With the sea change in population growth over the last few decades, food suppliers in Lake and Sumter Counties have had to adapt to meet challenges that come with expansion.

So have residents like Patricia Quilling, who moved to Oxford from Orlando more than 40 years ago and commuted to Eustis daily. 

“Back in the day, we got our meats, supplies and frozen foods at the Winn-Dixie in Wildwood because it was the only place to go,” says the retired nurse. “I think the closest Publix was in Leesburg when U.S. Highway 44 was two lanes.” 

She turned to local growers when she wanted to buy produce. 

 “What we didn’t grow ourselves we could always get from roadside stands,” Patricia says.  “There were watermelon and cantaloupe patches everywhere, as well as eggplant, black-eyed peas, peaches, plums, cherries, local citrus and tomatoes.” 

These days, like many seniors and retirees, Patricia relies on delivery services. She says the convenience is a big help.

Grocers like Aldi, Walmart and Sprouts are popping up on every corner and 15 Publix locations have opened since 2004 with a new site slated for Howey-in-the-Hills at the beginning of the year.

That’s great news for many people in The Villages who prefer to travel by golf cart. On the other hand, residents in smaller, outlying towns worry about traffic congestion and the destruction of nature that progress usually brings. 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea because there are already two other Publix stores that are seven miles in either direction,” says Howey-in-the-Hills resident Alisha Blake. “It’s going to create more traffic in our quiet, quaint small town and many people have retired here because of the rural, small-town feel.”

Some newer residents and snowbirds have expressed concerns about the lack of specialty, regional items they are used to, but Hannah Herring, a media relations manager for Publix Super Markets says their buyers work with suppliers and Florida farmers to make sure the stores have the best selection of products.

“If there is ever a time when a customer cannot find a product they’re looking for, we encourage them to speak with the store manager to see if the item is available for special order,” Hannah says.

As for the commercial supply, Roberto Manco of Roberto’s Ristorante in The Villages hasn’t noticed any real challenges in the five years he’s been operating at Pinellas Plaza — except of course during the pandemic. 

“COVID was hard, but things are better now and the only changes I am seeing is that there are more families eating out rather than just customers from The Villages,” he says. 

Roberto relies on major suppliers like Sysco to supply him with products so he can make desserts, bread, pizza dough and house-made mozzarella, for which he is famous. He also gets products like pasta imported from specialty merchants.

For Chef Keith Keogh, merely “getting food” is far from the issue. He believes that this region has the potential to be a thriving agricultural community capable of supplying top-notch food to the population. Keith says that hasn’t happened because the direct-to-consumer link has been hampered by incessant rules and regulations of the USDA and its allegiance to corporate farms. 

“I grew up here and the landscape has changed,” says Keith, who spent his entire career as a culinary director for high-profile chefs in different areas of the country. He now runs Olive Isle Farm in Groveland and wants to bridge the gap between locally grown food and consumers.

“As a chef, I just want people to taste great food and know the difference between high quality and bland, which is what our palates are used to these days,” he says. “If a chicken is raised around the corner for example, and it doesn’t take days to get from farm to table, you don’t need to pump anything in to preserve or enhance the flavor.”

Chef Keith says that in order for the public to understand that concept, there almost has to be a “movement” to help people recognize the differences between fresh food and food that takes days to get to grocery store shelves. 

“The public has to speak up and if the local government would step in and care, Lake County could be a world-class food producing region,” he says.  

Photos: Nicole Hamel and Matthew Gualin