A community-wide effort to bring awareness to the Redland Agricultural region, the sold-out evening featured a dinner by top Miami chefs and a performance by the South Florida Symphony Orchestra
Over 500 guests and inspirational members that have spent decades pioneering and community building in South Florida attended the launch of Taste of Redland’s Locavore Culinary Experience on Saturday, November 17. The culinary series runs each month through June 2019, alternating Sunday brunches and Saturday night dinners on farms in Redland. A true farm-to-table local experience with a focus on bringing much needed attention to the agricultural community of Redland, the magical evening on November 17 became one of the monumental turning points in Redland history, featuring the superlative culinary prowess of renowned chefs Allen Susser, Cindy Hutson, Aaron Dreilinger and Maxi Fava using locally-grown Redland-Raised and Fresh-from-Florida produce in their menus. The artistry of the South Florida Symphony Orchestra mesmerized the sold-out audience under the stars, with the direction of Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso. The program “Opera that Pops” featured a full 55-piece orchestra under one of the largest banyan trees in the world, on TILT Farms in Redland, and included beloved classical musical operatic pieces and received a well-deserved standing ovation at the finale. Guests and organizations showed their newly inspired support to increase awareness for one of the largest economic engines and employers in Florida, the agricultural sector of Redland. During the evening the many Florida pioneers in attendance committed to a new era for the farming community of Redland and to begin their active involvement in one of the largest movements sweeping America, supporting local sourcing of farm-fresh food and the explosion of agritourism. “What a truly magical evening where South Floridians and Redland came together to celebrate the exciting future of the agricultural community in Miami-Dade County, and commit to becoming Locavores!” stated Michael Huter, founder of Taste of Redland.
“The farms of Redland appreciate the overwhelming interest in our community and are thrilled to hear the far-reaching voices of support and momentum being generated to begin a new era in Redland, now let’s make it happen—what a special night it was,” said Louie Carricarte.
The Dinner & Brunch series is an initiative started by Michael Huter, Louie Carricarte and Ilana Vardy and spearheaded by Taste of Redland, Unity Groves, Grove Services and the 2200 acres and 250 farms it services annually. It is a community-wide effort that aims to create awareness with the 7 million people living in South Florida and Redland’s long-established farming community. The hope is to better inform people of the availability of fresh produce at its doorstep, develop and generate agritourism for the area and create a community of committed locavores. The job of a locavore is to simply ask and insist that their local grocery stores, restaurants and markets use local produce, and to spend at least $50 per month wherever they can on locally grown items. Merriam Webster defines locavore as one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible.
This entire group came together for one evening on a farm in Redland to celebrate what comes from the local land, to protect it and support its future.
The dinner and brunch series also aims to bring awareness and support to worthwhile local causes including the Baptist Health South Florida wellness initiative and Grow2Heal program at Homestead Hospital. “Our wellness initiative is very much a part of our not-for-profit mission – to improve the health and well-being of the people in the communities we serve – and we take this responsibility seriously,” says Homestead Hospital CEO Bill Duquette.
The University of Miami’s edible landscape education initiative – “UM is excited to be part of Taste of Redland’s initiative to create a new generation of locavores by educating students with edible landscapes about what is grown locally and on our campus Arboretum,” stated Son Vo, University of Miami.
Patch of Heaven Sanctuary at the historic former Matheson Family home in Redland, a 20-acre non-profit nature preserve undergoing a reforestation project of a 5-acre tropical hammock. “We are thrilled that Taste of Redland has decided to assist us in our efforts to educate our local community on the importance of protecting and expanding the forest,” stated Fred Hubbard, Director of Patch of Heaven Sanctuary.
Redland Ahead and their farms which support FIU’s agro-ecology program and provide training to underserved populations and veterans to become farmers. Operations Manager, Tyra Phillips, we are excited to be working with Taste of Redland. She stated “It is important to develop new relationships that assist the small farmer/business to showcase their product throughout South Florida. Our objective is to “Build Hope from the Ground Up” to sustain the Redland as an instrumental player in the food security of our nation. We envision that Taste of Redland can be pivotal in highlighting agritourism of Redland.”
Taste of Redland is also looking to highlight various programs at the Miami-Dade County Redland Fruit & Spice Park and support their efforts with a portion of ticket sales from the events. Jim Stribling, Director of the Fruit & Spice Park, states, “The mission of Taste of Redland fits perfectly with our purpose: to educate and inform those near and far about the unique area and agriculture of Redland. We are very fortunate to have the support of this excellent organization as we work towards a common goal.”
Key members attended the November 17 event from South Florida PBS, The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Miami Beach Convention Center, The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Visit Florida, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, South Dade Chamber of Commerce, Dade County Farm Bureau, Tropical Fruit Growers Association, Baptist Health, Homestead Hospital, The University of Miami, The Adrienne Arsht Center of Performing Arts, Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Bureau, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, and many more mingled with Redland’s Unity Groves and Farms, Grove Services, V&B Farms, Takoda Farmstead, TILT Farms, Redland Community Farms & Market, The Miami-Dade County Fruit and Spice Park, Anchor Foliage, St. Germain Farms, Dependable Packing Solutions, Schnebly’s Winery, Miami Brewing Company, Knaus Berry Farms, The Patch of Heaven Sanctuary, Redland Ahead, Fresh King, Going Bananas, Afron Equipment, Bee Heaven Farm, Reider Realty, Alpha Botanical, S&L Beans, Native Tree Nursery and a few of the Redland family old and new pioneers (some dating back to 1904) from the Torcise Family, Vick Family, Carricarte Family, Huter Family, St. Germain Family, Dunnegan Family, Gallant Family, Philcox Family, Olszack Family, Reider Family, Chafin Family, Pikarsky Family, Stribling Family, King Family, Duquette Family, Mills Family, Fishman Family, Chesney Family, Vardy Family and others, plus South Florida family pioneers the Kardonski Family, Birdman Family, Zaldivar Family, Green Family, Juncadella Family, Magill Family, Gassenheimer Family, Morgenthau Family and the many individuals including Jenny Perez, Terry Zarikian, Eric Newell, Suzanne Pallot, Caron Cole, Michelle Nowosatko, Carole Kotkin, Beth Sobol, Louis Canales, Jacqueline Lorber, Cindy Eisaman, Lynne Hernandez, Fred Hubbard, Brittany Lovett, Mark Nedlin, Paula Valad, Ken Evans, Vivian Fulop, Rolondo Aedo, Jose Prado, Gary James, Heather Davis, Courtenay Russo, Silvio Sulichin, Minerva Arboleya, Andrea Leslie, Karl Cetta, Steve Haas and many, many more.
The Locavore Culinary Experience will be held monthly with dinners and brunches through June 2019. Taste of Redland’s next events will be a brunch at the Patch of Heaven Sanctuary on Sunday, December 16 and a dinner at Takoda Farmstead and TILT Farms on Saturday, January 12. For further information on Taste of Redland’s agritourism programs and tickets to a culinary event, please visit www.tasteofredland.com
