Homestead Hospital’s Grow2Heal Garden, Miami-Dade County Partner for ‘AnniversaTree’ Plantings

Homestead Hospital’s Grow2Heal garden is well known for growing fresh produce to feed, and educate the community about healthier living. Now, Grow2Heal is also partnering with Miami-Dade County in planting about 30 Mulberry trees around the garden, and giving out 1,000 fruit trees to employees of Baptist Health South Florida.

The ‘AnniversaTree’ planting celebration at Grow2Heal garden was one of a host of events to commemorate Homestead Hospital’s 80th anniversary.

(Watch video: Grow2Heal, in conjunction with Miami-Dade County, is planting about 30 Mulberry trees around the garden, and giving out 1,000 fruit trees to Baptist Health employees. Video by Dylan Kyle.)

“We are providing an opportunity to green our environment by planting trees and offering, in some cases, rare fruit trees and Florida natives, to our staff, so they can help the environment. And also, get reconnected to how things grow,” says Thi Squire, Community Garden Project Manager at Homestead Hospital’s Grow2Heal garden.

The event spanned Homestead Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital, September 23 through 26.

“We donated the trees for the healthcare workers. It’s also a great way to recognize folks during this crisis,” said James Duncan, Environmental Resources Project Supervisor for Miami-Dade County. “Coinciding with the tree distribution, we’re doing safe distance tree planting education.

Mr. Duncan leads half-hour courses for adults and children on the benefits of planting trees. In addition, he describes the best way to plant a tree and care for and grow a healthy tree.

“There’s no such thing as a bad tree. There’s a such a thing as a bad place for a tree,” Mr. Duncan explains. “The shading effect, the cooling of your property, lower utility bills, all these incredible benefits. So, they’re really worthwhile to bring (to) your house in a very safe way.”