Local, Fresh, Organic, Sustainable: Zen Village Farmer's Market

The Zen Village Farmer's Market is bringing local farmers together with the goal of providing affordable organic produce to the public.

The market is open every Sunday from 9am-3pm at Zen Village, 3570 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove. Information at 305-567-0165 and online at www.zenvillage.org.

Zen Village is a multi-cultural, united-faith organization and Buddhist temple that promotes spiritual well-being, diversity, and holistic wellness. The center offers healthy lifestyle education and wellness techniques that promote healing and self development. Zen Village's focus is to train instructors and healers to become community leaders in the holistic wellness professions with the hope of bringing on a healthier and better community. The mission of Zen Village is to teach individuals to nurture self and others by providing valuable ancient wisdom on holistic harmony in people's lives.

The goal with the Farmer's Market is to promote sustainable healthy living! Nutrition plays a big role in the cultivation of wellness. It is important to be mindful of the foods we eat.

Embracing sustainable living is a cyclic and synergistic effort. Local farmers are encouraged to do what they do best: grow healthy and organic produce free of pesticides, GMO agents, and other dangerous toxins. But most important of all, they grow them with love!

Consumers are always encouraged to eat whole foods that have been cultivated with integrity for overall good health. Hence, good nutrition is an important component for overall well-being. Thus, the farmer-consumer relationship is synergistic because the more local organically grown produce consumed, the more farmers are encouraged to continue their business at affordable prices.

Zen Village understands the importance of this relationship and offers the center free of charge to the farmers every Sunday.

A special emphasis of Asian vegetables will be showcased along with delicious foods prepared by professional chefs!

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The books are coming....

....And the readers and writers will follow, as they do by the hundreds of thousands every year for the Miami Book Fair International.

The Fair, now in its 28th year, is a multi-day literary party in held November at Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami.

During the wildly popular Street Fair, held Nov. 18-20, more than 350 authors read and discuss their work, including the Latin American and Spanish authors who participate in the IberoAmerican Authors Program.

Thousands of South Florida schoolchildren will help kick off the Street Fair, making the trip downtown on Friday Nov. 18 to hear authors and participate in Children’s Alley activities, including theater, arts-and-crafts, storytelling and readings by children’s book authors. Comics and graphic novels are once again featured, with the school of comics on Friday and a new section just for kids and teens, as well as presentations over the weekend by renowned graphic novelists and illustrators.

During Street Fair weekend, more than 250 publishers and booksellers exhibit and sell books, with special features like the antiquarians, who showcase of signed first editions, original manuscripts and other collectibles.

The first Miami Book Fair International, founded by Miami Dade College and community partners, took place in 1984. Since then it has been recognized as the nation’s finest literary festival. In 2001, the Fair became part of the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College, a cultural and academic initiative that promotes the advancement and appreciation of literature throughout the year.

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Bienvenidos a Miami y Sus Playas

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Strut Your Stuff for Cancer: Local Ladies Strap On Stilettos For A Sole-Inspired Dash Around The Falls

The Pink Heels will be at the event!

The Falls, one of the largest open-air shopping, dining and entertainment complexes in the United States, is excited to welcome the “Strut Your Stuff For Cancer” fundraising event, presented by Baptist Health Breast Center, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The event takes place on Thursday, Oct. 6, 6pm-9pm, at the Center Court in The Falls, 8888 SW 136 Street, Miami. The evening kicks off with a sassy "strut" around The Falls leading to a style trend show featuring "well-heeled" cancer survivors and the "angels" who helped them recover.

The Pink Heals Tour will be stopping at the event as part of their national tour. The Pink Heals Tour, a movement celebrating women by raising money and awareness for the fight against Breast Cancer, will be steering their two signature pink fire trucks towards The Falls in honor of the charitable event.

The Pink Heals Tour is led by the self-proclaimed “Guardians of the Ribbon,” a group of firefighters, police men and community leaders that travel the country to spread the “Cares Enough to Wear Pink” campaign, the fastest growing movement in the country.  The campaign’s non-profit mission is to provide a national movement for the support of women across the country by wearing the color pink. The tour will be selling their commemorative Pink Heals T-shirts at the event in hopes of generating proceeds for those affected by the disease in the community. For more information please see the official Pink Heals website.

The Falls

Proceeds will directly benefit Cancer Support Community Greater Miami, Sandy B. Muller Breast Cancer Foundation and La Liga Contra El Cancer.  The event will feature wellness presentations, live entertainment and a chic cocktail hour with decadent treats.  Guests will also receive a gift bag with The Falls October Savings Book and other exclusive goodies.  Attendees will have the opportunity to register to win fabulous prizes.  The Falls will "GO Pink" throughout the month of October in recognition of this noteworthy evening.

