July 4th 2016 was the first day we launched miamifruit.org to the public. Thank you to EVERYONE that has supported us this year and even before the website was here back when you guys were ordering from Facebook! We love you guys!
We wanted to make a special blog post introducing you to the team that makes Miami Fruit happen!
Rane the creator of Miami Fruit. A few years ago Rane was a fruit-based vegan musician trying to get the best quality local bananas for his banana smoothies. It quickly progressed to him selling locally grown fruit to his friends, then at farmers markets, then shipping to his friends out of town, then the MiamiFruit Facebook page. He didn't have a car for a very long time so he bought a custom made bike trailer for transporting fruit. Along the way he has had many friends help him make this dream come true, but I don't think anyone can do what he does as good as him. He's really smart, loves to learn, and is always coming up with ideas on how to be more efficient. Fruit, cycling, and saxophone are his passions. He is a talented musician. He really cares about people and the planet, which is why he chose Miami Fruit for his living instead of pursuing a career with music, but who knows, maybe in the future he will find a way to make both happen. ;)
This is me, Edelle! I am really happy Rane came into my life when he did, and I think he feels the same. When we met he was selling fruit at markets in Florida, while I was selling fruit at markets in California. I remember Rane shipped me a box of bananas as a kind gift, but he was also on to something. He began shipping to more and more people through Facebook. We fell in love in Hawaii and I moved to Miami a few months later. I have had experience growing and selling fruit in the past. I know a lot about building a website and writing blogs which is what I did/do for Miami Fruit. I am also a great fruit picker and box packer. I am in the process of creating hand made fruit art on recycled shirts. I enjoy taking artistic photos for the MiamiFruit instagram and adding them to the weekly harvest update emails that we send every week. In my free time I like to plant seeds and watch them grow.
John the object maker. John met Rane a couple years ago at a fruit luck in Miami. A friendship quickly formed. Most days John is creating useful objects in Wynwood or installing art pieces for artists, but he's also a major fruit lover and vegan. He helps us with growing, harvesting, packing boxes, and shipping. John also created many epic things like a coconut husker, giant shelf for boxes, and a box building machine. He's a really artistic down-to-earth guy.
Sal and Jessica the dynamic duo. This young fruit-loving team has been such a blessing to Miami Fruit. Sal met Rane through a Youtube video. They have so much energy and are eager to learn more about growing food. They have been selling fruit at the SouthWest Community Farmer's Market every week. Sal is a quick box builder and also a real estate agent! Jessica just graduated high school and is already forming a strong leadership role when it comes to fruit box packing. They are making a positive impact on spreading fruits to the local community.
All the fruity locals! We also want to thank all the people out there that come by from time to time to help pull weeds or freeze fruits. We really appreciate you all and could't do what we do without you!
Most importantly, thank YOU to the customers and supporters of MiamiFruit! We appreciate every picture, tag, and mention you share. All of your support is felt greatly and we will continue to work hard to make sure you get the highest quality fruit shipped straight to you!
Want to meet us and learn more? Join us August 20-27 at the Woodstock Fruit Festival for loads of fun and an abundance of fruit including some Miami Fruits as well.