Fort Lauderdale man makes it his mission to grow organic, healthy food

FORT LAUDERDALE – A Fort Lauderdale man is making it his mission to grow healthier produce for the community.

Malcolm Steele is the master behind the magic at Big Steele’s Urban Farm.

“This is a labor of love for me,” said Steele.

Steele grew up in Fort Lauderdale and has been involved in agriculture since he was a young boy.

But around the time of the pandemic, Steele’s dad died, and he used gardening as a way of healing.

“Touching the soil and just planting stuff it was so therapeutic to me and it was a way of me connecting back to my father,” said Steele.

Using the quarter-acre lot next to his home, Steele started harvesting produce like lettuce, mangos, bananas, and more.

What started as a hobby in 2020 quickly boomed into a business, after Steele started his social media page.

Steele says growing and providing organic and healthy food for his community is critical, especially in his neighborhood.

“This area is a food desert. In this area, we do not have a lot of places that offer healthy food options. The processed foods is one of the biggest problems in our community because the processed food plays a role into the health,” said Steele.

Steele has made it his mission to grow as much organic food as possible to provide healthier options for the community.

“It’s a great feeling, I mean, I love doing it. It’s my passion,” said Steele.

And Steele says you don’t need a huge yard or farming experience to start your own garden.

All you need is a desire to create a healthier living.

“We all have the green thumb. It is genetically inside of all of us. We just have to reactivate the green thumb,” said Steele. 

Steele says right now is the slow

Season and he’s gearing up for planting for the fall.

Anna McAllister

Anna McAllister joined the CBS 4 team as a reporter in December 2022 and is ecstatic to be back in South Florida.

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Source: cbsnews.com