Today we’d like to introduce you to Crooked Tail Family Farm.
Hi Crooked Tail Family Farm, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We’re a husband-and-wife team, and Crooked Tail Family Farm started the way a lot of real things do, with life taking an unexpected turn.
In December 2019, Erik suffered a neck injury that eventually cost him his job. Not long after, the pandemic shut the world down and made a lot of us think differently about stability, food, and what “security” really looks like. We decided to try growing some of our own fresh vegetables, starting with tomatoes. That first season was genuinely comical. We managed to grow 10-foot tomato vines and somehow not a single tomato. It was the kind of failure you either laugh at or give up on.
Erik chose option three: learn everything.
What started as “let’s try again” turned into a full-blown passion. We dove into research and education, not just on gardening in general, but on the specific edible plants that actually thrive in Florida’s heat, humidity, and low-chill winters. We became obsessed with flavor and performance. We wanted to know what varieties were truly worth growing and which ones were destined to disappoint people in our climate.
Somewhere along the way, figs became our rabbit hole. We started collecting varieties from around the world and built what is now a rare fig collection of more than 200 cultivars. Our backyard turned into a carefully curated food forest, and without even trying to, we became the people friends and family called when they wanted to grow something edible and succeed at it.
One night an attorney friend came over for dinner, we walked him through the yard, and he immediately saw what we couldn’t fully see yet. His first reaction was “this is incredible.” His second was, “You need to turn this into a business.” That moment mattered, because it put words to what had already become bigger than a hobby.
By October 2021, we made it official and formed Crooked Tail Family Farm with a simple mission: help our community grow great homegrown flavors and feel the pride that comes from eating what you produced with your own two hands. We focus on rare Florida-friendly fruit, edible plants, and sharing the knowledge that helps people get it right the first time.
And the name? That comes from Boone, our adopted pup and now our mascot. He showed up in our lives during the pandemic with a crooked tail and a whole lot of joy. It felt like the perfect reminder of what we believe: you don’t have to be perfect to be good, to be strong, or to build something worth sharing.
Today, that original drive to grow food and do it well has expanded into what we offer, from our edible plant nursery to flavors you can’t find anywhere else, including our gourmet cookies made with premium ingredients and inspired by the fruits and herbs we love. Crooked Tail started with a setback, a failed tomato season, and a decision to keep going. It’s grown into our livelihood, our community, and the work we’re proud to do every day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not a smooth road, but it’s been worth it.
We started building Crooked Tail during COVID, which meant learning how to grow a business in a time when people were separated, supply chains were unpredictable, and so much of life felt uncertain. Markets and events shifted, availability of materials changed overnight, and we had to stay flexible while still showing up consistently for our customers and community.
Another big challenge has been our decision to build without taking on debt. It keeps us grounded and protects the business long-term, but it also slows the timeline when you need equipment, inventory, or improvements. Instead of buying every “right tool” immediately, we’ve had to get creative, prioritize what matters most, and solve problems the scrappy way first.
There’s also the learning curve that comes with doing things the right way. We’re not interested in selling plants or products just to sell them. We want people to be successful, and that means a lot of behind-the-scenes work, testing, researching what truly performs in Florida, and staying honest about what works and what doesn’t.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But the challenges shaped how we operate: be adaptable, be resourceful, and keep quality and integrity at the center of everything we put our name on.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about the owner behind Crooked Tail?
Erik is the kind of person you remember after meeting once. He’s 6’2, beard, mohawk, usually in a flannel, and he somehow embodies “Viking farmer” in the most approachable way.
Before Crooked Tail, Erik built a career in AV and home theater installation, and later in customer service and sales leadership in telecommunications. When a pinched nerve injury ended his office job, and the pandemic hit soon after, he had to reset and find a new path forward. Instead of treating that season like a dead end, he treated it like school.
Over 2020, Erik absorbed institute-level education on growing food in Florida: varieties, techniques, soil and nutrition, pruning, pest management, and what actually performs in our heat, humidity, and low-chill winters. He went on to earn his Master Gardener certification through the University of Florida, and he’s now in talks to collaborate on Florida-based agricultural research. He’s a true student of knowledge, with an unmatched memory and a rare ability to connect dots quickly.
Today, Erik specializes in Florida-friendly edible landscapes, rare fruit selection, and helping people succeed with fruit trees and figs. He’s known for being both highly knowledgeable and genuinely accessible. He’s the person who will talk you through what to plant, where to plant it, why it matters, and how to keep it thriving. He also offers home consultations to help homeowners choose suitable fruit trees and place them correctly for long-term success.
What he’s most proud of is building something real out of a hard season, and doing it with integrity. We’re not here to just sell plants. We’re here to help people grow great homegrown flavors and feel confident doing it. What sets Erik apart is that he pairs expertise with education. He wants customers to win, and he’s willing to share the knowledge that makes that possible.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The most important thing when you’re just starting out is action. You can read every book, watch every video, and take every class, but until you actually get your hands dirty, plant something, make mistakes, and watch what happens, you’re only getting half the education. Real learning happens in the doing.
Start small and start now. Plant the seeds, pay attention, take notes, and adjust as you go. You’ll be surprised how quickly you improve once you’re in motion.
Pricing:
- Gourmet Cookies: $10-20
- Microgreens: $10
- Fruit Trees: Price depends on size and type
- Grow Kits: $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crookedtailfamilyfarm.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crookedtailfamilyfarm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrookedTailFamilyFarm
