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Archive for the ‘agritourism’ Category

37 acres of edible goodness

Posted in agritourism, events, people, photo, tagged , on December 11, 2012|

Nick and Margie Pikarsy with Roger Blanco

Nick and Margie Pikarsy with Roger Blanco

A belated shout-out to all the hard working people of Fruit and Spice Park who helped make GrowFest! happen. Here’s Farmer Margie with her husband Nick with Roger Blanco, a park staffer who was most helpful in setting things up for the event. The farmers had a chance to hang out with him at the park’s Redland Fish Fry back in November.

If you’ve never been to the park, go! It’s a wonderful place to wander around and look at their extensive collection of tropical and exotic edible plants. Even the name, Fruit and Spice, conjures up someplace distant and adventurous. Or taste the local  flavors of Redland at the park’s Mango Cafe, open from 11-4 seven days a week. Try the Fruit Sampler, made from seasonal ripe fruit straight from the park. How much more locavore can you get?

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First Dinner in Paradise this season

Posted in agritourism, events, farm, locavore, tagged , on December 7, 2012| 3 Comments »

paradise-signThe first Dinner in Paradise event on Sunday, December 9th, will be a special treat as the chefs have gone all out to present a menu almost entirely from the farm.

This year’s opening dinner introduces Philippe Reynaud and Jason Stocks from Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla. A native of Cannes, France, Reynaud oversees 12 restaurants, as well as catering and culinary events, at the world-class, all-inclusive residential community. A big proponent of local and natural ingredients, he believes customers want to know where their food comes from more than ever these days.

Perennial and popular favorites Frederic Delaire and Jason Prevatt from Loews Miami Beach hotel return with yet more creative approaches to local ingredients, keeping diners coming back year after year.

Together these teams will be producing a tantalizing five-course menu that features produce harvested fresh from Paradise Farms, as well as seafood and grains provided by sponsor Whole Foods.  Sommelier Shari Gherman offers a select array of red and white wine pairings for each dish.

Guests arrive at 5 pm to enjoy a cocktail reception in the cotton candy tree grove before taking a farm tour that ends in an open-air gazebo strewn with linen clad tables and edible centerpieces.

Dinner is served at 6 pm, at communal tables of 10, so strangers are often making plans by the end of the night and the party continues with a bonfire and stargazing.

Tickets are $165 per person plus tax and processing fees. Reservations are required. All reservations must be made by Friday noon, so that the farm crew can harvest accordingly. For more information and to make reservations, please visit Paradise Farms Organic web site.

Proceeds from this dinner benefit Miami’s Project HEAT’s Healthy Eating for Active Teens.

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Plants for an edible garden

Posted in agritourism, events, farm, photo, tagged , , on November 8, 2012|

It started with emails, first a trickle, then a wave, pouring in to Farmer Margie’s inbox. They all said pretty much the same thing. “I didn’t make it to GrowFest,” or “I went looking for you at the Edible Garden Festival but you weren’t there.” Avid gardeners were hungry for their annual fix of organic heirloom tomato seedlings from Bee Heaven Farm.

Ish (left) helps a buyer pick out the perfect plant.

So for those who missed out, plants left over from GrowFest! were up for grabs last Saturday at a special seedling sale. The event ran from 10 am to 2 pm. People started trickling in just before 10, making the long walk down the farm driveway. It was the perfect day for visiting Bee Heaven Farm. A crisp, cool morning drenched with dew gently warmed to tee-shirt weather by noon. The sky was clear, brilliant blue, and turkey buzzards swirled high overhead, riding thermals created by freshly tilled and bedded fields. A mockingbird twittered somewhere in the spreading branches of a large poinciana tree, beneath which tables of seedlings were set up in the dappled shade.

Reaching for the best!

Gardeners dove in, searching for the perfect plants to take home. “Do you have… ” they asked, and farm helpers Victor and Ish were quick to assist. It was a treasure hunt, this search for perfect plants. The stars of the show were heirloom tomato plants: Sun Gold, Lollipop, Beam’s Yellow Pear, Green Grape, Black Zebra, Pineapple, Black Prince, Brown Berry, Homestead 24, Lime Green Salad. Some people were partial to smaller varieties, others liked big beefsteaks. Most people said they planted in raised beds, but I spoke to a fair number of container gardeners, too.

Farm helper Victor tells it like it is about growing yuca.

Most people knew just what they wanted. One woman came with plastic printed slips of names of tomatoes that she grew from last year. Others browsed through the assortment and bought mass quantities. Buy five, get one free. Buy 15, get five free. Enough to fill up the whole back yard and share with the neighborhood. By closing time, it was estimated that about 80 people came, and almost half the plants were sold.

Barbecue master and published author Steve Raichlen also stopped by. He marveled at the tub full of smoked eggs made by Robert Barnum of Possum Trot Tropical Fruit Nursery. Apparently smoking eggs is one thing he hasn’t yet tried to grill or smoke. He wrote about the encounter on his blog here.

