Frequently Asked Questions About Our Program
Teachers, follow this link for FAQs for educators.
Which schools can join your program?
Food Forests for Schools is proud to serve public elementary schools throughout Miami-Dade County. While our full program is designed specifically for public schools, we'd still love to have you involved! Charter schools, private schools, middle and high schools, and schools outside Miami-Dade County are warmly invited to explore our curriculum resources, join our workshops, and sign up for our newsletter to stay connected with everything we're growing.
How does a school join your program?
Our annual sign-up period opens each August! We currently support a thriving network of 51 schools, each receiving regular maintenance, educational visits, and program funding and we're excited to keep that level of support strong. Schools are always welcome to join our network and sign up for our waitlist for future openings.
If you're a Miami-Dade public elementary school interested in joining our network and building a relationship with us, we'd love to hear from you! Reach out anytime to dlabelle@educationfund.org or hmargolis@educationfund.org.
What are the requirements for a school to join?
We look for schools that are excited and ready to grow! Once a school joins our network, we love to see:
An existing school garden
Teachers who can run the garden and stay in touch with our team
Principal approval and support
Funding is reserved for Miami-Dade public schools, but our network is open to everyone — anyone can get involved by signing up for our newsletter or join our waitlist. We're always excited to partner with enthusiastic teachers who have their principal's support behind them!
What type of plants do you recommend?
For South Florida we recommend growing perennials that thrive in a tropical climate.
Perennials are plants like spinach and fruit trees that continue producing food every year.
Annuals are plants like tomatoes, they last for one season and have to be replaced every year. National big box stores sell plants that are not specific to our tropical climate. Italian Basil for example, is likely to die in the Florida heat. Here is our list of perennial herbs, leafy greens, and fruit trees that thrive in tropical conditions.
Where can I buy tropical perennial plants?
Some local nurseries we recommend are:
North Dade:
Florida Nursery Mart: 10900 Griffin Rd Cooper City, FL 33328
Tree Amigos: 10900 SW 48th St Davie FL, 33328
South Dade:
Little River Coop: 22305 SW 157th Ave Redland, FL 33170
Ready to Grow: 4590 SW 122nd Ave Miami FL, 33175
Where can I buy seeds?
Baker’s Creek Heirloom Seeds
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Renee’s Garden Seeds
Seed the Stars
Mountain Rose Herb Seeds
How do I get rid of iguanas?
Iguanas can be a real challenge for school gardens! These invasive lizards have big appetites and can quickly devastate leafy greens and other crops. They can also carry salmonella and other bacteria, so it's best to keep students from handling them and to be careful around their feces.
The good news: there are plenty of humane, kid-safe ways to protect your garden! Try these tips:
- Use protective cages around leafy greens to keep iguanas from reaching them.
- Set humane traps to safely relocate iguanas away from the garden.
- Plant strong-smelling herbs like rosemary, lemon balm, or lemongrass around your beds — iguanas tend to avoid them, and they can act as a natural, iguana-resistant border for your leafy greens.
With a few of these strategies in place, your garden can stay healthy, productive, and iguana-free! If you'd like extra support, Wildlife Commander offers additional school safe fee-based removal services.
What do you do in the Food Forest with students?
Our Food Forests and edible gardens are real classrooms! Our curriculum modules are fully aligned with Miami-Dade County's K-5 math and science standards, so every hands-on lesson reinforces exactly what students are learning inside the classroom.
Food Forest time doesn't take away from learning time — it enhances it. Classes can head out to the Food Forest during their regular science or math block and dive into our curriculum, making it purposeful learning time, not free play. And it works: our tactile, engaging approach has led to a 70% improvement in math and science scores among participating students!
Does Food Forest time take away classroom learning time?
Not at all. Food Forest time is classroom time, just outside!
Our curriculum modules are fully aligned with Miami-Dade County's K-5 math, science, and resiliency standards, so every hands-on activity reinforces exactly what students are already learning in class. That means classes can head to the Food Forest during their regular math or science block with confidence, since it's structured, standards-based learning, not free time. Teachers can even use it as a gradable lesson, so it fits right into the instructional day your administration expects. And the results speak for themselves: our tactile, engaging approach has led to a 70% improvement in math and science scores among participating students. Food Forest time doesn't take away from learning, it enhances it!
