Growing outbreaks linked to bacteria and parasites on produce continue making headlines, and many South Floridians are rethinking what they put on their plates, especially when it comes to greens and berries. According to the Florida Department of Health, there have been 94 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis. Two cases were reported in Palm Beach County, two in St. Lucie County and one in Martin County.
Ryan Boylston of Delray Beach has found a solution outside the grocery store. "We get all our greens from our yard," Boylston said. Step into Boylston's front yard and it quickly becomes clear this isn't your typical suburban landscape.
Instead of decorative shrubs or a white picket fence, rows of edible plants stretch across the property. He grows spinach, lettuce, arugula, star fruit, bananas, peppers, pineapple and herbs. He also has a Malay apple and what he calls a "salad tree." "You've heard of bib lettuce?
Roll up a little taco or food in here or eat it right off the tree," he said. When asked how often he eats food he grew in his own yard, Boylston replied, "Every day."
Boylston started growing his own food about three years ago after struggling to find produce he felt was healthy and free of chemicals or contaminants. "There is nothing being sprayed on these plants except water," he said. What began as a personal solution has since turned into a business.
Through his company, Urban Abundance, Boylston now helps others install gardens in their own yards. The other half of his property is filled with herbs and vegetables growing in raised planters similar to the ones he builds for customers. "It's about trying to find clean food, which has been getting harder and harder," he said.
But for Boylston, gardening has become about more than just food safety. "Eating from them really is the cherry on top," he said. "It's the experience you get, it's my kids getting home from school and they don't run in the house they run into the garden."
For beginners interested in starting their own garden, Boylston says success starts with a few basics. In Florida's intense summer heat, he recommends growing crops that can handle the climate better, including spinach, sweet potatoes and yardlong beans. He says lettuce and tomatoes do much better during the winter months.
Pineapples and mangos are also among the hardier Florida-friendly plants in his garden. Growing food in South Florida comes with challenges, especially iguanas, which are notorious for destroying gardens. Boylston recommends raised garden beds with smooth sides that iguanas cannot easily climb. For plants growing directly in the ground, he suggests building cages or enclosures around them for protection.