Jessica Radican told me, simply, that food is a language of love. She learned it from her grandmother and great aunts. If food is an act of love, then the twelve plus hour workday in the kitchen is not only labor but also care. Within this backdrop, chefs in Florida are the skillful cultural stewards who interweave traditions of food, the precarity of regional farms, the use of nonconventional ingredients, as well as the comfort, and laughter of time spent together in the community. As Jessica puts it, “We believe it’s important. If no one is supporting small farms, and these small families who are running these farms and really working hard to provide something, they’re going to disappear.” When she reflects on her long days cooking and her weekends spent sourcing ingredients, it all comes back to one thing: shelf life. Extending the life of rare tropical fruits, she transforms them from fresh fruit to recipes and then into jams. Each step is part of a poetic process that underscores the fleeting nature of food and labor.

Chefs are cultural workers operating at the fault line between fragile farmlands, long hours of labor, and the details of their craft, carrying these elements to the tables they serve. In this process, culture passes from one generation to the next. Her work as a vegan chef explores what she describes as “understanding the impact of the harm to animals and the harm to our environment...” She recognizes food encompasses many ecological issues and carries this forward through her work. Following a devastating freeze in Florida, this interview captures the unfolding impact on upcoming harvests. Radican relayed concern for both corn season and this year’s tropical fruit harvest as well as a range of products. This is already felt from ingredients and menus to rising wholesale prices and economic loss from recent weather-related events. Across conversations with farmers and chefs, including Jessica, themes of food as generational knowledge and as resistance to cultural and ecological erasure repeatedly emerge.

Jessica moves among small family-farms holding lists and back-up lists of ingredients. Every plate carries quiet negotiations about labor or the conditions of farmland marked by freezes or sunscald. People working in Florida’s food sector face similar national trends: spiraling costs of living and escalating grocery bills both for one’s household and business. In these ways, cooking becomes a counternarrative to the idea of the polished tourist-led food and beverage industry in Florida. Viewed through a historical lens, this industry and the people who steward it form a nexus between supply chains, shifting labor demographics, economic impact, as well as environmental challenges.

Florida is home to many unconventional chefs and agricultural business owners, and Jessica and Dante Radican thrive in this terrain. They run an unconventional café and greenhouse on the property of a local plant nursery. Her café was developed to function as part of an ecosystem of farms and businesses. It’s a business model which operates less as an extraction point, and more as a way to circulate resources back into Florida’s small farms. She buys from small family-owned farms across the state and tries to create more points of entry for her own customers to learn about them. She wants her customers also to become their customers. She utilizes fruit trees on the property for her own curated menu items and operates within the footprint of that business too. One menu item is reminiscent of a pineapple upside down cake but it’s made with nearby starfruit. Necessity, rising costs, and the nonconventional location all require and thrive from new ideas and raw creativity.

The following is a transcription of my interview with Jessica Radican. I sat down with both her and Dante Radican and followed up for additional comments, research, and fact-checking afterwards. In a future profile, I hope to explore a greenhouse built by Dante at the same location. It’s a structure that reflects imagination and broader themes, which support local food production. They are co-owners of ‘Garden Party’ which is a farm to table café in the Red Market Building of Rockledge Gardens. They are located at 2153 US. Highway One, Rockledge, Florida.

Ginger Wolfe-Suarez:

How do you think your baking shows acts of love or care?

Jessican Radican:

Oh goodness, great question. I grew up in a family of women that loved to bake, and you kind of never showed up at a house empty handed. It was like an act of care. I learned when you take the time to bake something and then brought it to a friend or a loved one, we shared it over tea, conversation, and a meal. And I grew up in that environment where my grandmother and my great aunts used food as a language of love, and now to be able to do that out of our tiny kitchen and have little kids kind of come and be joyful to get their favorite scone or something just makes me happy. I can offer a little joy to our community, a little comfort or happy moment in your day. Food to share with your loved one just feels very special to me.

GWS:

Do you see vegan baking as a creative practice that has an aspect of resistance to it?

JR:

Vegan baking is its own category of baking. Because if you think about what baking is: it’s fat, and sugar, and flour. We rely on a lot of animal products to make that happen. I think veganism has often gotten a bad rap as being maybe not as good or dry or having less flavor. I feel like being able to offer wonderful products that taste delicious, that happen to be vegan, is kind of an act of resistance. We’re proving people wrong. Plant based food can be equally delicious. We always joke that we’re creating objectively good food that happens to be plant based.

GWS:

Are there connections between animal rights and your practice?

JR:

Yes, that’s something that’s important to me. I think ever since I was a child, I was very empathetic to animals. I kind of understood where eggs and meat and things were coming from. I grew up in the 80s and early 90s. Veganism was kind of frowned upon or considered not as healthy. So, my family kind of didn’t understand my feelings. I always struggled with that. But veganism for me is understanding the impact of the harm to animals and the harm to our environment. It’s representative of a lot of different social issues.

GWS:

This idea comes up a lot when I interview farmers. At times providing alternatives to industrial farming in Florida almost feels like a kind of resistance to them, too.

JR:

We’ve learned a lot over the years. We often drive an hour plus to go get farm produce. We’re really going out of our way to support our local farmers, because we believe it’s important. If nobody’s supporting small farms, then these families that are running these farms and really working hard to provide something, they’re going to slowly disappear. We feel like we can also reduce our footprint by keeping it as local as possible.

GWS:

What farms do you purchase produce from?

JR:

We get produce from Tomazin Farms located in Samsula. Another farm that we use on the regular is Fletcher Family Farm. They do a lot of hydroponic lettuce, and they’re starting to get more vegetables. I also use a local co-op that supports a bunch of farms that are located in North Florida. We support Little Pond Farm, and Frog Song Organics. We always use Mick Farms when they are in season. They’re out in St Cloud. Graham Farms is another seasonal farm we work with. They are all the way out in Umatilla. We get peaches and blackberries from them.

GWS:

Does being surrounded by the growing of plants here inspire your menu at this location?

JR:

Yes. I would say we absolutely considered what we wanted to offer when we were creating the menu. We wanted to make it a little Florida-centric so that we could support these farms. But it’s hard not to be inspired by the work that Rockledge Gardens does in this space to make it so beautiful. They do so much work with the trees that are fruiting and flowering and constantly giving us abundance. There is an abundance of fruit trees that are hidden throughout Rockledge Gardens. So, they ripen almost in secret- even multiple times a year. There is just more fruit to pick than we are able to make food with. We have access here mostly to starfruit and mangoes. Avocados are another big one. We have Barbados cherries on property, and lots of different varieties of mangoes and bananas.

GWS:

Do you incorporate those into your menu?

JR:

Absolutely! We use fruit grown on this property. Sometimes it’s something that we can use in a drink or something we can use in a dessert. Maybe we’ll create a certain special around it. We specifically use mangoes, starfruit and whatever we’re getting an abundance of.

GWS:

Do you feel that you’re part of a community of chefs, bakers, and local artisans in the area? Or do you think that’s lacking?

JR:

I feel like we’ve been slowly building this by part of the ethos of our business. We want to be a small business that supports other small businesses. So, I’ve made a lot of friends. We’ve connected with a lot of people that create here- whether it’s bread bakers, hot-sauce makers, or artisans of salsa or pickles. I’m trying to utilize all the friends that we’ve made over the years. We’re trying to incorporate their handmade food items into our menu. We get amazing locally produced artisan goods that help us shine and they get the chance to shine as well.

GWS:

But what about specifically other bakers or other chefs? Do you feel like there’s a peer support system for this population?

JR:

Yes, I do. We’re friends with the owners of Rebellion. My other friend owns a coffee shop. I have a couple bakers in the area that I’m friends with. One in particular is Yellow Door Bakery. We’re always chit-chatting back and forth about recipes or ideas. I feel like, since I’m new to the area, I didn’t initially know as many chefs. I wasn’t working in a lot of kitchens in the same capacity that I was up north. I don’t know as many of the chefs here personally, but we have tried to make it a mission to kind of show our faces and say: “Hi, this is who we are. We love what you’re doing and thanks for being here.”

GWS:

Is there one product grown in this zone that you think has really become part of your culinary identity?

JR:

I would probably list the fruit that grows here the most. Mango season is my absolute favorite. We’ve been very excited to try all the diversity of mangoes that come across our counter. That’s been fun for me. I take on probably more than I should. I’ll freeze it and make jam out of it and do everything I can to preserve that season and offer it for a longer period of time.

GWS:

How does being in the state of Florida and the culinary history specific to the state affect or shine through in your work?

JR:

I feel like I’ve been trying to. I’m not well-versed in Southern cooking. I’m trying to lean into it. I strive to offer food experiences that I feel are unique to the area. I feel like there’s a lot of Floridian tropical flavors I have been trying to embrace. I think about how we can make biscuits, but make them specific to Garden Party’s work. How can we make cornbread that is our own? That has been a fun challenge to take on.

GWS:

Do you feel either ecological or climate related impacts are affecting access or quality of your ingredients?

