Growing Health from the Ground Up

UHI Clinic Launches In-Clinic Vegetable Garden

At UHI CommunityCare Clinic in Opa-locka, addressing patient health means looking beyond exam rooms and prescriptions. This fall, the clinic took a major step toward tackling food insecurity by launching a first-of-its-kind vegetable garden located inside the clinic, designed to educate and support undernourished patients through hands-on access to fresh food.

Opa-locka is recognized as a food desert, and for several years UHI’s board and staff have been working intentionally to address the challenges their patients face in accessing nutritious food. Through partnerships with Caring for Miami, the clinic has provided fresh fruits and vegetables to patients once a month, and through IRUSA and ISOM food pantries, families have received dry food baskets to help meet immediate needs.

Now, in partnership with FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, UHI is taking that work to the next level.

With the help of FIU medical students and community partners, the clinic recently established the first of two planned garden beds directly on site. The initial bed is already planted with broccoli, arugula, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, and basil, along with pots of mint, scallions, and dill, and rosemary planted in the ground. A drip irrigation system has also been installed, with plans to automate watering through a timer.

Students will continue to return to tend the garden, with a maintenance schedule being coordinated to ensure long-term sustainability. Educational plant guides provided by the Little River Cooperative will help support proper growing, harvesting, and patient education.

“This initiative reflects the power of partnership,” said UHI leadership, expressing deep gratitude to FIU medical students and all contributing organizations for their financial and in-kind support. “With this collaboration, we are hopeful we can provide meaningful relief to our underserved community during a time when food insecurity is becoming even more severe.”

By integrating food access, education, and healthcare in one space, UHI CommunityCare Clinic is cultivating more than vegetables—it’s growing a healthier future for the patients and families it serves.