Karefree Produce

10/18/2026

Sunday from the porch…

So many of you have come in this past week full of questions about the closing of Karefree that I thought I’d take a minute and clear up some of those.

I have no intention of selling! I am looking for someone to lease the property that will have basically the same concept in mind but can take it further than I did. I want someone that will take care of the land and use it to its full potential. I want someone that will provide your family with years of fun, farming, food and memories that will last a lifetime. I’m going to do my best to put someone in there that will take care of you like we did for so many years.

I am not closing for health or financial reasons. I’m not sick or broke. I’m just tired! I’ve tried for 14 months to do my part AND Farmer Frye’s parts of the farm and it is just too much for 1 person. I dwindled things down to what I thought I could handle and it’s still too much. It’s just time to face facts-I can’t do it all by myself nor do I want to anymore.

I wake up in a house that WE built. I walk out the door to a view and farm that WE created. I go to work at a business that WE built. I can’t get away from the WE no matter what I do or where I go. I can’t hold up his half of the WE any longer and it’s damn near impossible to find ME in the middle of all of this WE. Does that make sense? I know some of you will get it.

There are 17 years of memories on that hill. I see the strawberry field and remember the cold nights he and I spent putting row covers on the strawberries by the head lights of our trucks. I see the ice cream stand out the kitchen window and can clearly see him on the ladder building it for us. I go through the doorway to the back kitchen and I see him and my dad standing on scaffolding cussing and laughing while putting up the ceiling panels. I see all of the things we accomplished and all the plans we never got to finish. It has become a place of constant reminder of what I have lost. I already have that at home. I don’t need a second location reminding me too.

So what are my plans for the future? 🤷‍♀️ I don’t really have any beyond maintaining the family farm and having it provide all that it can for my family. I am fortunate enough to still have both of my parents and would love to spend more time letting them drive me crazy lol. I want to spend more time with my grandsons who are growing up way too fast. I want to be there to help those in my life that matter the most instead of just giving them what’s left or squeezing them in when it’s convenient. I want to go on a spring time vacation! (Do you know I haven’t been anywhere in 17 years during April, May and June?) I just simply want the opportunity to have a little peace in my life after all of the chaos the past few years have brought. I still have a long way to go in my grief and finding my place in the world but I will get there. Closing Karefree is my first solid step in making that happen.

A lot of you have reached out to me privately and in person about my little widow group get togethers that I had mentioned once upon a time. I’d really like to do something with that. I’ve even been approached by other local business owners who’d love to host the get togethers if I pursue this idea. So maybe that will be my calling. I’ve been approached about writing a cook book or doing a podcast of some sort with all the craziness that goes on around me. I don’t know about all of that but I’m not closing myself off to any and all possibilities. It’s just nice to know that soon I will have the freedom to find out what’s right for me.

And the final BIG question all week-Will I still be taking Thanksgiving orders? YES! It’s my last hoorah on the hill, so to speak. The menu will go up later tonight and you can place your order by messaging me or calling the market. To truly make it a HOORAH, I’m going to try a little thing and really want to make it a BIG happy good bye. So tune in later tonight for the menu post and idea that I have. Now get outside and enjoy this glorious day!!
Thanks for following along with Karen on the farm. 💋♥️

10/13/2026

If you’re going might as well add to the fun!

🔴 NORTH CAROLINA, WE BROUGHT 'EM BACK!

If you grew up going to the NC State Fair, you can probably HEAR this picture.

Remember those little red clickers the NC Highway Patrol gave away beside Dorton Arena? GOOD LORD, you could hear 'em from Cary.

Kids LOVED 'em. Parents HATED 'em. And somehow, they never made it home.

Well, praise Saint Peter Pablo, because after more than a decade, THE CLICKERS ARE BACK!

Meet THE CAROLINA CLICKER! 🔴

We're giving away a limited batch FREE on October 15, 19, 20, 21 & 23!

But there's a catch.

We're calling it CLICKER PICKER! ‼️

Each day, we'll post cryptic clues leading to a secret fairground location. Could be a food vendor, a booth, or a building.

Find the spot, claim your clicker! First come, first served.

