HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Even with cars roaring on I-75 a few hundred yards away, there’s something tranquil about sifting through plants for Misty Maynor.

“I love being around plants,” she said. “It makes me feel so peaceful.”

It’s partly why she opened a market four years ago at her family home on Old Morris Bridge Road.

What You Need To Know

  • Misty's Market is located off I-75 near Temple Terrace 

  • The market, which has been around for about four years, suffered significant damage from Hurricane Milton

  • Despite damage to some of her produce shelves and parts of her roof, she's received help and support from the community and hopes to get enough funds to rebuild what was lost

For Maynor, plants and produce give her life but, about a month ago, this spot that her parents built 40 years ago was tested during Hurricane Milton.

“You couldn’t even walk in here. It was that bad,” Maynor said.

According to Maynor, the wind was so powerful during that storm that part of her house’s roof came up, forcing her to hide in her closet with her dogs.

“It was just bam, bam, bam,” she recalled. “I thought it was just going to all go up.”

When things calmed down, she walked outside and saw exactly what that storm did.

“Me and my dad built this shop,” Maynor said while showing some of the damage. “Look at the roof from this angle. See? That’s my fruit stand.”

The roof from her fruit stand peeled off, her shelves for produce were destroyed and her stage where she hosts different events for kids and families around town is now leaning off its foundation.

“We have this for every event,” she said. “And now…”

It’s been a difficult year.

According to Maynor, her partner passed away in June and this damage was another terrible moment. But when you see her, joy seems to be bursting from her because of her market.

“This is how I survive,” she said.

She’s still going to the Plant City Farmer’s Market three times a week to get fresh produce at 5 a.m.

She’s still putting out pumpkins and setting up haunted houses for kids and she’s still bringing light to people’s lives wherever she can.

The damage there will likely cost thousands, but she says she doesn’t plan on reaching out to FEMA.

Even still, she has already received help from folks in the area getting rid of tree branches and debris that covered her business.

“People just showed up and it was amazing,” Maynor said. “The community helped me out so much.”

While there’s still a decent road ahead for this market, this is Maynor’s home, and she will do whatever it takes to keep her place of tranquility going.

Maynor has been able to get a temporary tent to house a lot of her fresh produce while she works to try and get new shelves.

Additionally, she’s still planning on hosting several events, including open mic nights, movie nights and donation drives for toy giveaways to local foster children for Christmas.