Brownsville Community Garden Launch

Last weekend, the NICE lab team was excited to participate in the Brownsville Community Garden Launch! It was held on Sunday, September 22th at Glenwood Park. For the launch (led by Dr. Iqbal Akhtar), members representing Florida International University teamed with the NFL, Miami-Dade Parks and Recreations, the Children’s Trust Youth Advisory Committee and other local volunteers to plant a community garden for their neighborhood. The goal of the community garden is to provide healthy fruits and vegetables, gardening knowledge, and environmental education.

The NICE team brought our NICE mobile to the event where we demonstrated quick and easy recipes using herbs from our mobile garden, while also providing nutrition education to the community. The residents and event volunteers received guacamole and Caprese salad samples that incorporated basil and cilantro fresh from the mobile garden representing herbs that would be available to the community in the new Brownsville Community garden. In addition, participants had the opportunity to stop by the NICE mobile to  interact and play trivia games focusing on general nutrition tips and food groups.  Residents and volunteers, were excited to learn about how incorporate fruits and vegetables into daily meals, making healthy meals that are quick to prepare, and utilizing herbs and other spices to enhance food flavors.

Overall, the NICE lab team members had a great time with the Brownsville community residents. With the chance to interact with local residents and other volunteers, we will definitely continue to participate in our local areas to increase nutrition awareness and education.

For more information, please visit the Brownsville Community Garden website at https://www.brownsvillegarden.miami