day) is Beach Me Up, a light and refreshing beer with fruity grapefruit flavors. Vying for the number one spot with Beach Me Up is 863 Light. This light beer was created for the many patrons who came in requesting Bud Light or a similar light beer – patrons who love the brewery atmosphere but aren’t interested in the more flavorful craft beers. Another request they’ve gotten is for lower-calorie ultra beer. Their ultra will be called Engine 421 after the fire engine that responded to the kitchen fire at Crave & Copper. “In honor of them, that will be a staple for us,” said Oakley. Engine 421, along with an upgrade to 20 taps in the Tasting Room is slated to be ready by mid-March for the brewery’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The St. Patty’s Day celebration will be held on Saturday, March 14, with live music all day, green magical beer, a pot of gold beer, an all-day food truck, and Crave & Copper chef, Matt Oakley and his team will put together some festive bites. If you’ve been ‘craving’ some C&C, you can catch them every Friday at The Florida Brewery until the restaurant, which is still in the rebuild phase, is back open. Following the Friday, December 13th fire that devastated the Crave & Copper kitchen, many providers and even customers reached out to offer help. One customer, the president of FreshPoint, donated food so that the C&C team could cook one Friday night. The staff prepared a small menu for donations on a Friday evening. The donations continued and they have been able to do it every Friday covering the cost of the food. “It was a nice act of kindness by our providers that has continued now every Friday,” said Oakley. The Florida Brewery duo says there are a few trends on the upswing in the craft world. Though seltzers and nonalcoholic beers are on the rise, these are not something they plan to roll out for distribution. Valasquez sees a shift from hoppier beers towards more drinkable ones. “It’s not about a bitter beer with a bunch of hops, it’s about a balanced beer. I think the trend is going to be drinkable beers, more than, let’s call them … experimental beers,” she said. “We’re a brewery that doesn’t necessarily follow the trends because we’re here for the long hall,” said Oakley. “We’ll continue with lagers, which is our main focus, but we will add some ales in.” Williams said, “We look at everything from drinkability. We want to make sure that everybody can come in and find something and drink more than one if that’s what they want.” A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE As women in a predominantly male industry, Oakley and Williams have a unique perspective on running a brewing company. First and foremost, their 48 employees, whom they call family, mean the most to them. Their employee retention speaks volumes for their dedication to being a family-first company. Their longest-running employee is the filler operator who has been at the brewery for 30 years, and a lab tech of over 20 years. “I think we tend to have that ability to create a family and a place where people enjoy working. […] Where they feel like they’re not just an employee who comes in, runs their machine, and goes home,” said Williams. Oakley added that it is one thing to say they are a family-first company and another to understand that someone may need to stay home with a sick child or leave early for a doctor’s appointment or have to rush to a family emergency. Five years ago, the brewery instituted a paid shutdown starting two days before Christmas eve through New Years Day for the entire staff. It is important to Williams and Oakley that every member of their TFB family has the opportunity to spend the holidays with their loved ones. They even take days off for company outings to go gocarting or bowling, have ‘Beer Fridays’, or play dominos together in the Beer Garden. Two years ago, The Florida Brewery signed up to attend the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. They signed up for the ‘Meet the Brewers’ section. “We were the only female booth there, out of 800 breweries,” said Oakley. It was a three-day festival with thousands of people sampling one-ounce pours of their beer. To best represent their “Taste of the Florida Lifestyle,” they brought Amber, Beach Me Up, and Gator Lager. On day three, TFB kicked their kegs before anyone else. They wore name badges that read, ‘I brew it all,’ ‘I run it all,’ and ‘I sell it all.’ Williams smiled saying they got quite the reaction and high-fives when attendees realized they weren’t just serving for the brewery – they were the brewery. Even their approach to contract brewing has a feminine touch. The women say their level of trust, attention to detail, and even the office décor make all the difference when meeting with clients. They don’t look at their position as female brewery operators as a hindrance. They say it has been a help in everything from distribution to relationship building with clients. “It’s been a huge benefit for us,” said Oakley. “We bring a lot to the table when we come.” Female brewmasters are also in the minority, but Valasquez said, “I like to be a female in a world of guys [...] It’s an open community.” “Equality in this business, at least between brewmasters, is something normal,” she said. “I do exactly the same thing, I work as hard as them, and they understand that.” The Florida Brewery 202 Gandy Rd, Auburndale, FL (863) 965-1825 www.floridabrewery.com FB @TheFloridaBrewery IG @thefloridabrewery Photos by Amy Sexson