Steven Raichlen, barbecue master and author of many books on grilling, with Farmer Margie.

If you missed this sale, you’ll have to wait to buy plants until December when Bee Heaven Farm will be at Pinecrest Gardens Farmers Market. The farm is not open to the public except for occasional events.

A happy shopper loaded down with tomato plants.

Choosing choy.

Farmer Margie (right) chats with customers.

Coveted organic heirloom tomato seedlings.

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Dinner in Paradise 2012-2013

Posted in agritourism, chef, events, farm, food, locavore, tagged , , on October 31, 2012|

It’s that time again to make your reservations for this season’s Dinner in Paradise. The series of gourmet dinners at Paradise Farms sells out fairly quickly, and for good reason. Each event features the finest chefs in Miami preparing a delicious five course meal made with local organic products (most grown at Paradise Farms) and paired with fine wines. The magic and charm of the lush edible landscape creates a uniquely intimate dining experience under the stars.

“Each year, we donate proceeds to a local charity or organization philosophically in line with our vision of sustainable, healing, and healthy organic food,” said owner/farmer Gabriele Marewski. “This year we are sponsoring Urban Greenworks, and Slow Food Miami.”

Arrive at 5:00 pm for a cocktail reception and farm tour, followed by dinner at 6:00 pm. After March 10th, the cocktail reception starts at 6:00pm and dinner at 7:00 pm. Dress is upscale casual.

Each dinner is $165.00 per person + tax and processing.

Reservations are required, and can be made and paid for online. The cutoff is noon on the Friday before the dinner, as the farm crew harvests accordingly. Please inform the farm of any allergies at least 48 hours prior to the event so that the chefs can accommodate you.

Paradise Farms Organic is only open to the public during these special events.

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Celebrating Florida farmers and chefs

Posted in agritourism, events, food, locavore, tagged on October 29, 2012|

Despite blustery weather from Hurricane Sandy, over 40 locavores packed into Books & Books to hear three authors present their latest cookbook, Field to Feast: Recipes Celebrating Florida Farmers, Chefs and Artisans. (The event was sponsored by Slow Food Miami.)

Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand and Heather McPherson — three committed locavores and accomplished writers based in Orlando — took it upon themselves to not only buy from local farmers, but also learn more about them and the food they grew. One farmer led to another, and next thing they realized, a new book project was in the works.

The authors divided the state into thirds and visited farms, talking to farmers, writing down their stories, collecting recipes, and tasting food. They focused on growers with sustainable practices, and found farms big and small, new farmers starting out, and sixth generation growers leaving a legacy for their children. They visited with South Florida farmers Muriel Olivares of Little River Market Garden, and Thi Squire of Green Railway Organic Workshop (GROW). Many others contributed recipes — Redland Mediterranean Organics, Bee Heaven Farm, Gaby’s Farm, Teena’s Pride, Fairchild Farm, C&B Farms, Possum Trot Tropical Fruit Nursery, Alger Farms, Going Bananas, Burr’s Berry Farm, Robert Is Here, and Knaus Berry Farm. Local Chefs Allen Susser, Paula DaSilva, Michael Schwartz, Michelle Bernstein, and Norman Van Aken were some of the chefs who also contributed recipes.

“It was a big process to cull it down to fit the book,” Heather said at a recent signing at Books & Books. “It was a matter of who should we not leave out.” The authors were limited by 300 pages and a deadline, but had enough material for a book twice the size. (Perhaps a second volume or updated edition is forthcoming?) Katie added, “We focused on telling stories of farmers who had a great story.” Alongside every recipe is a story about the grower, and a sumptuous photograph of the dish, farmer or farm. (The book is worth getting for the pictures alone.) Pam added that gathering stories and recipes was based on taking “one-tank trips” around the state, and suggested that readers do their own exploring based on the list of farmers in the back of the the book.

Each recipe was tested at least twice, and tasted by lucky friends. Each author did have her favorite recipes. Heather picked cajun-style boiled peanuts, and lemon curd. Katie chose saucy beef tacos, and rosemary-pecan shortbread cookies (which were served at the reading and promptly disappeared). And Pam raved about the cilantro-lime kohl slaw made with kohlrabi, and spicy-sweet kale.

At the Books & Books event, the authors showed slides of farmers and told stories about how they met, and what was happening when the picture was taken. Pam said she was surprised to learn that blueberries are a million dollar business up in North Florida, and joked repeatedly that “Michigan better look out!” She predicted that peaches will be the next cash crop (replacing citrus), with a variety bred by UF/IFAS that grows well in Florida. Look for Uncle Matt’s branded peaches coming to a market soon.

If you missed the event, copies of Field to Feast are available through Bee Heaven Farm for the discounted price of $25. Plus, you can get it signed by Farmer Margie herself! I already got mine, and am looking forward to trying a few recipes, and maybe taking a one-tank trip somewhere…

Authors Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand and Heather McPherson

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