Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Roberts.
Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up, my childhood looked nothing like the one I’m intentionally creating for my kids today. Fast food was a staple in our busy lives—filling the gaps between after-school activities and late-night practices. I honestly thought I was doing okay with my “fruit” consumption, proudly snacking on fruit roll-ups and Gushers. Spoiler alert: I was very, very wrong.
But it wasn’t until my 21st birthday that reality hit me—hard. I had my first beer and what followed was an anaphylactic reaction that landed me in the ER. Gluten. The enemy I never knew existed was silently wreaking havoc on my body for years. That moment didn’t just change my diet—it flipped my entire world upside down.
In the beginning, my deep dive into label reading and ingredient sourcing wasn’t born out of a desire to be the healthiest person on the planet. No, it was pure survival mode. I was determined to avoid another EpiPen jab or spend days recovering from something that tasted “good” but cost me dearly.
Fast forward a few years and I was living in the Jacksonville beaches area and blessed with a family of my own…
Suddenly, that girl who once only cared about avoiding gluten to stay alive was on a mission to nourish her babies with the highest quality ingredients possible.
But this transformation didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow, eye-opening journey that led me down countless rabbit holes—uncovering just how broken and toxic our modern food system has become.
Those early years after my diagnosis? Rough doesn’t even begin to describe it. I quickly learned that gluten was hiding in places I never would’ve expected. And to make things worse, I discovered that most people had absolutely no idea what gluten even was. Finding safe, delicious food felt like searching for a needle in a haystack. My options boiled down to meat, fruits, and veggies—hardly the comforting, familiar foods I once enjoyed.
I had all but accepted that cinnamon rolls, donuts, and fluffy sandwich bread were things of the past.
But that’s when everything shifted. I realized that if I couldn’t find safe, delicious food…I was just going to have to learn how to make it myself.
Money was tight for Jason and I during that season, so we decided that we could end up saving more money buy turning our front yard into a garden. Jason runs his own construction business (1899 Construction) in Jacksonville, and he’s quite handy with literally any idea I think up. Within a month, we had plants growing and our journey to connecting back to our roots had begun.
Around this time same time, the world was shutting down from covid and the mom’s group I ran (Mom Meet Up Jax) was no longer meeting in person. I asked the local moms in the group if they wanted to lead any virtual classes to keep spirits up and connections strong. One mom offered to teach about backyard chickens. Not many people tuned into the class, but I was there asking lots of questions and honestly so grateful that she took time out of her day to help our community carry on during unknown times.
By the end of the lesson, I turned to my husband and told him we were getting chickens.
Now, we had a beautiful front yard garden, chickens in the back yard and I felt a nudge unlike any that I had felt before from God to get land and get a cow.
I had no idea what to do with either and I brushed off the nudge because I was determined to live in the house we were in forever. I wanted to plant roots.
After a few weeks of the nudge festering, I told Jason what I was navigating and he said, well if it’s from God, then you have to listen. And so began our search for land.
We ended up closing on a 10 acre farm in August of 2020 and within two weeks we had mini jersey cows on the land.
I had no idea what to do with cows… so I asked the man who trailered them to our property how to milk them. He had no idea. I thought, if God brought them to me, and I stepped out in faith to get them, then He had to have a plan for this. The mama cow needed to be milked the very next day. I went inside to see what I could learn about milking a cow when a knock hit our front door. It was a sweet neighbor who had been driving by our house for two weeks noticing the orchard we put in and the barn we built. She said when she drove by that day she saw our mini jersey cows in the field and thought “I just have to stop by now”. She, too, had mini jersery cows that she raised organically.
Naturally, my first response was, “Well, do you know how to milk them?”
She laughed and invited me to her barn that night to show me everything I needed to know, and the very next day I confidently milked my own cow for the first time!
This season really changed our family. We raised meat birds for chicken meat, egg layers for eggs, dairy cattle for both milk and meat, we had honey bees for honey, we grew food in our gardens – you name it!
Armed with the knowledge of what real food should taste like, I began recreating the dishes I once loved—only this time, without the harmful ingredients. And guess what? It worked! I discovered that delicious food doesn’t have to be poison. In fact, when made with nutrient-dense, clean ingredients, those same beloved treats could taste even better—and leave my body feeling nourished instead of inflamed.
And so The Gluten Free Kitchen Cookbook series was born…
Now we make fluffy breads, ooey gooey cinnamon rolls, soft fluffy pretzels, and all the things people who can’t have gluten miss most and we recreate them with nourishing ingredients and fresh milled flours.
When we moved out to the farm I started the FarmFreshFamily instagram account, and as we learned more, we shared more with the world.
As a result, people loved hanging out in our slice of the internet and when our books launched, they went wild for them. We’ve sold thousands and thousands of books all over the world and are continuing to write more to bless even more kitchens!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Everyone who hasn’t accomplished a huge feat looks at success and think’s it’s seamless – it never is. But the success isn’t the part that grows you, it’s the failures and continual failing forward that goes into creating something worth sharing with others.
We had to learn everything about farming and homesteading from scratch. And to add another element to it, everyone who was teaching us didn’t have the same food values that we had. They wanted us to feel our animals the same way they had for years, but we knew that we wanted our feed to be corn free and soy free so that we could produce foods that would be less inflammatory – especially with my allergies and autoimmune issues.
We also care for our animals more holistically, so that was an entire learning curve as well.
When it came to creating recipes, I had to figure out how to use fresh milled flours within recipes – that was unheard of when I started. Gluten free foods are so hard to make in general, but learning how to make them soft and fluffy with clean ingredients is next level!
I also had to navigate the tech world. It’s not enough anymore to just be good at your craft, you now have to know how to get your product in front of your target market online and have system in place to manage demands as your business grows, and ours grew very quickly – so learning social media, back end systems, and many platforms was a huge learning curve!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Farm Fresh Family?