JR:

As of this current moment, absolutely.

GWS:

Can you give a few examples?

JR:

This cold snap will greatly affect many of our farmers across Florida, and that is going to change their lives, what they’re able to give, how much money they’re able to make. Maybe their plants completely died, or maybe their crops are going to be smaller. We may see that impact for the rest of the year, and they may feel the outcome of these freezes for far longer. With changing temperatures, this is record cold for Florida.

DR:

I want to mention citrus greening. That’s sort of an irreversible issue that has devastated small family orchards. It’s a lot to reinvest in a new crop because it requires new systems be put in place. Sometimes even a transference of soil, and it’s kind of cost-prohibitive. This was a huge export for Florida. So, to lose citrus in such a big way has changed the landscape of what Florida is able to offer and how farmers have had to pivot.

GWS:

Have you noticed any specific goods or ingredients that changed with availability or season?

JR:

We always struggle with vegan centric products. We have a harder time getting our hands on ingredients not everybody carries. There’s not as much of a market, even just as personal consumers ourselves. When I go to the grocery store one minute, it might be there at a Publix and then I cannot find it again. And I’ve noticed that at Trader Joe’s, too. I’ve noticed that at all these places it’s becoming increasingly harder to get your hands on vegan-centric products. This includes butter products, or even just being able to source vegan sugar because a lot of times bone char is used in the sugar. A vegan wouldn’t want that product. So just being able to have more access to vegan ingredients has been a little bit of a challenge. It matters to stay consistent with what we’re trying to offer.

Added Editorial notes: The photos in this interview are courtesy of Jessica Radican. Photos are posted with her permission. Photo notations: Starfruit Upside Down Cake using fruit from a Starfruit tree on the Rockledge Gardens property; and Buffalo Chickpea sandwich with Olde Hearth Bread Company Sourdough, Get Spiked Microgreens, house made Buffalo Chickpea salad, and blue cheese Aioli.

Where to find Garden Party:

Located in the Red Market Building of Rockledge Gardens at 2153 US. Highway One, Rockledge, Florida.

Website: https://gardenpartyfl.com/

Instagram: @gardenpartyfl

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Image Courtesy of Andrew Russell Birkett

Devastating scenes unfold across Florida farms and agribusinesses, with glimmers of recovery and re-imagination already emerging. The freeze which swept across the state froze crops and displaced agricultural operations while exposing the impact of increasingly extreme weather systems. While many coinciding challenges dominate headlines such as the closure of major farms and laid off employees, the effects also impact smaller, family-operated farms. These are places without public layoffs where loss is absorbed by individuals and households who work throughout the night. For this demographic, a freeze is not an abstract weather event but a reckoning with survival and making it to the next harvest. The National Weather Service issued rare extreme cold watches and freeze warnings across much of the state. The freeze unfolded over several days and brought devastating wind, which affected some of the mitigations that were put in place to protect crops and trees. In some cases, wind blew over protective structures or stripped protective coverings and frost cloth already in place.

Farmers and agribusinesses braced for major impacts, and many worked throughout the night or woke up to catastrophic scenes unfolding. Yet, typical of this population, many have already begun the process of recovery and rebuilding, essentially immediately beginning the process of cleanup. One local farmer shared on Sunday, February 1st, “I’ll be up late planning goals of what I need to do to get back in the game.” When asked what the single biggest concern about the freeze was, he stated it is the potential of a, “set back a year or two of fruit production, depending on damages or death of trees.” This farmer, recognized for contributions in his community, immediately shifted from crisis to planning and recovery within the same day.

Another farmer, Andrew Russell Birkett, in Christmas, Florida shared his main focus was “saving inventory from death.” Birkett’s response to the freeze was resilient and adaptive. His work exemplifies stewardship and responsibility to the natural world. When asked if he would see economic impact on trees and crops, he answered plainly, “Yes, we will definitely see an economic loss.” In the images, taken by Birkett, it is easy to see the sheer amount of labor that went into protecting trees and crops.

Image Courtesy of Andrew Russell Birkett

His work during the freezes included, “irrigating to form icicles and keeping things at 32 degrees and putting plants under oak canopies where there’s a huge difference in temperature regulation.” While some remained wrapped and covered, he lit a small fire to try to raise the temperature a few degrees. He noted that he, “had to watch it constantly to avoid it spreading” and “had water and fire extinguishers nearby.” Any increase in temperature- even a mere few degrees- would help stave off lost trees and plants. He noted that he had assistance form his employees including his brother and cousin, whom he paid. One strategy often seen in this population is peer networking and informal structures of community support as well.

The windchill and freezing temperatures transformed ordinarily vivid tones of green, sun-drenched spaces into unrecognizable frozen places. The frozen trees and crops revealed a completely different landscape this weekend including sheets of ice and icicles where subtropical and tropical plants typically thrive. Leaves changed rapidly into brown vertical strips fraying from wind while others drooped losing shape and color. Some became transparent, tattered and disintegrated by the third day. The freeze, over multiple days, combined with high wind, was destructive to local crops including the region’s tropical fruit. Exhaustion and apocalyptic images have emerged as well as fragments of resilience and re-imagination.

This freeze event comes at a moment that already represents multiple high-stakes agricultural challenges related to labor and economic hardship. The Farmworker Association of Florida is opposing HB 443 and SB 518 in the current Florida legislative session. The organization states, “These bills are being pushed by Bayer-Monsanto as a way to avoid lawsuits from people who have been affected by serious health issues, such as cancers, from exposure to the pesticide RoundUp.” At the same time temporary Agriculture Visas continue to face ongoing hurdles in the state, as workers fear applying for them. Farmworkers remain in a dire situation across the country. The displacement has not been limited to temporary laborers. Some farmers including small business owners have also been impacted. A Jamaican-born farmer and United States Veteran previously interviewed, recently self-deported. His agribusiness no longer operates in the United States.

Image Courtesy of Andrew Russell Birkett

Assistance and other programs within the state’s Department of Agriculture tend to benefit industrial-scale operations and often fail to reach smaller farms, nurseries, and other agribusinesses, particularly those operated by individuals and their families with little or no hired labor. In a previous interview a seed saver shared, “In our experience, the dialogue and priority of the Florida Department of Agriculture is focused on commercial crops. We would be excited to have more access to resources and support…” Despite longstanding awareness of the barriers to small and sole-operator farms, these disparities have not yet resulted in reforms to support this demographic. While this population tends to operate at a smaller level not captured by state programs, their work in many ways is the most crucial to foodways in our region. In fact, this group of farmers are often the first line of defenders of wild undeveloped spaces in Florida. To witness these farmers, fruit growers and seed savers actively grow food and problem solve while intuitively developing informal support systems is inspiring.

Public narratives about Agriculture in Florida are often framed around CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) including factory chicken farming, dairy and cattle, as well as regulated cannabis cultivation, and other industrial farms including citrus. Yet, I have witnessed a parallel story of agriculture in Florida through the lens of culinary history, family businesses, small-scale farms, immigrant-owned farms, and innovative agribusiness methods. In these fields, food forests, and small businesses, food continues to connect people across social space. They tell a deeper story about growing food in Florida, and about the constellation of agriculture in the state.

In covering news in central Florida over the past several years, and covering this population specifically, attributes of resilience and survivalism resurface again and again. This population is wildly creative. They developed intuitive support systems, sometimes they utilize a degree of risk-taking, and intensely skillful problem-solving. Many represent the front lines of the biggest challenges of our time, ranging from development of wild spaces, precarious labor, habitat destruction, gentrification, catastrophic weather events, and the flow of water. This population of small-scale farmers and agribusinesses are wildly resourceful, navigate complex problems, and have developed strategies for survivalism. The resilience and love for the landscape as a living shared world is carried forward by each farmer and made visible in the land they cultivate.

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Photo courtesy of Tyler McKenzie

Tyler McKenzie is part of a new generation of tropical fruit tree and mango growers in Florida. At age 32, he’s a former foster-care parent who listens to electronic music, rides dirt bikes, and runs his fruit tree business on the same street in Merritt Island he’s lived on most of his life. He grows his mangos on a thin strip of land within an area known as the ‘Space Coast’. His nursery, Tropical Trail Nursery, is part of a subculture of small-scale farmers and agribusinesses exploring what the mango is and what it stands for as a kind of alternative cultural icon in America. People here love his mangos. Once McKenzie was even woken up at 5:00 AM, by a local looking to buy a few right then and there.

Cultivating fruit trees parallels aspects of the nurture and care we give one another within a community. In many ways farmers and growers tell stories that mirror the support required for communities to thrive. McKenzie shares, “My work as a foster parent to special needs children helped me understand body language is important in human interaction and has opened my eyes to see clearly. I use this to my advantage with fruit trees because the trees also have a fruit tree language to them…”. His statement echoes literary and cultural ideas of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass relating to nature’s intelligence and understanding the lessons they offer. For his part, McKenzie believes the mango magic here has something to do with the tap roots of the trees benefiting from the brackish water. Around this sweep of land, freshwater and saltwater mix and run together. Roots are interwoven with water and sandy soil, air, and humidity. While each tropical fruit grower holds a unique worldview, in my research I’ve found mango farmers tend to converge on habitat conservation, foodways, and connecting on a deep level with nature.

