Courtesy Photo/Joyce Lawless
Spread the Love Jelly and Jams is a Mabank farm stand that offers unique jams and jelly’s, breads and fresh eggs for sale. 

COURTESY PHOTO/JESSICA BRADLEY
Lamn Ducky Farms is a roadside farm stand in the Tool area with eggs and bread for sale. 

CEDAR CREEK LAKE—Off the beaten path is where you’ll find two roadside “farm stands” that have a common goal in mind, to share home-baked and homegrown items with their communities. 
Lamn Ducky Farms located in Tool is run by Diana Childress and Jessica Bradley who are a mother and daughter team. The farm name is a comedic phrase from Bradley’s dad, so it became their unique farm name. Childress and Bradley live next door to each other and operate the egg stand with the help of 11 Red Star Chickens. Childress is no stranger to chickens or farming, she was raised on a farm where they grew their own food and only went into town once a month to purchase the things they couldn’t grow or make. Childress says she likes colorful chicken eggs and will soon have 22 chickens to provide eggs. 
The stand is located on County Road 2403 catty corner from the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake and was designed by Childress. Right now, the chickens have slowed down their production because of the season but in the spring the chickens are expected to produce a dozen eggs daily. Bradley says they also offer large loaves of homemade blueberry, zucchini, banana (with or without nuts), and jalapeno bread and will also have vegetables from their garden in the spring. The stand is based on the honor system, accepting cash, and Cashapp currently for payment. A dozen eggs from the farm will cost you $4.00. There’s even a small bulletin board inside the stand which is their community board. Bradley says this is where customers can share requests, suggestions and even post business cards for other customers. Childress and Bradley say they are focused on helping their community and have no plans of growing larger. 
Spread the Love Jelly and Jams is another local farm stand in Mabank, owned by Sylvia Parkhurst and daughter Joyce Lawless. Lawless says her mom started the stand over five years ago offering homemade jams, jelly, bread, cookies and of course eggs. When Lawless retired from UPS she started helping her mother with the stand. They currently have 35 chickens consisting of Cinnamon Queen, Ameraucana, Barred Rock and Frizzle chickens that are free range. Lawless and Parkhurst also offer duck eggs from six ducks on the property priced at $5.00 and chicken eggs are $4.00 per dozen. They offer seasonal flavors of jelly and jam, selling raspberry peach jelly when they can get the best peaches and strawberry chipotle and orange cranberry jelly are offered during the holiday season. Also offered during the spring and summer season are homegrown produce such as squash and okra, along with squash relish and homemade salsa which sells quickly says Lawless. Looking for a unique jam? Banana jam, apple butter and monkey butter which includes banana, coconut and pineapple may be right up your alley. Some of their biggest sellers are apple pie jam, carrot cake jam, strawberry jam, blackberry jam and of course banana bread. The stand is open seven days a week weather permitting, “when the chickens get up until dusk,” says Lawless. The stand is restocked when items are low or they offer a new flavor of jam or jelly. Spread the Love Jelly and Jams is located at 193 S. 9th street in Mabank, near the Mabank rodeo grounds. 
“We are focused on helping our community and keep prices low to give back to the community. We love our small community and our loyal customers,” says Lawless. Items are made with the best ingredients and in small batches. 
I’m sure we have more farm stands that are ran by our neighbors around Cedar Creek Lake, and maybe I’ll get to those someday, but I consider our residents to be lamn ducky we have good neighbors willing to spread the love and offer affordable homemade items to our community.