Farmer’s Shed market and garden center closes in Lexington

Less than four months after the restaurant closed at The Farmer’s Shed on U.S. Hwy. 1 in Lexington, the produce market and garden center shed itself has closed for business.

Owners of the locally famous Sease family farms on Olde Farm Road in Lexington, Clinton and Shirley Sease opened The Farmer’s Shed as a produce market and garden center across from Lexington High School in 1999. The couple added the restaurant in 2001 as a way to make the most of their farm’s surplus of fresh fruits and vegetables. The couple’s daughter, Carrie, served as the restaurant’s main chef and the eatery soon became known for its locally sourced and seasonally changing menu.

After more than 15 years of business, however, the Seases closed the restaurant--which was featured on an episode of Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2010--on March 17. The shed portion was expected to remain open and continue to sell local produce, canned preserves, flower pots and even the restaurant’s most popular casseroles and desserts.

However, the Seases announced a closing sale for the shed on the shop’s Facebook page and officially closed for business last week, posting one final comment: “Thank you for all of the great years. We are now closed.”

The Seases still own and operate Clinton Sease Farm on Olde Farm Road in Lexington which features an annual corn maze, Deceased Farms haunted barn and other attractions. The family has announced that the farm will open again for this fall season on Sept. 27 with a corn maze theme of “American Farmer.”