Photo courtesy of Tyler McKenzie

Florida is known as a citrus state. Yet a disease called ‘greening’ and harsh chemicals tarnished the citrus industry. A new generation of tropical and subtropical fruit growers push what is possible to grow in this country. Merritt Island is a kind of geographical and cultural case study to explore mango culture. Mango lore runs deep through this place, where mangos have been developed for generations. Indeed, the Space Coast is known for fruit trees, surf boards, and for the cutting-edge technology rocket ships bring. Yet it’s not all sunshine and surf conditions. You can see the rising costs of food prices on the hardened faces of the people who live here at food stores, or in rental applications where applicants struggle to meet income qualifications. These are the hard truths of gentrification and housing availability on this barrier island. Gentrification is also told through the lens of small-scale farming. This is from the scarcity and availability of land to strain on overland flow and water quality. On the Space Coast, rising concerns about water quality and lagoon conservation make news headlines. McKenzie, like other fruit tree growers in central Florida I have interviewed, believe that development contributes to difficulties in water flow for orchards and crops. This is then magnified in the ecosystem and critical habitat of wetlands and scrub on the small footprint of the island.

Within this backdrop, tropical fruit is a metaphor of both hyper-local and an international weaving of agriculture and foodways across continents. The mango, specifically, has historically been grown throughout the world from India to the Caribbean. Every mango grown holds memory and history of its genetics as well as growing conditions, weather, possible disease, and the human labor involved in its growth. Immigrants and neighbors within the multicultural backdrop of Florida exchanged backyard fruit, seedlings, and family recipes across Florida’s foodway. This has directly shaped our culinary history. It’s a culture of fruit, connection, and community coexisting between Florida and an international constellation.

Photo courtesy of Tyler McKenzie

A growing mango subculture explores how a fruit like the mango can shape cultural and social imagination. There are aspects of human connection in the artistry of the fruit McKenzie grows. Mango trees and the people who grow and tend to them are metaphors of connection and civic stewardship. In this way, the imagination by people like McKenzie does mirror aspects of public and community-based art and other similar movements. Like others in the mango-growing movement, he integrates timeless farming techniques with the pace of social media and he does it well. He uses photography to capture images that reflect humanity and humor in the labor happening at Tropical Trail Nursery. He even has some TikTok famous turkeys. A mural by artist Kole Trent follows the long driveway to his nursery. McKenzie recalls asking Trent to paint something welcoming with “a mango looking like a sunrise.” Murals throughout the world have long been historically associated with farming and agriculture, and Trent’s mural demonstrate playfulness, geographical and cultural identity. Flowers hover and shimmer, and his work is heavily influenced by local life and the precarity of nature. The integration of visual iconography points to a growing cultural and aesthetic identity amongst farmers and farming traditions. Here, the mango is a living icon that connects community, memory, habitat preservation, and creativity. Small-scale fruit growers like McKenzie are part of a pulsating story of agriculture in America.

Mural by artist Kole Trent and photo courtesy of Tyler McKenzie

GWS: What is the address of your nursery?

TM: I am located at 926 South Tropical Trail, Merritt Island, Florida 32952.

GWS: Tell us about your favorite fruit grown at the nursery.

TM: My favorite fruit to grow will always be mangos. The flavor from each mango complements the tree by different flower colors and aromas and colors the mangos achieve as they mature to ripeness. Depending on mango cultivars you plant you can have 5-6 months’ worth of mangos overlapping each other.

GWS: You mentioned you previously were a foster parent. It always struck me that this line of work in growing food and in orchards is a form of community work too that takes skills and awareness of care. I think this aspect of care is a practical one for the trees but also for the ecosystem and for community members. In what ways do you think your work cultivating and propagating fruit trees mirrors the work of healthy communities and supporting people within them?

TM: Fruit trees bring people together and spark interesting conversations that can help memories last. My work as a foster parent to special needs children helped me understand body language is important in human interaction and has opened my eyes to see clearly. I use this to my advantage with fruit trees because the trees also have a fruit tree language to them and can help with picking out the perfect tree depending on the description or request that people are looking for in a tree with growth size and flavors.

GWS: What is the one biggest challenge facing small-scale agriculture businesses right now from your lived experience and perspective?

TM: Vulnerability to weather is one of the biggest challenges especially with fruit trees. We hope for no hurricanes and drought because that can lead to a year’s worth of hard work lost.

GWS: Have you ever had any damage from storms and how did you overcome it?

TM: Yes, I have had trees lose fruit and foliage that takes a season or two to grow back.

GWS: Have you noticed any changes in the amount or flow of water on your property since you began your work?

TM: Yes, the county is responsible for most of these issues by allowing wetlands to be developed and nowhere for the water to go but into the yards of long-term residents without proper water management drainage. Being on an island it is vital we make wise decisions with the limited land that we have available.

GWS: I spoke to a fruit grower on the south side of the same county you are in who lost a crop to wind damage. Have you experienced any wind related drop of crops too early in the past three years?

TM: Yes, the wind plays a significant part in a successful year for fruit production. If we receive high winds when flowers and fruit are in development before a mature stage it could wipe out a year’s worth of hard work.

GWS: Merritt Island has a fascinating and direct relationship to mango history and mango lore. Are there any ways you see your own work interacting with that lore and history?

TM: Compared to a lot of areas around Brevard, Merritt Island seems to be protected for the most part with cold weather due to the rivers on both sides of the island. This allows us to be in a microclimate to grow certain fruit trees and crops that other parts of the county would not be able to successfully do.

GWS: The fallen mango tree that continues to produce mangoes and produce new trees over the years in your orchard is an interesting metaphor for the work we do. Can you describe that tree and how it continues to play a role in your nursery?

TM: Even though the 60-year-old mango tree was knocked down during a hurricane it continues to air layer its roots into the ground and be productive. This reminds me that you need to overcome the hard hits you take and continue to grow and learn in order to survive.

GWS: Can you describe the birds, pollinators, and animal sightings of note you have witnessed on your property?

TM: We have all kinds of pollinators that visit me at the nursery with wild honeybee colonies in hollowed out tree logs to butterflies capturing the fresh nectar from the fruit trees on the property. My surrounding neighbors have even told me since I have started this fruit tree nursery that they have had more flowers and fruits on their trees than they have ever seen before.

GWS: People around here love mangos! I remember when I first met you, you shared the story of someone who came to your property at 5:00 AM looking to buy some mangos. Describe some other requests you have received from the public?

TM: I receive requests to graft fruit trees for people whether it be a root stock or their own in ground trees they want to top work. I also receive request to do consultations on overlooking their property to see what kind of fruit trees they should plant with their acreage.

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The following descriptions and scenes are written portraits from a larger body of research for nonfiction features about Florida’s farming communities. Food and belonging are intertwined in ecological portraits. The following text is pulled from recently completed field reporting, site visits, and multiple interviews. When necessary to safeguard the identity of farmers, farmworkers and their families, some sources are kept anonymous due to concerns of harassment and retaliation.

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In Central Florida a former Mango farmer asks, “Who do you turn to, to fix it?”

The agricultural industry in Florida and across the country is under enormous stress. This farmer agreed to speak for this story on the record, but his name is being withheld for safety reasons. When I last saw him, he was wearing tall rubber boots and due to recent rain was sliding around his sun-dappled trees. He was fighting off mosquitos that day and coming back from devastating losses including a harvest to extreme weather. This Caribbean tropical fruit farmer is a Veteran of the United States Army who constantly innovated and re-wired his strategies for survival over many years. He worked not only to protect the land and his own family, but also for sustainable organic farming principles for the long-standing “stewardship of the land”.

“Mentorship” is one strategy he advocated for and so he was active in the community with other fruit growers. He is the most recent person in the farming community to relay that he opted to start over in a different country, rather than risk possible profiling and increasing political tensions in the United States. He may not fit the profile of who most Americans would assume is self-deporting. When asked about the period of time immediately leading up to his relocation, he described being followed and pulled over in a traffic stop with his family after turning right on a road on his way to check on his friend’s fruit tree.

That traffic stop resulted in a fraught situation where he worried about being separated from his mother-in-law or even his children for no reason. He relayed his mother-in-law had a legal visa, but he still feared she could face unlawful treatment by immigration authorities. He personally knows of two individuals who have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, though he added that later, “one was let out because they were an American citizen”.

When asked how agriculture is affected in Florida by the changes in immigration policy he simply answered, “Manpower.”

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In Southwest Florida, Noelle Damico is a leader of an interfaith organization that holds vigils and prays with religious leaders for the well-being of farmworkers. Damico agreed to speak on the record and described “a sense of peril”. One phone call that has stuck with her was from a community member describing a real-time scene of a group of berry workers thrown into a van.

