Florida Heritage Foods

Heritage foods represent one of the fastest growing sectors of the food industry in Florida as an increasingly diverse population is fueling demand for foods that embody social, cultural and historical value. Yet, farmers in Florida face difficulties selling heritage foods because research shows that most farmers’ market customers are unfamiliar with foods such as chaya, roselle, pigeon peas, chayote, bitter melon and nopal. At the same time, research shows that the diverse populations fueling the growth of the heritage food economy in Florida are underrepresented at farmers’ markets.

The USDA-funded project at Santa Fe College entitled The Florida Heritage Foods Initiative: Connecting Local Food with Local Culture aims to promote 37 significant heritage foods in Florida farmers’ markets by developing educational materials for consumers, print marketing materials for farmers and multicultural outreach strategies for markets. The initiative recognizes that the food system in Florida reflects the state’s multicultural history, and each heritage food tells a unique story about the past. By linking local food to local culture, we can connect to Florida's heritage and experience the multicultural legacies that shape contemporary cultural diversity in the Sunshine State today.

The project’s information about the 37 plants highlights the historical, cultural and nutritional significance of crops that are historically linked to Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Good news for home gardeners: these plants are easy to grow in Florida. For those interested in starting a heritage garden, the project provides a printable chart to help plan the growing cycle. Once crops are harvested, the project’s recipe cards can educate on how to prepare and consume heritage foods.

Information on the initiative’s website is created by students taking classes with Santa Fe College faculty who are integrating heritage food into the curriculum. A series of lessons and resources will be archived on the website for educators. Additionally, Santa Fe College’s Early Childhood program and Alachua County Farm-to-School are distributing a Go Garden! matching card game (adapted from Go Fish) to preschools and homeschool programs throughout the state. The cards will be available in print form via the website.

In partnership with Florida Organic Growers, Santa Fe College will host a series of Florida heritage food and culture events on farms and at farmers’ markets. The events are designed to not only raise awareness of historically significant heritage food crops, but to also build long-lasting collaborative connections between farmers, farmers’ markets and the diverse communities historically connected to the foods. The annual educational symposiums bring together more than 15 collaborating community organizations and institutions contributing to the project to provide workshops and presentations.

For more information, visit floridaheritagefoods.com or email project directors Dr. Vilma Fuentes (vilma.fuentes@sfcollege.edu) and Dr. Sarah Cervone (sarah.cervone@sfcollege.edu)