Once upon a time, Jason and Cara were avid Farm to Family-goers.  Farm to Family was a one-night affair held on full moon weekends each month on Don Applebaum’s land in Alachua County, Florida.   In April 2008, Farm to Family hosted ToobStock, a YouTube-fueled musical gathering that would mark the first two-night Farm To Family Full Moon Festival.  With extra people expected for extra days, more food service was needed in order to feed more people for more hours.  Don called Jason From Tim & Terry’s and proposed a new booth to cover late night and breakfast in order to provide relief for Rainah’s Sundance Cafe.  The YouToobers rolled in as Jason & Cara haphazarded the yet-to-be-named Wagon in front of a pop-up camper.  The booth was loosely billed as JC’s Snack Hut that weekend, serving made to order vegetarian fare, homebaked treats, and dog bones for the pups.

We received many kind compliments that first weekend and worked ourselves silly, unknowingly setting our “keep the party going” precedent, serving late into the night and struggling to keep the coffee going in the AM hours.  We soon added a selection of strings and musical accessories to “keep the music going”.  As the weather cooled into the Fall, CaraMade hats appeared, and quickly expanded to an entire CaraMade side of the booth.  Farm to Family continued to grow and as it outgrew its original “home” location, the ‘Wagon rolled with it, becoming a fully licensed & insured mobile food business in early 2009.  We quietly assumed the name Grilled Cheese Wagon, and our one-of-a-kind CaraMade banner rolled out in Summer 2009.  By Fall 2009, Farm To Family had officially outgrown its homeplace, and the ‘Wagon fell on hard but hopeful times as we too searched for new venues.   As Farm to Family tried and searched for new locales, Cara yarned her heart out and we took the CaraMade booth to four Farmers’ Markets each week while applying to other music festivals, and supporting the ‘Wagon on a string of Christmas parades, Civic Media Center concerts, Gainesville events, and even an underground rave or two.  Lacking in events, we made our own Monday Nights with the Wagon behind George’s Meet & Produce for a few weeks.  We soon found out that if people showed up, the noise was too much for a weekday night next to the fire station, but we gave it a good shake anyway.   Grilled Cheese Wagon proudly rang in New Year’s 2010 on the Square in downtown Gainesville.   After a lengthy winter of small town fairs and CaraMade hat sales, the Wagon began appearing solo for afternoons at Gardner’s Edge in Gainesville.   We launched into any music festival that would let us in, and found great reception in Spring 2010 at Will McLean Music Festival, and Florida Folk Festival, the ‘Wagon’s first “away from home” events.   We blazed through the summer with Orange Blossom Jamboree, Big & Hearty, and found our way to the great Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park for Gainesville in the Park, and Jambando.   By Fall 2010, we were invited to the Stephen Foster Quilt Show & Sale, and accepted to Riverhawk Music Festival, and Bear Creek Music & Arts.   Farm to Family secured a brand new location in Gilchrist County, FL and returned stronger and better than ever, bringing the ‘Wagon back to our home festival once again.  We didn’t think November 2010 could pack anymore into it, and gratefully coasted through December with a few more Gainesville events.   Grilled Cheese Wagon kicked off 2011 with Aura Music & Arts, and Chris Bell’s Antemasaris Rock & Roll People’s Party, and proudly added Suwannee Springfest, StringBreak, and Purple Hatter’s Ball to our Spring Tour.

People often ask how we got started, how in the world we got into something so fine as grilled cheese and music festivals.  It’s hard to say.  In a way, it kind of just …happened.  Our everlasting thanks goes out to Don Applebaum and our Farm To Family customers, who became our friends –and then our family, and without whom we would simply not exist.  There’s also a lot of Tim & Terry’s somewhere in there too, but that’s a whole other Ship of Fools.   This seems an excellent place to also mention the ungodly amounts of labor our workers have contributed, and the customers that keep this ‘Wagon rolling.   Thanks doesn’t really cover it, but, -Thanks.

And finally, for those wondering: Why Orange Cat?  Orange Cat was a real cat, a six pound, froggy voiced, creamsicle colored alley cat.  She was fed and kept by a whole group of people that centered around 1219 W. University Avenue, and was a fine friend to those that knew her.  She eventually moved to the country with Cara where she found carpet and never looked back.  She’s gone now, but lives on so much bigger than she ever was in real life.  In her time, she was quirky and full of life, and taught us that anything is possible – even a Grilled Cheese Wagon.