Last Look: A Bountiful Harvest at Lake Meadow Naturals

(ROBERTO GONZALEZ)

AT LAKE MEADOW NATURALS IN OCOEE, FLORIDA, farm life is a year-round commitment. The farm specializes in cage-free chicken and duck eggs, poultry, grass-fed beef, Duroc and pastured pork, and raw kimchee, all produced with a focus on humane, clean practices. Their hens are fed an all-vegetarian, high-quality diet and produce eggs free of antibiotics, steroids, and animal by-products. Those eggs are featured in hotels, restaurants, local stores, and at the farm’s own on-site Farm Store.

Owner Dale Volkert grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm and received his first flock of chickens as a 4-H project in 1960, sparking a lifelong passion. After moving to Central Florida in 2000, Dale found the Lake Meadow property and began raising cage- and hormone-free eggs, first sharing them with friends before selling locally.

Today, the 100-acre farm partners with other producers and operates a commercial kitchen creating small-batch jams, pickles, and fermented foods while continuing to educate the community about the farm-to-table experience.