Ruzycki Farms

Jones, OK

When I pulled up to the Ruzycki farm, rows of flowers lined the left side of the road in full bloom as customers wandered through them in the afternoon sunshine, carefully choosing stems for bouquets of their own. Before I had even stepped out of the car, it already felt like the kind of place people enjoy lingering awhile.

Across the property, vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers stretched in nearly every direction. Mason jars and vases sat waiting to be filled with fresh cut blooms at the farm stand while people slowly moved between the rows, stopping to admire flowers, talk with one another, and enjoy the warm Oklahoma afternoon.

Before I had even made it fully out of my car, I overheard someone nearby talking about how beautiful it all was. Honestly, they were right.

On five acres, the Ruzycki family has carefully transformed part of their land into something that feels both peaceful and alive. Two of those acres are dedicated to fruits, vegetables, flowers, and the small farm stand that sits tucked among it all. Fruit trees have recently been added throughout the property, including apple and plum, alongside more blackberry bushes than you could possibly count.

The flower farm itself feels almost storybook-like. Visitors can choose between two jar sizes for their bouquets or upgrade to a custom vase while walking the rows and cutting their own flowers. Mixed throughout the blooms are vegetables in nearly every direction. Tomato plants already heavy with early fruit lined the garden beds, with varieties ranging from paste tomatoes to large slicers.

One of the things Michael spoke about most was freshness and quality.

He prefers selling whole head lettuce instead of loose leaves because people can use what they need while the rest stays fresh longer at home. It’s a simple choice, but one rooted in experience and care for the people buying from him.

Every corner of the farm seemed to reflect not just hard work, but genuine passion for growing things. Alongside the vegetables and flowers, he also creates a variety of herbal remedies sold through the farm stand, many made using plants and herbs grown right there on the property. Several varieties of eucalyptus filled the gardens, each with its own scent and character, including the lemon bush eucalyptus whose fresh citrus smell carried through the warm afternoon air.

Each year, the farm also brings in an entire truckload of Hatch green chilies for one of their seasonal events, where visitors can purchase them freshly roasted on-site.

It’s become another way the farm draws people together, filling the property with the unmistakable smell of roasting peppers, conversation, and customers lining up to take home boxes for the season ahead.In many ways, the farm began with memory.

As we walked through the property, Michael reflected on growing up around his grandparents’ farm, and later searching for those same flavors and varieties as an adult. When he asked where to find them, he was told, “Well, you have to grow them.” So in 2008, that’s exactly what he and his wife set out to do.

There’s beauty here, but there’s also reality. Early mornings. Late nights. Constant work. He pointed toward a greenhouse that had recently needed a brand new cover after Oklahoma wind tore apart the last one. Farming doesn’t stop simply because something breaks or weather gets difficult. You fix it and keep going.

And yet, standing there among the flowers and eucalyptus, it was obvious how much he loves what he does.

Several varieties of eucalyptus grow throughout the farm, each one different from the next. The lemon bush eucalyptus stopped me in my tracks the moment I smelled it. Fresh, citrusy, and unlike anything I had experienced before. Nearby stood a eucalyptus tree from last season that had to be pushing fifteen feet tall, towering over everything around it.

It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down for a little while. It’s the kind of place that reminds you food doesn’t begin on a grocery store shelf. It begins with hardworking people willing to keep growing things season after season, long before anyone sees the final result.