Trees That Feed Foundation’s Natasha Norris recently visited Grimal Grove in Big Pine Key, Florida, home to the first breadfruit grove in the continental United States. Grimal Grove is a living example of resilience. After Hurricane Irma destroyed most of its trees in 2017, owner Patrick Garvey rebuilt the site around a single surviving, inspirational breadfruit tree.
Today Grimal Grove hosts an impressive diversity of tropical fruit trees, along with culinary and educational programs with even bigger plans underway. Natasha’s visit included a tour, an expansive tropical fruit tasting, and a sample of Mutiny Island Vodka, a breadfruit-based spirit developed by Chef Todd Manley in St. Croix.
On his two-acre paradise, Patrick grows five species of breadfruit—35 trees total—so that one variety or other fruits nearly year-round. Among the many other intriguing trees on the property, Natasha especially loved the “gummy worm tree” (Cecropia), velvet apple, bilimbi, cacao, and miracle fruit, a tiny berry whose miraculin protein makes sour foods taste sweet for up to an hour.
This visit followed time spent at LNB Groves in Homestead, an experimental breadfruit grove that we think will successfully demonstrate the crop’s potential in suptropical climates.
Natasha traveled to Florida for ECHO’s International Agriculture Conference, gathering insights on agroforestry, leadership, and climate-resilient food systems. Meanwhile, TTFF co-founders Mary and Mike McLaughlin were also in the region celebrating our colleague and friend Dr. Diane Ragone, founder of National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Breadfruit Institute, as she received the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration.
Grimal Grove is now preparing for its own major breadfruit celebration on March 21, 2026. That event will include Dr. Russell Fielding, who will also be in the Chicago area January 14, 2026 for the launch of his book, Breadfruit: The Global Journeys of a Bountiful Tree. We invite you to join us on these occasions!
If you’re in the Florida Keys, make sure to book a tour at Grimal Grove! https://grimalgrove.com/tours/
Patrick Garvey is such a big proponent of breadfruit because he wants to empower people and make a more resilient world. We are proud to support the growing network of breadfruit champions across Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and Africa.
Follow TTFF on LinkedIn for more field updates and Natasha’s conference takeaways:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/trees-that-feed-foundation/
