“It was a very long five hours,” said Alayna Taylor-Garver, co-owner and manager of the market. “We did not get out until about midnight, and still we had pretty much a full room of people.”
The family-owned farm market at 6790 Hamilton Lebanon Road received notice in September 2025 from the Butler County Department of Development Building and Zoning Division that its almost two-year-old farm market building did not meet agricultural zoning standards.
The county had determined the building exceeded what qualifies as a roadside farm stand. Under Butler County’s Rural Zoning Resolution, roadside stands are defined as temporary structures used to sell only agricultural products produced on the property.
To come into compliance, the Garvers were told they would need to either update the building to meet commercial zoning requirements or file an appeal.
The Board of Zoning Appeals granted the appeal Tuesday in a 4-1 vote.
“We respect the county, and their goals for safety for everybody,” Taylor-Garver said. “We’re just really glad that they were able to see our side of the evidence. And this is not only a win for us, but for all farms around in the area who are looking to evolve and adapt and then pursue a way of diversifying.”
Taylor-Garver operates the market with her father, Michael Garver; her mother, Suzy Garver and her husband, Daylon Taylor.
Michael Garver is a fourth-generation farmer, and Taylor-Garver is the fifth. The farm celebrates 100 years in 2026 and spans 1,250 acres across three counties, most of it leased. The family owns and farms 178 acres.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The Garver family opened its first farm market in 1991 with a 650-square-foot open-air building that sold only unprocessed agricultural products.
Over the years, the family has adapted its farming practices to the changing landscape of farming to keep income steady.
“If you don’t make those changes, you’re going to fall to the wayside,” Michael Garver said.
Because of this, the Garvers decide to expand, culminating in the farm market building at 6790 Hamilton Lebanon Road, which they started planning for in 2020.
The building opened to the public in May 2024.
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