Because every new generation of North Carolina parents deserves something to mysteriously lose on the ride home. 😂

10/13/2026

10/12/2026

KARE(n)FREE UPDATE

I know there are those that follow this page for the produce and baked goods only. Then there are those of you that follow along with all of my ups and downs (and, boy, there’s been a lot!). This post is for the latter of you followers. Later tonight, I will make an official post but I wanted y’all to know first and to hopefully give you a little understanding.

I have decided that when I close on Wednesday, November 25, 2026-it will be the final closing for Karefree Produce INC.

Just before Farmer Frye got sick, he and I had decided that we’d stop growing strawberries and work our way towards shutting down Karefree. The business was at a ‘Grow or Go’ point and we just didn’t have it left in us to grow. We had decided that we’d stop working ourselves to death and enjoy life a little more. Do you know what a relief that was? Then my brothers death happened and everything was turned upside down. I was still dealing with that grief when we found out Farmer Frye was sick. After losing him, I went on sort of auto pilot. I did the only thing I knew to do. Run Karefree. What I didn’t know was how impossible it would be to do without him.

Karefree was a dream of OURS, not mine or his, but OURS. I have come to learn (the hard way, as usual) that it took both sides to make it work as well as it did. I heard a customer explaining to a friend as they got out of the car this week, “They used to have so much more-a whole field of strawberries and…” I stopped listening after that because it was like a sign from Farmer Frye.

The truth was-we had let go of that dream a ways back-I had just forgotten about it in all of my grief, coping, and surviving. Holding onto our dream for a little while longer helped me get through the toughest time I’ve ever gone through in my life. But it is time to let it go (again) and see what the next chapter is for me. I’m letting go of ‘They used to…’ and opening myself up to ‘She is-She can-She will…’ I can never truly do that until I put Karefree behind me.

I don’t mean to sound callous or robot like. This past few years have been heart wrenchingly tough. I could tell you things like… I don’t know how many missed nights of sleep I’ve missed due to worrying over the numbers. Figuring and refiguring. I don’t know how I haven’t lost my mind with worry. Worry over everyone who depends on me and Karefree for their livelihood. Worrying how every decision doesn’t just affect me. Worrying over letting all of those people down. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat on the porch at Karefree and just cried. Cried because I let customers down. Cried because I let family down. Cried because he wasn’t here to tell me it was going to be ok. Just cried. I could write post after post of all those terrible rabbit hole moments because we all have them. But that would just be depressing as hell.

This past year and deciding to open Karefree again after losing Farmer Frye was the biggest rabbit hole I’ve went down. I have read old posts and can clearly see the randomness of everything-nothing solid, nothing concrete, great ideas but no follow through. It’s time to end the chaos, get out of this rabbit hole, and see what’s next to deal with. This should be fun….

PS answers to questions
No I won’t be selling the property-I’m looking into leasing it out.
Yes, I will still be taking Thanksgiving orders-it’ll be my last hooray! (Menu soon)
Business will go on as usual until 11/25

Thanks for following along with Karen on the farm💋♥️

10/07/2026

While I am feeling MUCH better, I haven’t been able to get anything baked or cooked for y’all. So I’ll be spending the day in the kitchen trying to get caught up. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding❤️❤️

10/02/2026

Folks! Someone PLEASE come shoot me and put me out of my misery🙏. I do not wish this bug on anyone!! I’m going to go ahead and call this week done. I will open back up on Wednesday. I am so so sorry but there’s only so much this sick old gal can do. Thank you for understanding 💋❤️

10/01/2026

Sorry folks still battling the bug from hell.

09/29/2026

Hey Folks! Sorry to do this on short notice but I just don’t think I’m going to be able to make it in tomorrow. I’m not sure if I have a stomach bug or food poisoning or possibly both with my luck. Either way it’s going to have run its course and I hope to see you all Thursday!

09/26/2026

My wildflower field (aka the h**p field) is getting groomed today. Jose is mowing it down then later will disc it under and then plant a winter pea to build the soil over the winter

09/26/2026

New Ice Cream 🍨 Fall Flavors
🍎Apple Pie (there’s a whole pie in the ice cream)
🎃Pumpkin Spice