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Dade School Food Forests Help Feed Those in Need

April 08, 2020
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Produce bags from The Education Fund
Produce bags from The Education Fund

The sudden demand for fresh, local produce has kept farmers and gardeners busy. Everyone’s harvesting and packing, from workers in the Redland tomato fields to the students at Miami-Dade public school food forests.   

At Maya Angelou Elementary School in Allapattah, 85 bags of fresh Okinawa spinach, lemongrass and Cuban oregano were harvested. Families picking up computers at the school took home 25 bags. MDCPS Food and Nutrition gave out the other 60 bags at its distribution center at North Miami High School.

Recipient of produce bag at Maya Angelou Elementary School
Freshly harvested produce for distribution
Photo 1: Recipient of produce bag at Maya Angelou Elementary School
Photo 2: Freshly harvested produce for distribution

There’s more to come, says Linda Lecht, president of The Education Fund, whose programs include the food forests at 25 schools, and gardens at 26 others. “We are harvesting freshly grown produce like spinach, katuk, bananas, papayas, yuca, boniato. Each school is different,” she says. “We're grateful to the Miami-Dade County Department of Food and Nutrition because they're making sure families receive fresh organic greens and fruit in their distribution."

Lecht says they’re happy to supply other groups with fresh produce for them to distribute to the community.

Nonprofits and governments that want to receive their harvest greens can call 305-968-8546. The Education Fund is also distributing school supplies via their warehouse, the Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials. Nonprofits and governments should call 305-558-4544 ext. 107 for those supplies.

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