Berry production and picking in Florida requires enduring heat and long hours. Farmworkers who pick berries face grueling physical labor as well as pesticide exposure. Berries, often used in dessert and served at social gathering and celebrations, are a fragile fruit that are picked and handled gently.

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In Southeast Florida the discipline of Watermelon farming requires time, and an awareness of sun, pest pressure, and heat extremes. Watermelon that sits on the ground too long results in economic loss. Watermelon farmers here suffered from a previous season’s crop that underperformed and resulted in sustained economic hardship. First person reports have included accounts of unsustainable watermelon farming in Florida including pressure of a rising wholesale price and difficulty with watermelon farming labor.

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Advocates for farmworkers in Central Florida say the population they work with are ultimately responsible for bringing food to the tables of families across Florida. When asked what the primary questions farmworkers ask today, the answer is simply, “How am I going to survive?”

Food insecurity and hunger is interwoven with land, belonging, and community identity. Rene Gomez, Civic Engagement Coordinator, of The Farmworker Association of Florida described the “biggest hypocrisy” is that farmworkers are food insecure. He described two siblings that met with their organization on Father’s Day after their father was forced to self deport. The work of Farmworker Associations has changed into one of managing crisis and trauma of the populations they serve.

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On the East Coast of Florida, food and belonging are intertwined with loss and identity. This family is remaining anonymous for safety from harassment. This woman whose father is currently detained shared the following story: “My Dad told me not to try papaya. He said it is an acquired taste and I wouldn’t like it, so he pulled out all the papaya trees on this property.” For many families with Caribbean heritage, food is how families share culture and cooking is described as a small act of love and memory. Now, she wakes up early for phone calls from her father. Any news from him is helpful. But especially to know simply that he is alive. The emotional toll on her has been all consuming. She describes difficulty sleeping, and difficulty with her health which has included tachycardia. Propped on a stool in her kitchen, she shrugged and shared growing up with her family gave her the “will to prosper.”

Her father was taken out of his own yard to a facility known as, “Alligator Alcatraz.” He reported being held in a cage with no clocks and lights that never turned off. She worried he would not be able to live through the detainment due to underlying health issues and age. Since then, he was moved on to another federal facility. At this facility, he remains a prisoner. In addition to his large legal fees, she pays for orders of Ramen Soup and the vitamin mix known as Emergen-C to be delivered to him in prison. At times, he uses another inmate’s spoon.

Though her father counseled her against growing papaya, he urged her to plant bananas. He planted them beneath the gutters. He reasoned they could collect more rainwater this way. She recalls different foods he made. Sometimes, before he was taken, he would call her in the afternoon: “Come on over and pick up some plates of food.” She recalls different food he made: tostones, mojo chicken, picadillo, and even fried green tomatoes. The fried green tomatoes, she guesses, were not a family recipe but he fried them up unusually well. These recollections reveal the tension of food, sharing, and loss experienced by separated families.

Papaya grows easily in Florida but suffers from pest pressure. One method to successfully grow the fruit includes wrapping each papaya for the entire growing period so it does not get inundated with webworms, whiteflies, and mites. Bananas are cultivated prolifically in this climate and are also grown within Caribbean foodways. Methods of frying and preparing bananas in the American South reflects this influence. The introduction of tropical fruit from the immigrant community, both in backyard rare fruit growing and in the passing down of recipes, was crucial to the world-renowned culinary history of Florida. This foodway is associated with fresh fish, spices often used in the Caribbean, and the inclusion of tropical fruit.

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Within these conversations, I return to the longing of the Mango farmer’s question: “Who do you turn to, to fix it?” The question remains hanging in the air while hardship continues. From the rising wholesale prices of crops to the human toll and economic impacts on labor and immigration policy changes, people search for answers. Across these interviews, strategies emerge of mentorship, experimentation, witnessing, documenting, and the sacred importance of farmworker advocacy. Growing fruit here is not only agricultural form but also intertwined with cultural and culinary memory, resistance, and the survival of workers, families, and farms.

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This piece contains a few selections from my field notes, observations, and other documentation from my research on larger nonfiction features.

These are all part of my writing practice surrounding small-scale agriculture in Florida. This has included interviewing farmers and farm workers, as well as documenting rare and subtropical fruit growing patterns. I’ve decided to publish them in this form to bear witness to topics ranging from habitat destruction to cultural farming practices, to strategies of survivalism. My hope is that these in-process articles and field-notes posted on this Substack offer a glimpse into my writing process on developing nonfiction feature stories across the state.

There is also some documentation from wildflowers I’ve come across on roadways traveling to farms (mostly in threatened and fragile ecological regions like wetlands or scrub). Also, I’ve included a few fragments or outtakes from my own property in Zone 10A (barrier Island in Florida) to record the site conditions, and farming process.

In the end, over the next few years I hope to provide or contribute to an alternative mapping of Florida. People outside of Florida often define the agriculture landscape in terms of orange groves and citrus trees which is a common trope. The truth is citrus production is at its lowest level plagued by disease and aggressive pesticide use. I want to show a crucial aspect of Florida outside stereotypes of theme parks, Trump, and citrus.

I am humbly trying to provide an alternative mapping of the state through writing about and documenting agriculture (primarily through tropical and subtropical fruit including Mango production), micro-agricultural businesses, interviews with farmers, agricultural workers, homesteaders, back-yard gardeners, and community gardens. I believe agricultural practices, culinary communities, and art offer an authentic place of connection and possibility. I believe this aspect and community tends to go under-documented and this representation of Florida is an important story to tell.

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On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, I am driving with my children to a secluded vegetable garden run by Kelli Varon and Ryan Diggle. They are the local seed-saver and eco-entrepreneurs collectively known as ‘Seed the Stars’. Kelli tied a piece of green and black fabric to a palm tree as a visual cue for me to know where to turn to locate one of their several gardens, which is on a rural stretch of their friend’s whimsical and remote property. After pulling along the long the wooded drive, the trees ease into what appears to be a hand-built home. The garden is placed between the dwellings and the tall, wooded area and is shaped organically. As I park my car in a precarious slice of shade my daughter leaps from the car into the vegetation to poke at some spiky seed pods, while my teen-age son samples some ground cherries. The heat clings to me when Varon gently leads me through circuitous path of plants to show me some of the vegetables in various stages of growth and decay.

Today, environmental issues around how we think about nature and the future of the earth have sparked collaborative and creative eco-citizens who are reimagining the concept of the homestead, small-scale farm, or urban garden. In Florida, activists, artists, ecologists, farmers, and eco-entrepreneurs are utilizing inter-disciplinary creative practices that include aspects of urban farming. While this work is often associated within discursive definitions of gardening and farming, it also represents a para-artistic practice. Many strategies mirror community art, hybrid concepts of public art, and land art movements. These spaces often utilize permaculture techniques, food security, community building, and public participation. In the research I’ve been conducting across the state, I’ve observed recurring design and aesthetic similarities in the actual gardens, as well as converging ideas about habitat preservation, wellness, and health.

Varon and Diggle collectively run an experimental business that incorporates farming, seed-saving, and shared ideas about nature and land-use. When asked about the naming of their business, they shared, “As we were brainstorming name ideas, we were inspired by the lyrics of the Woodstock song from Joni Mitchell ‘We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden,’ as well as a conversation we had with a friend about the origin of all things being made from the same material from the universal. So, we decided on the name “Seed the Stars” to incorporate our focus on selecting standout “starring” varieties and how gardening is part of a universal cycle that we are inherently part of.”

These groups, farmers, and micro-businesses generally take adaptive approaches out of necessity which is in keeping with renewable and sustainable practices. I would also add these growers have a forward-thinking relationship to land and to cultivation, utilizing ancient techniques alongside modern farming knowledge while tapping into social media as a tool. Since I first met with Seed the Stars, they started a new partnership at a cattle ranch where they “tripled growing space” at The Fort in Howey-in-the-Hills a town in Lake County, Florida. Time passes, and they continue to grow gardens and save seeds. This speaks to the evolution and form of the collaboration as a generative process. They are part of a larger group of farmers and homesteaders in Florida that resist traditional business models and continue to innovate through exploratory techniques and processes.

The following interview took place through email after visiting Seed the Stars. It is largely adapted from extended conversations with minimal editing.

GWS: How did you name your business? I’d love to hear the meaning or identity behind the phrase.

STS: We first started our business together in Western North Carolina as Market Gardeners; growing organic produce to bring to Farmer’s Markets and to supply local restaurants.

When considering a name for our business we wanted a name that shared the intention of our focus which was to grow crops that stood out as “stars”.

As we were brainstorming name ideas, we were inspired by the lyrics of the Woodstock song from Joni Mitchell “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden” as well as a conversation we had with a friend about the origin of all things being made from the same material from the universal. So we decided on the name “Seed the Stars” to incorporate our focus on selecting standout “starring” varieties and how gardening is part of a universal cycle that we are inherently part of.

