Growing And Caring For A
Unique Crop By Tyra Phillips, Dade County Farm Bureau
IN DIFFICULT TIMES a positive accomplishment or contribution reminds everyone that there is good reason to hope for a better tomorrow. Many Florida farmers serve as inspirational examples by their success at producing food and fiber every day. Some of the crops they grow are unique. One MiamiDade County farmer has created a thriving business with a small-sized berry known as miracle fruit. Miracle Fruit Farm, which sits on six acres, got its humble beginnings in 2012-2013. The miracle fruit tree itself however has been around for much longer than that. Originating from Ghana, it was first introduced into 10
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | APRIL/MAY 2020
South Florida by David Fairchild. Back in the early 1970’s Pine Island Nursery owner Colleen Boggs recognized the importance of the fruit and began selling seedling trees at the nursery. Her keen ability to forecast the benefits that this fruit may have for future generations led her son, Erik Tietig, to start Miracle Fruit Farm. Pulling up to the farm off a small dirt road, it initially looks like many others that spot our landscape here in Homestead with two large shade houses that are
impeccably maintained. It isn’t until you open the door, that you see the vast difference. According to Tietig, CEO for the company, miracle fruit trees do not do well in our complicated south Florida soils. They actually flourish in pots. Within the shade houses are approximately 7,000 trees currently. The beauty here is that the same tree can have flowers, young fruit and ripe fruit all at the same time. This allows for perpetual harvesting of the fruit year-round, at least four days a week. Tietig, who has worked in fruit crops all of his life, knows no other fruit crop like it. He breeds a superior crop that improves the genetics of the
