Miami Marlins Community Garden Newest Attraction At LoanDepot Park
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami Marlins community garden is the newest attraction at loanDepot park.
The garden will be a tool for local families to utilize, providing them with not only food but plants and gardening materials.
The point of the garden is to teach people how to grow their own fruits and vegetables, which will in turn give them a continuous food supply right in their backyard.
"Now we need a little water so it can grow and we'll be OK," said Anthony David, a Miami-Dade County veteran who was at the grand opening of the garden Tuesday.
Organizers behind the project want to give people the knowledge and resources to create their own gardens.
"It's so important to have food sustainability to teach the community the value of growing their own food," said Rocky Egusquiza, the executive director of the Miami Marlins Foundation
The Marlin's Foundation is partnering with local organizations to spread the word about their new initiative.
"We're going to see how this goes. It's going to be trial and error most likely," said Ronnie Romain, a Broward County veteran.
Tuesday, a group of veterans were gifted different trees and plants
"I'm glad to have one so I can start a garden like the rest of the guys," said Robert Edwards, a Miami-Dade County veteran.
Food security is one of the major focuses for the Miami Marlin's Foundation.
Egusquiza said, "We've been able to distribute over 1 million meals in response to COVID. We want to make sure we're continuing to take steps to provide our community with what they need to remain food secure."
"I really don't know anything besides watering and light but no time like the present to learn more," joked Romain.
He's not he only one with lots of questions. Gardening is new to all of the veterans at Tuesday's grand opening. Robert Edwards was gifted a tomato plant.
"I like them all. The big ones you can put on your sandwich and the small ones you put on your salad," he said.
Edwards is quite fond of the idea of endless tomatoes already.
"It might not be huge but it'll be a garden," he said. "But it'll be good enough. Can't ask for much more."
Anthony Harris is planning for a huge garden with all sorts of vegetables.
"This'll be the first one I put in the ground," He's talking about his cucumber plant.
"It's a new beginning. Plants give life. If I grow the plants will grow so we can't lose," said Harris.
Starting in early 2022, there will be several open garden events. You'll be able to go to the events and learn how to start your own garden in addition to taking home your first plant.