As Market Gardeners we began saving seeds from our favorite and best performing crops which introduced us to the magical world of seed saving. We quickly fell in love with growing plants from “seed to seed”. When we decided to make the transition to a seed company, we felt that our initial name choice ‘Seed the Stars’ was a perfect fit for our focus of stewarding a collection of locally trialed, regionally appropriate seeds selected from the best performing “star varieties”.

Our heat-tolerant annuals, tropical perennials, and cool-season Southern varieties are collected from cultivars that outshine others. We select our stars for a range of characteristics such as outstanding flavor, high yields, pest tolerance, unique features, regenerative properties, or low maintenance.

GWS: I’m interested in the way your business might mirror a creative practice or activist practices. Are there specific ways this happens?

STS: Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Grass roots- involving the ordinary people in a society or organization.

We are a grass roots seed company that relies on shared resources while utilizing regenerative agricultural practices with a mission to steward and share locally grown Florida seed. We like to think that our work inspires the creativity in others to grow their own healthy food, even if they only have a small, urban space.

Our contribution to local activism is by advocating to our clients that they save their own seeds in pursuit of food sovereignty by empowering our Central Florida bioregional community through conversations and inspiring hands-on workshops on seed starting and seed saving. We promote food security by stewarding diverse, flavorful & nutritious foods that are adapted to thrive in our hot & humid subtropical climate. In the future we wish to breed new varieties and steward “landrace” crops which are full of genetic diversity, adapted to the region, and able to meet growing challenges in our unique growing climate.

We promote ways to use land in a regenerative way that provides beneficial opportunities for health and household as well as the environment. We hope to bring an awareness of alternative paths to land access, as those who have inspired us have.

GWS: What are the more creative aspects of seed the stars? And do you consider it an art form?

STS: Land Access

Many creative aspects of Seed the Stars have been born by limitations. While we were low paid agricultural workers either house sitting a family property or renting a room from a friend, we had limited access to land to pursue our goals of expansion. Yet, through these family and friend connections we were provided the opportunity to land access that would not have been possible for us financially.

Crop planning and scheduling

Though we now have access to multiple properties for gardens, they are still on the smaller size when compared to most farm operations and for the amount of crops we steward.

Small scale seed gardens with limited spaces have to be creatively planned with detailed crop schedules. The small space is maximized over time by densely interplanting crops that are sown and harvested in succession during their appropriate season.

Cross pollination is also a factor that we have to creatively approach. Many crops that we steward will self-pollinate; however, they can still cross pollinate by insects or wind depending on the crop if grown in close proximity to varieties of the same species. Therefore, we isolate crops of similar species so that the saved seed will produce plants that are similar to their parents (known as “true-to-type") and have not been hybridized. Isolation distances greatly vary between crops, and some species need more insolation distance than others in order to maintain “varietal purity”. Some varieties require only a small space because they are unlikely to cross or out-breed. Others require much farther isolation distances, so we grow different varieties of the same species at separate properties, or at different times to eliminate cross pollination. At times, we may have too many varieties of one species to isolate through time or space, so we isolate plants from becoming cross pollinated by using tools, such as thin nets and tule bags.

Interplanting and Permaculture Garden systems

We creatively utilize interplanting or polyculture (growing different crops in the same space) for the health of our garden and to optimize space. Instead of growing single rows of one crop, we will plant crops that occupy different layers so multiple crops can be growing in the same space. This type of garden design also helps with disease and pest management. We also incorporate fast growing, non-food crops that are specifically grown to be pruned often (called Chop and Drop) for mulch and cover crops such as legumes to “feed” the soil.

Recycling material

Another creative aspect is the use of waste materials. Most Florida soils are sandy, which allow for great drainage but are low in organic matter. So we find ways to incorporate organic material to our garden locations. We collect bags of fallen leaves that residents put out to the curb for our compost and to mulch our beds. We also invite local tree trimmers to unload wood chips that would have gone to the landfill to use as mulch in our gardens that quickly becomes broken down organic matter for the soil microbes and plants to benefit from.

GWS: Is it an art form?

STS: “Art in any form is an expression or application of human creativity, skill, and imagination”

Plants and seeds are our muse. We have centered our life around them and they continue to provide for us. We continue to learn and absorb information from the growers and stewards that have come before us and the mentors and peers we have connected with- similar to how an artist would from the masters and their mentors. But similar to an artist, it’s through the direct connections with our ‘media’ that the artwork happens. We continue to evolve our creative process through observations with the land, interactions with the plants, and opportunities and challenges that we experience

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GWS: What are some positive or unique benefits that Central Florida has regarding climate, growing conditions, and seasons that cannot be utilized in other American geographical areas?

STS: Central Florida is unique because our subtropical climate provides us with year-round growing opportunities. During the summer season it is hot and rainy similar to other tropical climates. This provides us with the opportunity to grow unique (to Western diets) food crops that growers in other hot & humid climates such as Southeast Asia, Caribbean, South & Central America, India, and Africa.

Unlike South Florida, our winters usually provide us with enough chill hours and freezing temperatures to keep us subtropical. This cooler season provides us with a break from the extreme summer heat and the opportunity to grow many common crops that growers in the north focus on for their summer season but are grown in the winter here in Florida. Our cooler and drier winter season also gives us a break from heavy pest pressure and fungal diseases that run rampant during the rainy/hot/humid summers.

GWS: Do you feel there is a supportive community for you to do this work in Central Florida?

STS: We are extremely grateful to our community of supporters that allow us to continue to do the work we do and provide us with opportunities to share with others.

We would not be where we are today without the help of many other local Floridians that are active in the gardening/ agriculture/ permaculture community. Whether it be the seed shop supporters who are seeking to support small business and acquire locally grown seeds to grow in their Florida Gardens, local businesses and markets that have provided us with opportunities to set up our seed shop booth, or countless mentors that have shared their knowledge/wisdom, each and every one of them allow us to continue to grow, learn, and do what we love.

An area that we feel could use some support or improvement is at the state and county level. When we first moved to Florida and wanted to continue our passion in agriculture it was hard to find a way to make that a possibility in the typical agricultural positions with low wages, low to no benefits, and high labor. We have not come across any outreach for small scale gardeners and for seed savers in particular as many seed companies are resellers/distributors and not seed growers.

GWS: I’m very interested in the utilization of rented and donated gardens as well as using friend’s and family’s properties as a kind of para-geographic space you can grow food within. It’s almost in opposition to the idea of the singular land-owner, large factory farms, macro processing centers, as well as the international companies shipping food from foreign countries that feed Florida.

This does relate to smaller, local, and more ethical food systems rooted in a context or framework of equity and social justice.

Can you say anything about this alternative mapping of various growing spaces and how do you place this within the complicated history of agriculture in Florida?

STS: We partner with people who are interested in our mission of localizing food, regenerative land practices, and seed sovereignty, but may not have the time or the experience to undertake such a project.

We believe that alternative models of land use and land access is an important part to an ethical localized food system as land ownership & land access in the most typical current model is unattainable to many and unsustainable in the long run.

What we're doing isn't a new concept, but rather a return to practices of our past ancestors. Just a few generations ago even Americans were growing food locally, sharing resources, forming collectives and cooperatives - but unfortunately, most people have become disconnected from the natural world.

We think that there are many options for partnerships like ours to be made on landscapes all over Florida. There are many motivated gardeners, plant propagators, plant medicine makers, compost creators, beekeepers, and homesteaders that could easily turn an under-utilized landscape into a productive space while improving the environment.

GWS: Do you feel like you operate within, or outside of the larger agriculture politics taking place under the Department of Agriculture in Florida? Do you feel your work is included or valued in that dialogue?

In our experience, the dialogue and priority of the Florida Department of Agriculture is focused on commercial crops. We would be excited to have more access to resources and support for urban gardeners, small scale farms, low-income farmers, organic & regenerative growers, seed savers, and a land accessibility network.

When we lived in Western North Carolina there was a fair share of programs and information available for farmers/growers of our scale. Organic Growers School, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), and NC FarmLink (links farmers to landowners) are the ones we were aware of.

If similar programs are available in Florida, we have not been made aware of them even with volunteer experience with the agriculture extension agency. Our opportunities and connections have been made on a personal level.

Added Editorial Notes: Since I first interviewed Kelli and Ryan of ‘Seed the Stars’, they partnered with The Fort in Howey-in-the-Hills, growing a new larger garden on a working cattle ranch.

The photos in this essay were taken by ‘Seed the Stars’ and used in their social media feeds. I’ve posted the photos here with their permission. The last photo I took at their garden.

Where to find Seed the Stars:

Etsy: seedthestars.etsy.com

Instagram: @seedthestars

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So, I write to document and share human experiences. My perspective, my voice, and where I come from shapes how I see the world and the things I notice. I believe this perspective is vital and that it goes unrepresented in a culture that rewards loud and chaotic descriptions, rushing through the reflective observations that critically shape how we go about our lives. I am also an adoptive parent. I can with all honestly say, I don’t know how much I thought or even cared about the future until my son was born. Then I immediately understood the future as being a kind of place he would be within. To be a parent in this moment is to guide and nurture a future to be imagined amid environmental and cultural crisis.

