A trendy Miami restaurant is buying produce from a 22-acre organic farm that is part of a new affordable housing development and staffed by formerly homeless residents.
Tuyo restaurant, led by executive chef Norman Van Aken, is using fresh produce from the Verde Gardens property, which features 145 townhomes for formerly homeless families and individuals in Homestead, Fla.
The $19.7 million Verde Gardens was developed by nonprofit Carrfour Supportive Housing, Inc., and the farm is operated by nonprofit Earth Learning.
On a weekly basis, Tuyo receives boxes of produce harvested at the Verde Gardens farm, including everything from arugula to zucchini. The eco-friendly restaurant, which uses locally sourced ingredients for its menu, plans to purchase year-round seasonal produce from the farm to supplement its own edible organic garden.