The $25 Strut Your Stuff registration fee includes walk registration, event gift bag, and VIP entrance and benefits the above mentioned local charities. To support your charity of choice, please log on to their website through www.cancersupportcommunitymiami.org, www.laligacontraelcancer.org, www.sandybmullerbreastcancerfoundation.org.

Contact The Falls at (305) 255-4571, visit www.simon.com or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShopTheFalls.

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The Falls’ "Art By Nature" Exhibition Sheds Light On The Importance Of Recycling & Celebrates Nature’s Beauty

The Falls, one of the largest open-air shopping, dining and entertainment complexes in the U.S., is proud to present “Art By Nature”, a premier eco-art exhibition that aims to celebrate nature, while shedding light on the importance of conserving and protecting the Earth’s natural resources and environment. The free exhibition, which runs from May 6-30, will serve as the backdrop to a month of festive eco-activities at the mall. 

A sketch of César Santaló’s “Grasses”

The exhibit will feature a variety of unique, nature-inspired sculptures, figures and monuments created with eco-friendly materials from nine local artists including Audrey Barth (South Miami), Laurie Bogis and her third grade art class (Miami), Jonathan Brooks (Miami), Jenn Cucalon (South Miami), Clark DeCapite, Jr. (South Miami), John May (Pompano Beach), César Santaló (Miami), Nina Shepard (Miami) and Robert Tabor (Fort Lauderdale).

To kick off The Falls’ Art By Nature exhibition, renowned sand artist John May will be at The Falls assembling his piece, “Under the Sea in Sand.” May will use sand, South Florida’s ultimate recyclable material, to create a table-top sculpture featuring dolphins, sea turtles, sea horses, fish, kelp, coral and more. Shoppers are invited to watch May as he assembles his piece beginning on Friday, May 6 and continuing throughout the weekend.

“The Falls, with its lush landscaped environment, is the perfect backdrop to showcase works of art that will inspire us all to do our part to save the planet,” said Dailen Rodriguez, director of mall marketing and business development at The Falls. “This effort exemplifies our commitment to environmental awareness and allows us to further advance our go-green initiatives.”

“Art by Nature” is free and open to the public for viewing throughout the beautiful tropical landscape environment at The Falls from Friday, May 6 through Monday, May 30.  Shoppers are invited to vote for their favorite art piece by visiting guest services or texting the artist number to #74666. The artists with the most votes will receive exclusive prizes from The Falls.

For more information, including a full list of events in May, please contact The Falls at 305-255-4571 or visit www.simon.com or www.facebook.com/ShopTheFalls.

The Falls is one of Florida’s largest open-air retail and entertainment destinations, featuring Bloomingdale's, Macy's, more than 95 stores, restaurants, cafés and Regal Cinemas. In addition to the anchor tenants, The Falls features recognized retailers including Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, LOFT, Brooks Brothers, bebe, Coach, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Talbots, Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma Grand Cuisine, Cache, Brookstone, Lucky Brand Jeans, Vera Bradley, Origins, Mayor’s Jewelers, White House/Black Market and many other fine specialty retailers.  Dining selections include Los Ranchos Restaurant, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Bargello Bistro, Macy's Taste Bar, TGIFriday’s and Johnny Rockets.  For more information about The Falls, located at U.S. 1 and S.W. 136 St. in Miami, call 305-255-4570 or visit us online at www.simon.com or www.facebook.com/ShopTheFalls. 

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Guide to Miami's Native Plant Life

Miami is in the tropics. While this information isn't exactly shocking, it is important to understand that the plant life here is different than anywhere else in the US. We have tropical temps, high humidity and high levels of sunshine that some plants, such as many varieties of roses, just cannot handle outdoors.

Plants here are hardy and can stand up to the heat and sun and thrive on them. Some native species, and others which are "newcomers" but have flourished include those below.

Mangroves: The word refers to both individual trees and the forest of them (to non-scientists anyway). Mangroves like salty water, so they are plentiful along the shorelines and estuaries of Miami-Dade County. Their amazing networks of roots and branches offer safe harbor for many species of fish, birds and other animals. Everglades National Park has many acres of mangroves.

Mangos: Although mangos hail from India and surrounding areas, they have been in Florida so long they seem native! A mango tree with flowers is shown to the left. Besides being delicious and beautiful, mangoes have another characteristic: they go splat. A lot. "Mango poop" is so common in South Florida that homegrown humorist Dave Barry has written about it. (Not to worry; it comes off easily in a car wash.) Mangoes are nutritious and are seen in many foods in Florida including shakes and smoothies, salsa, BBQ sauce and salads.

Sawgrass: It's not really a grass, but the saw part is close! These plants grow any where from 3 to 9 feet tall and have little flowers on them, as well as sharp, sometimes serrated edges. Sawgrass is distantly related to papyrus, which was used in ancient Egypt to make paper. The Everglades is covered in sawgrass, hence its nickname, "the River of Grass."

