Événement

5th annual GrowFest! 2016

GrowFest! is about connecting the dots between the farm or garden and the dinner table. We give you the knowledge and materials to grow, forage, buy, prepare, and eat good, local, seasonal food. Empowering you with the tools to grow your own food lets you gain a better appreciation of what it takes for our farmers to produce the food we all eat, and whets your appetite for the best, healthiest, and freshest produce.

Start your gardens! Get your seedlings, fruit trees, seeds and companion plants, and growing supplies. SNAP/EBT dollars can be used for buying veggie seeds and seedlings as well as fresh produce. And those dollars will stretch twice as far with Fresh Access Bucks double-value incentives.

Questions about growing? Answers here for backyard growers, urban farmers, small and big farms. The UF/Miami- Dade County Extension Office is our local source for growing information tailored to our subtropical South Florida climate. Check out our presentations, workshops, and demos. There will be emphasis on organic and environmentally friendly practices, and establishing building blocks for healthy eating.

Check out the Local Challenge Cookoffs See area chefs and school culinary program students compete to create awesome dishes using a mystery box filled with fresh seasonal local ingredients. Pick up copies of awesome books highlighting local foods, like Local Flavor: Recipes Raised in the Florida Redland. Grab a hot-off-the-press copy of Edible South Florida Magazine's Fall issue, chock full of information.

Enjoy fresh, real food! No junky fair food here. Our food vendors showcase locally-grown Fresh from Florida and Redland Raised ingredients. Local cottage food and artisanal producers will share their stories and sell their goods.

Bee Aware! Is the overarching theme this year. Learn about our pollinators, so essential for many crops. The Tropical Beekeepers Association, this year's beneficiary, will be on hand to share information about beekeeping, from the hobby to the professional level.

Explore the park! Redland Fruit & Spice Park is the only tropical botanical garden and public park of its kind in the U.S., hosting over 500 varieties of tropical fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, nuts and edible plants. Visit and learn about the amazing variety of edible plants you can grow in South Florida.

Enjoy Music both days - a mix of bluegrass by Corn Country, and locally-themed folk music by Grant Livingston.

Multiple door Prize drawings each day. Paid admissions include a raffle ticket for a chance at some great door prizes!

The full schedule of activities, participating vendors, exhibitors, and sponsors is on the event website at RedlandGrowFest.com

Call 305-247-8650 or visit RedlandGrowFest.com to contact festival organizers at least 7 days in advance to request materials in accessible format, a sign language interpreter and for information on access for persons with disabilities.