We run a family-rooted, lifestyle-driven gluten-free food + education brand.
We don’t sell many gluten-free breads or products (outside of gluten free sourdough starter here and there when we do drops) — we are building a full ecosystem: recipe books, meal plans, meal-prep guides, courses, and even educational content.
We approach gluten-free not as a “diet fad,” but as a lifelong, lifestyle-oriented solution — especially for families (kids, busy parents, families juggling allergies or sensitivities) who want to enjoy beloved comfort foods (sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, nostalgic treats) without compromising safety or taste.
Every cookbook I write comes with an allergen guide that breaks down additional allergens to gluten like dairy, egg, nuts etc. It lets you know where those allergens appear within the book and how I suggest to modify the recipe. This helps provide a more inclusive meal experience for those with additional allergens. My books are also 100% gluten, seed oil and wheat free (and celiac safe).
I recreate nostalgia: comfort foods, family favorites, and treat-style baked goods in gluten-free form — from yeast & sourdough breads to cinnamon-roll–style cookies.
I educate and empower gluten-free living: through recipe books, my courses, and online via IG and my website and in person at events that we participate with. Certain live events I’ll do baking classes and teach how to bake gluten free cinnamon roll and breads. I also speak on gluten free living and building a business around your lifestyle at various conferences.
I build community and engagement — not just sales; I create stories, family-first messaging, nostalgic charm, trust, and interactive touches (giveaways, social engagements, user-generated content, etc.) to make gluten-free feel inclusive, fun, and doable long-term.
Compared to many “gluten-free” brands, I stand out because:
I’m family-first and story-driven — I don’t just sell a loaf of bread; I sell memories, comfort, nostalgia and inclusivity so that no one feels left out because they’re gluten-free.
I prioritize healthy ingredients and challenge myself to learn concepts that are not practiced in the gluten free space. I also don’t settle for harmful ingredients within my recipes and do my best to find the cleanest alternatives. I also list all of these out in the grocery list section of my books making it easier for someone who is new to finding clean ingredients have an easy clickable resource to stock their pantries.
I combine function (safety, allergen-friendly) + nostalgia (flavorful comfort foods, childhood treats, homestyle vibes) — that balance is rare, because many gluten-free products compromise on taste or feel too clinical.
I leverage digital marketing and funnel automation deeply — so my brand operates as both a practical resource hub (recipes, meal plans) and a community / lifestyle brand. That dual nature gives me a much broader appeal: to families, to “health-conscious but busy” people, and to folks who want convenience and quality. It also allows me to connect better with my audience and share things like our gluten-free travel adventures and opens me up to more opportunities outside of the kitchen that still falls in line with our values.
I’m not just reactive to consumer demand — I own my niche proactively, with future-oriented projects (courses, product expansions, lifestyle branding, potential scaling) — thinking long-term about how gluten-free living fits into a broader “family legacy / generational wealth / conscious lifestyle” mindset.
I’m most proud of building a business that my children are a part of. By creating a brand that works around my lifestyle instead of the reverse, my kids have a front row seat to what running a business looks like, they help out within the business, come up with ideas and run our vendor booths! All while being homeschooled and thriving on the farm. It’s such a gift. And being able to show this lifestyle to others and help them achieve similar goals is a blessing. I’m also really proud of myself for creating a brand that doesn’t compromise my morals or integrity. I get to help moms who’s kids have just been diagnosed with celiac disease or a wheat allergy feel normalcy within their kitchens, save them from cooking multiple meals because “gluten free is gross” and make eating second nature again – all while providing for my family. That’s such a beautiful gift.
I’d love for readers to know that just because you have to go gluten free doesn’t mean you have to compromise your health in the process. Gluten Free does not equal healthy. Refined sugar is gluten free, so are seed oils, carrageenan, TBHQ, food dyes, etc.
There are so many easy ways to build a gluten free kitchen that’s ingredient focused and I’m here to help them navigate that! I have The Gluten Free Kitchen Cookbook Series that covers meals, sides, desserts, snacks, candies, drinks, breads (both yeast and sourdough – YES! I’ve figured out gluten-free sourdough! And I have a method that only takes 4 hours start to finish!).
I also offer the Gluten Free Kitchen Course that shares 4+ hours of videos and goes in depth on baking with fresh milled flours, making gluten free yeast and sourdough breads, and also breaks down things you’d likely never consider before going gluten free like where is gluten hidden, how to read labels, how to carry yourself in social situations, cross contamination, how to navigate grocery stores, going out to eat and how to safely navigate different restaurants, etc. It’s an all inclusive course on gluten free life and is perfect for anyone who is new to gluten free living. It also includes a meal plan recipe book and other recipes sprinkled throughout with step by step videos for breads and cinnamon rolls.
I also would like them to know that I’m huge on building community. When you message me on instagram it’s myself or my sweet assistant who replies and if there are any gluten free baking questions that come through from people who are making my recipes, those get directed to me and I answer them and help my customers troubleshoot in their kitchens! It really does matter to me that the people who have my recipes are understanding how to cook and bake gluten free and enjoying the outcomes!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I learned a lot of what I’ve done in my business the hard way. I didn’t have a lot of money to invest back into my business in the early days and I leaned a lot on free resources from YouTube and on social media channels. Reading books is my number one suggestion for those who are looking to build a business and cannot invest in mentors just yet.
Once you start generating an income and can invest, I would focus on the specific areas you’d like to grow and dive into experts in those fields.
Pricing:
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://farmfreshfamilyfl.com
- Instagram: farmfreshfamily
- Other: https://h77icr-vc.myshopify.com
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/farmfreshfamilyfl/
