The Funder’s Network awarded a $25,000 Partners for Places Grant to fund “Growing Roots for Environmentally Equitable Neighborhoods Miami-Dade County” (GREEN Miami-Dade County) - a collaborative effort by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources through Neat Streets Miami, with frontline organizations Grow Roots Miami, Green Haven Project, Plant Philosophy and Urban Oasis project. This GREEN Miami-Dade County project aims to empower residents in Miami-Dade County to grow their own food, thereby reducing disparities, increasing access to healthy foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, and creating a healthier, more livable community.

As the place-based funding partner, The Miami Foundation has generously committed $25,000 in matching funds to financially support this project, as it advances its mission to enhance quality of life in Miami, promotes their goal of implementing policies to fight systemic inequity and complements their existing initiatives to support COVID-19 response.

Partners for Places, a joint effort by The Funders Network and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), pairs local governments with philanthropy to support sustainability projects across the U.S. and Canada. Partners for Places is a successful matching grant program that aims to enhance local capacity to build equitable and sustainable communities in the United States and Canada. The fund does this by requiring local government and local foundation partnerships, and by pairing national and local philanthropic funding sources. These one-to-one matching awards support the planning and implementing of urban sustainability and green storm water infrastructure projects. National funders invest in local projects to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and well-being of all residents. Through these projects, Partners for Places fosters long-term relationships that make our communities more prosperous, livable and vibrant. The Partners for Places 2018-2023 strategy leads with racial equity and a sharper focus on how best to advance equitable and sustainable communities.

This GREEN Miami-Dade County project will aim to combat food insecurity by educating low-income residents on effective gardening practices through the enhancement of two local community garden spaces - Finca Morada (located in North Miami) and Green Haven Project (located in Overtown), which will collectively host 24 free community workshops covering topics such as permaculture gardening, greenhouse and raised garden bed building, propagation by cuttings and seeds, composting, soil science, herbal plant medicine, and food justice. During these workshops, 100 free fruit trees and 100 vegetable/medicinal plants will be made available to attendees. Enhancements to the community garden spaces will also be made, including new shade structures and seating for workshop areas, rain water collection systems for irrigation, garden irrigation and pump systems, hand and vegetable washing stations, 14 fruit trees to be planted in the gardens, an outdoor kitchen for Finca Morada, and a compost toilet for Green Haven Project.

The grant will also fund the Urban Farming Internship Program, led by Grow Roots Miami, to teach 12 interns farming, permaculture, and food justice to (1) grow their farming career; (2) learn how to grow food for their household; (3) take leadership in the movement for food justice; and/or (4) educate others about growing food. It will also fund the Youth Mentorship Program, led by Plant Philosophy, to teach local underserved youth (ages 9 to 17) life skills, values, money management and more through the lens of urban farming and working with the land. Additionally, the project includes 25 home garden installations, including guidance on proper maintenance over one year for residents in North Miami, Little Haiti, Liberty City and Overtown.

The Partners for Places’ general grant program is supported by The JPB Foundation, Kendeda Fund, The Kresge Foundation, New York Community Trust, and the Pisces Foundation. The grant program provides partnership investments between $25,000 and $75,000 for one-year projects, or between $50,000 and $150,000 for two-year projects, with a 1:1 match required by one or more local foundations. To date, Partners for Places has awarded more than $8 million across North America in this successful matching grant program, leading to more than $17 million in investments.

About Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces: Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 278 parks and 13,769 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world and focused on Placemaking, Health and Fitness and Conservation and Stewardship. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter or on our website for the latest news and updates from Miami-Dade County Parks!