TASTE OF THE TOWN

Town Taste of the Blend PBC nurtures minority-owned culinary ventures, while teaching underserved kids how to grow budding businesses

By Kristen Desmond LeFevre

Blend PBC is on a mission—or make that two. First, says executive director Trinnette Morris, the organization works to nurture minority-owned food-based vendors by fostering community connections, putting talented entrepreneurs and their culinary creations in front of large local businesses. “It’s really as simple as introducing small business to big business,” Morris explains.

She says the conversation started with the Palm Beach County Convention Center. “They have their own in-house food and beverage teams. However, a lot of times when meeting planners from other states or countries come to the convention center to plan an event, they’re looking for a local taste. Instead of their teams trying to be a master of everything culinary-wise, we can offer up partnerships with our minority-owned businesses like Foster’s Barbeque, Trindy Gourmet, or Eat ‘n’ Cake.”

Case in point? Riviera Beach’s Smoothie Me Please was recently selected to provide smoothies for the Blockwork’s Permissionless cryptocurrency conference in West Palm Beach.

But Blend PBC is also tapping into the future of the community with its agricultural elementary school program. Morris says the group is bringing microgreen harvesting—from pea shoots to arugula to red cabbage—to area schools in underserved communities, with an aim to educate students about an ecosystem of economic sustainability in a hands-on (and delicious) way.

The program started last year at Seminole Trails Elementary School and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School, both in West Palm Beach. This year, the program has expanded to 10 schools, adding middle schools to the mix as well.

“The students make observations every day in a microgreen journal,” says Morris. “Last week we grew in soil. This week we grew in bamboo mats. Last week we grew with natural light. This week we grew with grow lights. So they see the difference in ways of growing something.”

Then comes the fun part: harvesting and sampling in recipes for smoothies, pizzas, and salads. Student agriculturists can also sell the microgreens they’ve grown and harvested to local restaurants. And some of their wares are ending up on seriously swank plates; this past June, studentgrown microgreens were used in Blend PBC chefs’ masterpieces at the Mayor’s Ball.

“We [were] thrilled for the opportunity to showcase the culinary delights of Blend PBC at the Mayor’s Ball and showcase our agricultural elementary school program,” says Morris.

“Every dish tells a story,” she adds, “and we hope that ours embody the essence of community education and betterment. Nothing tastes sweeter than helping Black and brown communities through the social and emotional learning that is taught through gardening.” (blendpbc.org) «