I traveled a lot and moved throughout different parts of the world, and experienced other cultures. This further shaped my identity and voice. My father took me to Ecuador, where he had lived as a child, when I was a teenager. I still to this day have such strong memories of the busses and the way the rain fell there. The feeling of the sweep of the roads and the way the rain wrapped around me didn’t return until I lived through a rainy season in Central and South Florida. I can sit in Florida with my door open, marveling at the rain. That kind of sensorial experience, intertwined with cultural memory feels central to my writing practice. The lived experience as it relates to art, nature, and even growing food is something I constantly work at. For the past several years, I have interviewed farmers and documented small-scale agriculture. I’ve often stated these stories are not small, even though they live outside the surface of public attention. In my opinion, this population of farmers and eco-entrepreneurs reflects the major issues of our time, from the flow of water and habitat loss, to labor, precarity, immigration, the gig economy, gentrification, and strategies of survival across our society.

What if observation is a kind of power? I think it is. Observation is a quiet strength or skill. I was taught to take notes by hand in every setting. I was challenged to try to learn more about myself though understanding patterns in my note-taking. Observation is a powerful skill as a journalist and writer, but also to people who observe nature or grow food. In an article about cultural memory and farming, I recently wrote that the process, “…involves watching the moon appear and recede as cycles come and go, and how the sun hits your body and then dances beyond it within a few minutes. It also has to do with learning about how the humidity and rain mixes in with the air we breathe…” My writing shares information about lived experience with readers who may or may not live here or may not have much time with nature or even people who otherwise have no connection to this region at all. Sharing stories about land, and culture is a kind of responsibility I take seriously. When I interview small-scale farmers across the state, I generally ask some open and close ended questions. But if I pause to let the person continue to speak, they often will tell their stories honestly and more completely in those open-ended moments of pause. When I talk to this population, I typically ask them what they notice about seemingly obvious facts like the weather, or the rain. In this way I have collected valuable information and stories about topics such as the flow of water and the shifting ecological corridor of the state.

When I started writing professionally, I had just graduated an academic program that taught students a modernist writing framework. I still love the moment one stands in awe of a thing and it reminds us of our own humanness. Learning about criticism specifically sharpened my ability to describe what I see and to understand context. As many dominant systems of learning at the time, critical thinking about capitalism was stressed. So, this way of learning about writing was helpful in some ways and also limiting in others. Initially I was writing reviews for art and literary magazines and over time I began writing for weekly newspapers and food journals, in addition to curatorial museum work. Even as a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and a recipient of an Eisner Prize, my most valuable life experience I learned just from being a mom. That taught me how to show up with empathy and how to hold space for complexity.

These are the kind of skills that remain essential when I’m reverse-pitched stories about food insecurity, gentrification, or other complex cultural issues. These stories and larger writing projects require standing in complexity. When writing about borders, I wrote that these discussions often center around confronting a binary as it relates to opposition; however, borders and boundaries could also function as spaces for potential connection. It is intriguing to think of Florida in this way: not just a place for contrast, but as a space for cultural connection that can happen in unlikely ways. This is the space and place I fight for. Writing, for me, requires being comfortable with nuance, to resist essentialism, and to believe there is meaning and beauty in that space too. I show up every day. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I create. But always, I try to tell the stories that shape and impact our lives.

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Nick Finan is at a crossroad of new Florida and old Florida. Wild Florida and concrete Florida. Standing amid encroaching construction development, Nick’s three acres nurture about 15,000 fruit trees. Over the past two years, I’ve been researching and interviewing small-scale farmers, homesteaders, and fruit tree nurseries across the state. Through this research I’ve come to the conclusion that this population represents so many issues of our time- from labor and environmentalism to water access and a gritty enduring survivalism. Nick calls this state “the trench warfare in gardening”. His fruit tree nursery is sustained by determination, a love for the things that grow and live here and juggling two jobs. When Nick is not at the nursery, he is a server at a local hotel. On his birthday, he will have worked there 18 years. A few surfboards lean against his house, though he hasn’t had the time to get out lately. He describes his younger self as “an angry teenager in Orlando”, but now, his life revolves around helping customers in their quest to grow fruit. He is a steward of his land and is, “Trying to show people a different way than how they’ve been taught.”

Nick’s fruit trees are about love, about nature, and about time. Time as in growing time. Getting from a seed to a tree can take seven years, so splicing is quicker. Cuttings can take in soil or maybe quicker in water. When asked about the weather he just ponders “How wet is it going to get?” Losing 40 or 50 trees has not been that bad, so he doesn’t worry too much about hurricanes. “In another ten years some of this wildlife will be gone.”, he says. He works while he talks, picking up banana trees. “If you just straighten the pots, they will right themselves”. Gators, raptors, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and bobcats all inhabit his property. When chatting about pollinators and birds he hesitantly shares that he’s not an expert on them, but after a pause, adds that there is a vulture with one leg that eats black racer snakes out of his orchard. The construction in Saint Cloud is quickly displacing wetlands and cow pasture. For people like Nick, it’s a “displacement in the flow of water and wildlife.”

Floridians across the state worry about the wildlife corridor and how diminishing wild spaces affects both the habitat and people surviving there. His work and property represent Florida’s diminishing spaces of in-between. Labor, biodiversity, and stewardship manage to coexist here.

*These voices and conversations are important to document today. Please share this interview. I challenge readers to have your own conversations about how diminishing habitat affects people in your community.

GWS: What is the address of your fruit tree nursery?

NF: 4035 Hickory Tree Rd., St. Cloud, FL 34772

How long have you been propagating trees?

11 years ago, I had never grown anything in my life. It’s still pretty new to me. I just saw a Facebook memory pop-up- this all started for me digging out wild blackberries and blueberries on my family property in North Florida and selling them. Now it’s transformed into this.

What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing with the weather?

Florida is the trench warfare of gardening. Have you talked to people who came from anywhere else? They’re like, “oh my God- everything I knew about gardening is thrown out the window.” This is all I know so I don’t know that that mindset really applies to me as much. Obviously, there is pest pressure, and humidity and water to go with all that.

Can you describe changes you’ve observed with water?

It’s a matter of keeping irrigated. Irrigation is tough. With having thousands of plants learning how irrigation works is critical. There’s been a learning curve.

What inspires you to have so many trees?

Whatever I do- I go full stop. I provide plants that aren’t necessarily easy to come across for people and, of course, the staples, and the ones that provide large amounts of food for people who are hungry.

I’ve heard you previously describe yourself as someone who goes all the way into your hobbies. You’re here now with 15,000 fruit trees. What do you think is behind that need for your personally?

I guess I could sum it up to drive. It’s the way I’ve always been. I couldn’t care less about the things that don’t interest me.

Do you think your trees have directly contributed to biodiversity in the area?

I see my work everywhere here. I’m over 15,000 people on my Facebook group and I’m friendly with lots of these people too. I see these trees over the years growing. Things I sold 10 years ago that are huge mature trees.

Can you give me an example of one tree from your nursery that has grown and been successful?

Yeah, I mean I could give 100,000. The Scarlet Beauty Plum over there is the most underrated fruit tree we could grow here. I probably sell 150 of those a year and they fruit the very next year. For an example [points to cellphone picture of fruiting tree] someone sent me this not long ago of a Scarlet Beauty Plum. Just to give you an idea, this is the kind of production of a tree that’s been in the ground four or five years. You know, I ate grocery store plums growing up. The plum from the store was my favorite fruit, but at that time I never tasted a tree ripe plum. These plums are one thousand times better.

Any other specific plants you want to highlight for this growing zone?

The Scarlett Beauty Plum is one of the most underrated trees for the area. I also think the Mysore Black Raspberries and the Jaboticaba trees are really cool.

Is there a particular example you can think of where you have observed pollinators increasing?

There’s very little spraying around here, so there are tons of pollinators up in here! You can see over there are butterflies hanging out in the distance.

Any species you’re seeing lately that you weren’t seeing the beginning of the venture?

No, I’m not in depth with identifying butterflies and stuff so I don’t know that would necessarily be my strong suit. But I’m out here in more of a rural area. So just yesterday my employee had a picture of a river otter running by, and then a week before we got a new alligator in the pond. Come to find out the river otters can eat that alligator.

Do you have any other wildlife here you want to share?

Yes, like bobcats. However, I’m literally getting cut off behind my house. I got a couple hundred homes over there.

[gestures East].

Both the East and the Southeast directions from my property are being actively developed. The 23 1/2 acres next to me has been rezoned commercial. The wildlife corridor would be South from here. Time and time again hundreds of acres are being developed. Overtime I will definitely see less wildlife. Between South Florida through the middle of the state is kind of a rural corridor, but I’m going to be blocked off from that in 10 years I would imagine. It was previously wetlands and cow pasture. I have seen displacement in the flow of water and wildlife.

