Aug. 14, 2009
By Megan Stokes
The Voice
When Sarah Slack feels like having a salad, she doesn't head for the refrigerator. Instead she goes out to the garden behind her home near the Orlando International Airport and picks salad greens and peppers to quench her craving.
"It's a great feeling to know where my food comes from and to have everything so fresh," she said.
More East Orlando residents are jumping on the local food movement that has been brewing in the area for nearly a year.
Last month Ourlando's Local Food Alliance — a Progressive Local Alliance for Community Enrichment program — had its first public meeting where more than 50 local restaurant owners, farmers, grocers, policy makers and community members brainstormed ways to get more locally grown food on Orlando's menu.
The benefits of local food include a more healthful, fresh product, a stronger connection between the consumer and their plate, reduced carbon emissions by cutting transportation, and lower food costs.
With the exception of a few University of Central Florida students and employees and one East Orlando organic gardener — Tia Merr, owner of Homegrown Delights near Bithlo — no one at the Ourlando meeting had East Orlando ties.
But that doesn't mean the interest isn't there. Several East Orlando homeowners associations along Curry Ford Road and Lake Underhill Road, and one in Delany Park, have shown interest in a city-sponsored community garden. Two weeks ago Orlando approved new procedures that allow the city to become intensely involved in gardens on city property and support those that are privately owned. The city's goal is to have a community garden in each of its five districts.
"Community gardens put more eyes and ears on the street. They are great for neighbors to get to know neighbors, they promote good, healthy food for the residents when childhood obesity is a major problem, it enhances a neighborhood and property values, and it promotes community ownership," said Patricia Newton, Orlando Neighborhood and Community Affairs community outreach coordinator.
Neighborhood and Community Affairs, Code Enforcement, the Orlando Police Department, Permitting, Harry P. Leu Gardens and Parks and Recreation and several other city departments have a hand in building community gardens. So far three have been established in western Orlando including Parramore, where the first city-sponsored garden opened last spring.
Many privately owned gardens exist throughout Orlando. Local edible landscaping company My Yard Farm sprouted when Henry Melendy was laid off from a commercial title firm late last year. Since then he has helped nearly 20 Orlando homeowners build edible gardens in their backyards — Slack being one of the first.
"I always had tomato and pepper plants but I wanted a substantial garden where I could grow all types of food. Now I have broccoli, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, carrots, onions, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and blueberries growing in my yard," Slack said. "It's saving me a ton of money at the grocery store."
Melendy grew up on a Florida farm but moved away at age 10 when his father passed away. He considered the layoff a perfect opportunity to get back to his roots. Now he helps connect his customers to local businesses who want to buy local food and is working with Ourlando to establish a local food brand, which will serve as a guide for businesses and consumers.
"As we started installing these landscapes around the area we saw a trend where people were sharing foods. Our mission is to change peoples' landscapes but above that is to know your farmer," Melendy said. "As I was trying to pedal this local food to mom-and-pops I realized there is a need to brand this food so that the businesses can have confidence in what they are purchasing."
Slack's goal is to eventually grow enough produce to feed herself, share with friends and donate a sizeable amount to Second Harvest Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that collects, stores and distributes donated food to partner agencies across Central Florida.
The Local Food Alliance's first activity was corralling volunteers to help cultivate vegetables and herbs at UCF's newly implemented community garden. About 60 people attended the July 10 event. Thanks to volunteers and donated mulch and seeds, the garden is full of sunflowers, peanuts, basil, tomatoes and cantaloupe for less than $1,000.
"This shows students and the greater Orlando community that all you need is the drive to do it," said Tina Richards, UCF environmental initiative program coordinator. "Now is the time to push this initiative because everyone is looking to save money."
Ourlando plans to continue to meet and brainstorm ways to enhance the local food market as well as raise awareness of the benefits of local food.
"I have learned that consumers do not consider local food a priority but not long ago they did not consider organic food a priority either," said Bruce Park, buyer for Fresh Point, a local produce distributor who attended the Ourlando meeting. "We need to get the consumers asking for this."
|
|