Palm or Palmetto Trees: Yes, they are everywhere. Many varieties are not native but they adapt well to the soil and climate of South Florida. The Sabal Palm is the state tree of both Florida and South Carolina and it is native to the southeastern US, as well as to the Caribbean. They grow very well in sandy soil and photos of them make lovely postcards!

Gumbo-Limbo: It's not just fun to say! These small trees can grow to be quite tall but don't get very thick in the trunk. The Gumbo-limbo used to be called the "Tourist Tree" because the tree's bark is red and peeling, like the skin of sunburned tourists, who flock to the areas where it grows well. They also make great air fresheners.

Satin Leaf Tree: Native to South Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and a number of Carribean islands, the Satin Leaf tree has beautiful golden leaves, so although it produces edible fruit (called damson plums), it is usually used as just an ornamental plant.

Orchids: Orchids are the largest group of flowering plants, boasting more than 22,000 species. While some kinds, especially the ones that are more common in the US, can grow in pots and gardens, a lot of the more tropical varieties live on other plants and trees. An odd looking cluster of plastic rings attached to the side of a tree in South Florida generally means someone is cultivating orchids.

Go Wild in South Florida!

Florida's variety of wildlife is majestic and vital to the health of its delicate ecosystem. The Everglades and the reefs along the coast are home to lots of interesting species; Florida is also the winter home to almost every kind of bird on the eastern seaboard. In South Florida, the great outdoors is magnificent!

Alligators are important to the Everglades for many reasons, including controlling the rodent populations and keeping the wetlands wet during the dry season, thanks to the water that gets stored in their gator holes. Male alligators tend to be about 14 feet long, while females are closer to 10 feet when fully grown. Although alligators were endangered at one time due to over-hunting for their hides, there are more than a million of them in Florida today! While alligators are in almost every inland body of water in Florida, the best place to see them is Everglades National Park.

A close cousin to the alligator, the only American crocodiles in the US live at the tip of Florida, in Florida Bay. More docile than alligators, Florida's crocs are also smaller, usually only about 5 to 6 feet long when adults. In recent years, several Florida crocs have somehow made it to the canals and lakes of the University of Miami. Crocodiles are a protected species; there are only about 1,000 of them left in Florida today.

Three main varieties of sea turtles nest in Florida: green sea turtles, leatherbacks (which, as the name implies, do not have a bone type shell) and loggerheads. All three are endangered species. Sea turtles navigate by using the magnetism of the earth; females return to the nesting grounds where they were born year after year. Florida is, in fact, home to the largest nesting ground for loggerheads in the US! Sea turtles can live to be 80 years old. The biggest threat from humans to sea turtles is destruction of their nesting grounds and their entanglement in fishing nets or floating garbage such as balloons and six-pack rings.

Manatees are gentle giants which can be seen grazing on plant life in the canals and mangrove hammocks of South Florida. Distantly related to elephants, manatees can weigh up to almost 1800 pounds! Even their newborn calves weigh about 65 pounds. Like whales, they surface for air every 20 minutes or so. Half their time is spent asleep, and their very low metabolisms keep manatees in warm areas. Manatees are absolutely no threat to humans, and are in fact curious and friendly, but humans, especially in propeller driven boats, have harmed countless manatees. Of the nearly 300 manatee deaths reported as caused by humans in Florida in 2006, the majority involved boats, so be watchful on the water!

Critically endangered right now, the Florida Panther lives only in a few places in southern Florida these days. Living only in Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, the panther population is down to less than 100 of these beautiful animals and occupies only 5% of its former territory. Development has been the biggest threat to panthers; driving at night in the Everglades, keep an eye out: automobiles are the leading cause of death for panthers.

The sailfish is one of the most sought after game fish in the world and it can be found in plentiful numbers at the edge of the Gulf Stream right here in South Florida throughout the winter months. Characterized by its large dorsal fin and elongated bill, the sailfish is capable of powerful runs, acrobatic jumps and reel blistering dives which may make your arms regret the ever tangled with this great fish.

Sometimes called the "ghost of the flats," the bonefish is the pound for pound best fighting fish in the world. The first run of a bonefish, whether caught on fly gear or conventional tackle, will astound you as many a fish have stripped the reel completely of line leaving the angler only to wonder what might have been. Biscayne Bay, in the shadow of downtown Miami, is the perfect place to target wintertime bones.

Largemouth Bass is incredibly popular with locals and out-of-towners alike. "Old bucketmouth" has long been a staple of South Florida game fishing in freshwater and with places like the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and literally hundreds of miles of inland canals, there is no shortage of water to fish for this great species.