Do you have a favorite bird?

The woodpeckers. There’s tons and tons of birds. We have a lot of raptors and birds of prey. I got a vulture with a busted leg that we’re real friendly with. I see him carrying off my black racers all the time. We get seasonal hummingbirds, and they returned here last month.

What kind of Mango’s are growing here?

This is here Maha Chinook, here is Turpentine, and hiding in there you got Glenn. Here you got Carrie. Here you got Pickering. [Points at trees along small pond]. These are kind of like the tried-and-true rock stars. The ones you don’t have to spray. The ones that consistently produce every year. On the other side [points to other end of pond] I got Super Julie, Orange Sherbet, and Lemon Zest. They are trickier to grow and can have fungal problems.

Have you noticed any shift in how you harvest them or the harvesting time?

When you’re talking spring, the wet weather can affect that. And just the winter weather in a cold front will have impact but I’m not seeing historical shifts. I’ve been doing this 11 years. I don’t know that’s enough data.

Have you lost any trees in the hurricanes?

You lose some things but again when you got 10,000 plants and you lose 40 plants or something that’s kind of minuscule in comparison.

Are there any recipes you make with your fruit here?

When I head to work, I’m gonna grab a whole bag of hog plums to take and share with the people at work. Passionfruit jelly is my favorite jelly because you get a more sour passionfruit and then you throw a lot of sugar at it. It makes it super complex jelly.

Do you feel effects of the gig economy which is impacting so many small-scale farmers and Americans in general?

My version of the American dream is having a plot of land and having it provide for me. My Birthday is August 8^th and it makes 18 years at Marriott. Working another job has given me the ability to massage the fruit tree business in the directions I really want and make it what I believe in. The backing of working the other job has allowed me to run my business without any monumental corporate backing.

Is there anything you want people to know that’s driving your business right now or any recent changes?

The next few years I also want to focus on wetlands and swamp trees that naturally grow in oak canopy. I’m trying to show people a different way than how they’ve been taught

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*Nick’s business is ‘Nick’s Edibles’ in St. Cloud, Central Florida. The address is 4035 Hickory Tree Rd. Saint Cloud, Florida 34772. Please follow his hours and procedures to buy fruit trees. He also has a robust following on social media. His Facebook group is “Nick’s Edibles” and is a public group with 15.7k members.

*This conversation took place on his property on June 26^th, 2025. Following fact check and additional questions by phone and text through July 24^th, 2025.

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Marigolds have unique properties. This is why, I believe, they have been used by artists, natural-dye artisans, farmers, and scientists alike. I’ve been conceptualizing a text for a while that in my head I called Marigold Magic. I’m hesitant to use the word ‘magic’ at all because the lore around them is truly based in science, and history. Marigolds are also edible and are used by chefs. People tell me I have beautiful Marigolds. However, I have utilized them in various ways not so much for any visual effect but to nurture the soil. Marigolds have a kind of lore to themselves based in storytelling, art, and even in family histories. In fact, my grandfather grew them and harvested their seeds.

I know my native gardening colleagues, who I rely on for so much for my own native wildflower areas on my property may disagree with my thoughts on Marigolds. Marigolds are not native to this barrier island. I love these flowers so much that I have been planning a marigold tattoo for a while. As I began to explore homesteading techniques in Florida, I have relied heavily on my Marigolds.

When I was a student at University of California at Berkeley, I grew an unusual striped marigold in my yard. Around that time my professor shared a story with me about an artist named, Emma Kunz, who was an artist and a healer. Her work was interesting for me to consider at the time. It had a modernist linear quality but differed completely from in feeling, mood, and tone. She had a work called ‘Polarized Marigold’, that I have since associated with a Calendula flower. The work resonated with me so deeply that I have since referred to it many times when I cultivate plants. I believe that growing botanical specimens and cultivating food is a kind of art form. In fact, the work of many homesteaders I’ve encountered are exploring art as well as farming. In my opinion, their gardens and crops cross over to a kind of land art in addition to being a food source.

A few years later I had a residency at SOMA in Mexico City, DF. While I was there, I went to visit Frida Kahlo’s home called the Blue House. Like the polarized flower from Emma Kunz, that house was a work of art that stuck with me. The house reminded me of the lifework of one of my favorite architects, Lina Bo Bardi. Like Bo Bardi, Kahlo also embedded material objects like shells directly into her garden wall. I have since made two shell walls of my own. The shells in Kahlo’s concrete garden wall continue to inspire me, as I explore this space between the ocean and land. Kahlo’s garden has been recreated many times, with marigold plantings. In Mexican culture, marigolds hold mythological resonance. Her garden has been recreated for botanical education in public gardens outside of Mexico several times.

My current property in Merritt Island, Florida, backs up to a body of water that is a mix of fresh and salt water. At times, I do consider the way artists like Kahlo brought the ocean into their homes. Land merges with water in the coastal ecosystem on a barrier island. Sometimes I call it a swamp, but I truly think it’s stunning. I think of this entire area as a kind of mixture of land and salt water. Whatever I grow in my yard is mindful of my family but also of osprey, gators, or even manatees that move through our space. My space is connected to and through the ocean in this brackish water. In a way it is a metaphor for spaces that are affected and changed by salt and water, and everything discarded or kept by the humans who have inhabited this place.

Growing food and a garden starts with your soil. Where I live, I joke that it’s all sand. We prefer to utilize all organic techniques in our yard to the greatest degree possible. To this end, I have experimented with compost and natural fertilizers. This led me to boil and create teas from eggshells and banana peels based on my friend’s advice. I let it sit for a day and then poured it around my plants. I approach some of the sandy soil from the perspective of growing nutrients and investing in the soil, rather than the plants. For this reason, I have scattered clover seeds to enrich nitrogen in the sandy soil and Marigold seeds to repel nematodes. Along with ants, sunscald, and fungal challenges- nematodes are an enormous problem in a place with poor, sometimes contaminated, sandy soil. A nursery once told me if you have nematodes in Florida, simply pour gravel down and grow your garden somewhere else. I did not realize when I started growing food in my own yard that Marigolds were as helpful as they would end up being beautiful. The plant itself germinates easily from seed and is extremely heat tolerant. This brings me to the idea that Marigold fields are possible in Florida. Please plant some!

In hindsight my success is in fact based in science. The plant naturally repels nematodes. I went a step farther with it, and actually spent a season growing Marigold seeds. Afterwards my husband and I even tilled them by hand directly into the soil. Opinions on this method vary as to the effectiveness, but it is an ancestral method that works for us on this island in Florida. Marigolds and all their qualities and lore continue to fascinate me.

Please enjoy these images, and I’d love to know if you have any of your own Marigold lore.

*This article mentions the work of Emma Kunz, whose Polarized Marigold continues to resonate with me.

*This article also mentions the house and garden of artist Frida Kahlo. Her house and garden inspire me daily.

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Salt & Grove Tip Jar

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Forget whatever you think you knew about farming in Florida.

This article is part of a series about Eco-Citizens in Florida, profiling the inspiring individuals and families who are experimenting, sharing, and re-thinking how we grow food. In doing so they are re-framing our culinary history. Meet Mario Reid of Shipwreck Eden who has navigated multiple challenges, growing, and innovating along the way. Shipwreck Eden is a family run tropical fruit tree nursery and farm in West Cocoa, Florida. Mario’s love of his fruit trees is a story of memory, culture, environmentalism, and the space where small-scale farming in Florida mingles with culinary history. The space where different cultures, growing food, culinary stories, and environmental education come together holds enormous human potential. It’s in this space that community and cultural connection can transcend the polarization Florida is known for. This is the space I want to write about. It is a space of potential and possibility.

When asked about the Mango, Mario’s eyes lit up. His first memories of them were climbing Mango trees in Paul Island, Jamaica. He shared “very fun” memories of his childhood, which he adds, “along with Mango trees, lots of sugar cane, Sweet Sop, Sour Sop, and Coconut trees.” His current trees include a Carabao Mango Tree, “…said to be the sweetest in the world.”, and then, “Maybe at one point it was but I don’t know if can boast such a title with all the new varieties available.”

For Mario, the Mango offers a point of entry and experimentation for culinary uses. He is a Veteran and received cooking and culinary training during his time with the Army. He describes the Mango like this, “The vibrant flesh offers a melt-in -your-mouth texture, bursting with sweetness and a rich aroma.”

Central Florida is known for unique growing conditions where subtropical and tropical food can be grown as well as crops from Asia, South and Central America, the Caribbean and Africa. Immigrant communities contribute heavily to the culinary story of Florida, where backyard fruit tree growers have shared food and recipes to benefit the culinary community, much like Mario.

What would you do if your business caught fire? Mario and his family had to rebuild after an electrical fire hit. The need to problem-solve did not end there. Mario shared that the rain hasn’t followed typical patterns this past season. Some of his harvest was lost when the fruit fell off too early. His family and his sister help with the labor that fruit trees require. The winds, the heat, and rain can be unrelenting. His mom recently joined them to pitch in. Mario credits his successes to his family and to mentorship. There is a community of other small-scale farms and fruit tree growers throughout the Space Coast and Florida. They all pitch in to help each other.

Like many fruit tree growers, Mario has several revenue streams. The model used is an integrated agribusiness: “We make fruit juices to encourage people to buy our trees.” Shipwreck Eden sells plants and fruit trees. Plants they sell have culinary, medicinal, and household uses from Cranbury Hibiscus to Aloe, and Shampoo Ginger. The fruit trees are integral to the business model. This includes custom grafted trees, Mulberry, Papaya, Guava, Sour Sop, June Plum, as well as Mango trees. Their website also lists the Turkey Berry Tree and says “Transform your meals with a traditional touch! Susumba’s unique bitter flavor adds depth to soups, stews, and sauces–– just like Grandma used to make.”

Shipwreck Eden is in the right place. Brevard County, on the East Coast of Florida, has unique agricultural history that ties into Mango lore, to botanical discoveries, and to the development of varieties that are commercially grown in other parts of the world. Driving around my own neighborhood in Merritt Island, you might see impromptu fruit stands and tables in the front yards giving away free backyard mangoes and starfruit. There are many places to learn about Mangos in the area. Mario and his sister, Keisha Sainfort, were vendors at the Harvest Festival in North Merritt Island this season. Mango trees are tropical and can grow in sandy soil, which is what yards like mine have. Driving around Central and South Florida, you will likely see many old Mango trees which have flourished with no care.

Brevard County and the habitat within it struggles with pollution and with water quality of the lagoon and rivers. It’s a longstanding problem that requires awareness and education. Shipwreck Eden recommends utilizing natural repellents, compost, and manures for backyard growers. They state, “We all share one plane of existence and were given one body to dwell in; it’s times we start living as such.” These stories are important to share in Florida. They show that a space full of connection and creativity exists through growing food, cooking, and environmental awareness.

Resources:

Please consider by plants, trees, juice, and other products from Shipwreck Eden. Find them at: www.shipwreckeden.com

Instagram: @shipwreckeden

University of Florida extension has online resources for growing Mango Trees in Florida.

Check them out:

https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/miami-dade/documents/tropical-fruit/CommonMangoQuestionsRevised.pdf

Next week’s conversation and profile: Nick Finan is into “the sour stuff” and likes to “go full stop into his hobbies”. That’s how he wound up with 13,000 fruit trees. Check back to read more stories behind Central Florida’s inspiring edible landscapes.

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Salt & Grove Tip Jar

Hopefully growing my seeds and watching them transform throughout their lifecycle in 94-degree heat won’t kill me. In complete honestly, I frequently overheat myself and stumble into the house completely covered in water, sand, sweat, and soaked partially from a garden hose. I keep at it every day because the process of growing food and cultivating a healthy ecosystem is so meaningful and rewarding to my family and I. The Seed Community has literally taken root within my writing practice. I decided a while ago that my first article on Substack was going to be about seeds. Seed-saving, seed harvesting, and caring for and cultivating seeds as a kind of larger metaphor for living and writing in Florida. Deep inside me, there’s a love for observation, for seeing seeds soften, change, and transform into seedlings. There is a polarizing view of Florida as a space of oppositional conflict about social, cultural, environmental, and political issues. It’s true, but it’s also wrong. Florida is a unique space for connection and cultural potential. This is a space where, despite polarization, people can come together through the food, the art, the writing, and the cooking.

The following text explores why seed saving and growing food in Central Florida is a vital creative space for cultural connection. In other articles I have described this space as a kind of artform. First some comments about the conditions and labor involved with growing food in the sand on a barrier island. It’s warm all year here. The scorching heat and humidity starts around May and sometimes lasts through September. Additional challenges are, contending with everything from ants to sun scald to fungal challenges and leaf miners. Even the sand itself can be challenging and my yard is almost completely sand.

All of these challenges, along with the physical labor involved, have taught me about problem-solving and experimentation that cultivation requires. It’s also a kind of working poetry as a cycle between the land, myself and the plants. Growing flowers, fruit, and vegetables on a barrier island has made me aware of the way the light shifts and the heaviness of humidity settles in the air. The way the air mixes with water and how the sun and moon move across the garden. Being part of this process creates a sense of awe and joy within me. The seasonal cycle of harvesting, gathering, soaking and planting seeds always comes with water - soaking them in various jars, bowls, and cups.

There are various places that I source seeds from including Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and more locally from “Seed the Stars” which is collaboratively run between Kelli Varon and Ryan Diggle. One aspect of seed-saving culture is that people who steward plants often generously share seeds and knowledge. This past season, I received seeds from two neighbors and harvested seeds from my own plants. While interest in backyard farming and food sovereignty has grown in public awareness, there are still several areas where important work and cultural knowledge are still under-documented. Along this line of analysis, one resource available would be the rare fruit growers’ groups in places like Miami or Orlando. Citizens from many cultural backgrounds and all over the world come together through sharing what is grown in their yards and through exchanging recipes. Recipes, to me, represent a unique textual form as a series of actions, directions, and memories. Recipes are passed between families, neighbors, and between cultures. They are forms of writing that are saved and exchanged between generations, and in some instances serve as historical records.

An article I wrote recently for Undrbelly Magazine explored a movement that grows and cultivates food as a kind of artform. In this region, food like backyard fruit, is shared between people and within immigrant communities. This kind of sharing has heavily and positively influenced the culinary history in Florida. Vegetables, fruit trees, and herbs can be grown in Central Florida from regions ranging from the Caribbean to Africa, Asia, Israel, Central and South America. I have grown Okra seeds from a variety in Japan here in Merritt Island very successfully. The climate and growing zone here, though regarded by many as inhospitable or challenging, actually create opportunities utilized by chefs and culinary artists in Florida.

As a writer, I began my own research on this subject through conversations and interviews in the small-scale farming communities in Florida two years ago. In upcoming articles and interviews I will be publishing profiles with the Eco-Heroes who are on the front lines of small-scale agriculture, and all its challenges and beauty. To me, understanding the cycle of seeds and the labor required to tend to them throughout their life cycle has everything to do with being a writer. In a way it works as a kind of metaphor for being a writer. It’s a process full of observation, experimentation, discovery, and intention. Ideas grow and intermingle with myself, with the place I inhabit, and with the environment. They grow and live around me.

Hi, I’m Ginger. I’m so glad you found Salt & Grove – a space where I explore the things I care the most deeply about. The stunning nature that surrounds me shapes my creative process – from my writing and my artwork to my heartfelt efforts to grow sub-tropical fruit and vegetables in the sand of this barrier island. I hope readers connect with the cycle and process of gardening that has transformed me over time. I’m passionate about art and the handmade – especially when it intersects with growing food, culinary arts, and living with intention.

I hope this becomes a space where readers and makers find meaning and purpose in gardening, creativity, and thoughtful living. At the center of my work is unconditional love and respect for my own family and for the ecosystem I live within.

I studied at UC Berkeley and have worked as a writer, journalist, and in museums – but the thing that connects me through these years is the soil (it’s all sand in my yard!) and all the things I nurture in my home and community. I’m an adoptive parent and have two children. My husband and I have been married almost 20 years, and we relocated to Florida’s East Coast initially for his work. He’s from a Caribbean immigrant family, and we live here as a mixed-race family that loves learning, growing food, creating, surfing, and traveling.

We live on a barrier island – a place that has shaped who I am. I’m that person who says hello to the birds (there is one in particular that visits with me every day) and I feel a deep connection to what is cultivated here – from Mangos and rare-fruit to the wildlife that shares this space – from gators and manatees to bobcats, ospreys, and even endangered whales.

On this Substack, you’ll find:

· Reflections on growing food, native plants, and living within a coastal ecosystem.

· Selections from my creative process, from my art, sewing, journalism, and other writing projects.

· Travel journals focused on nature, food, and art (and maybe a little surfing).

· Garden and plant updates and how this is woven into my family life.

· Profiles on those people in the community I admire such as small-scale farmers, artists, and environmentalists. Occasionally I might mention or link to the work I’ve written for other publications.

I post weekly, and once a month I’ll be sharing more in-depth or process-focused pieces for paid subscribers. You will also find me on Instagram and Pinterest. On Twitter (X), I will share what I’m reading and highlight other journalists and creators whose work I admire.

Thank you for being here. I’m excited to share my nature-loving, foodie, and all-around creative journey with you. My sincere hope is that Salt & Grove will inspire more connection, creativity, and meaningful projects in your life – ones that ripple outward in beautiful ways.

I really want to keep some of this content free for everyone. There will also be special content just for subscribers. If you connect with my writing or journalism and want to support me, please consider tipping me - it really helps keep my writing practice going.

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With Gratitude,

Ginger

PS: Every tip big or small helps keep me researching, writing, and creating.