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This summer, NTBG welcomed its first Sustainable Agriculture Intern, Milani Cook. This new Breadfruit Institute (BFI) supported internship, funded by the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, gives a college student the opportunity to conduct research on breadfruit’s role in sustainable agriculture.
A member of The Kampong staff, Milani is an undergraduate student at Florida International University pursuing a degree in agroecology. Her summer included everything from gaining experience in breadfruit cultivation and propagation at the Regenerative Organic Breadfruit Agroforest at McBryde Garden on Kauaʻi to interviewing local growers and community members whose innovative growing methods are helping expand where breadfruit can be grown in the South Florida region. With support from BFI and The Kampong staff, her ongoing work focuses on surveying breadfruit diversity and growers across South Florida—documenting trees and varieties, cultivation practices, and growers’ perspectives. We asked Milani to reflect on her experiences.
Photo credit: Talia Schmidt
From your perspective, what makes breadfruit such a special plant?
To me, breadfruit represents resilience and sovereignty. This is an original canoe plant brought to the Pacific islands and used in traditional agroforestry systems to enrich the soil and feed communities for generations. I am fascinated by the fact that the crop is extremely nutrient dense, pest resistant, and high yielding. Now that breadfruit has spread to other tropical regions of the world, it remains an excellent option to ensure climate resilience and food security. In the face of environmental degradation and growing hunger, breadfruit has the ability to make a tangible impact.
Was there a story, conversation, or person you met through this internship that really stuck with you? Tell us about it.
I recently conducted a field interview with a man who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. We hadn’t planned to interview him, but we happened to spot a breadfruit tree in his front yard. With this, we decided to cautiously knock to ask if he’d participate in our study. His eyes grew wide, and he enthusiastically agreed to participate. At 84 years old, he diligently maintains various fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and herbs. He was extremely eager to show us everything he was growing in his garden, but his most prized plant was his breadfruit tree that he brought from St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the early 1990s. He explained to us that he grew up very poor and food insecure, so foraging for wild breadfruit was a fundamental part of his childhood. He’s been in South Florida since 1980, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Due to this, growing breadfruit is really important for him to have a taste of his home. As we were preparing to leave, he said “ I didn’t think anybody really cared for breadfruit around here… I’m glad you guys are doing this work.” This interaction struck me because it made me realize that this project is not just a matter of scientific discovery, but an opportunity to bridge communities and take a deep dive into Caribbean history.
Left: Milani working in ROBA. Photo credit: Talia Schmidt. Right: Milani standing beside a Ma’afala breadfruit tree in a South Florida home garden to document its scale. Photo credit: Cynthia Toledo.
As part of this internship you were able to conduct field studies on breadfruit in Miami and on Kauaʻi. How did your experiences at these two different areas shape your understanding of breadfruit?
My experience in Kauaʻi was absolutely breathtaking. I was astounded to witness ROBA in its entirety. As someone extremely interested in forest farming and agroecology, I was deeply inspired and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn about Hawaiian culture and what breadfruit means for indigenous communities there. Conducting field studies in Miami has also been very enriching. Our Caribbean communities in South Florida are booming, which includes many people with strong cultural ties to breadfruit. There are few commercial growers in this region, and several home gardeners growing this delicacy. However the cold tolerance of breadfruit is a recurring subject. In the cold snap in February of this year, many of the breadfruit trees sampled have experienced a lot of vegetation loss. As a part of this project, we are looking into varieties that may be more cold tolerant and suitable to South Florida. Breadfruit is not as widespread in South Florida as it is in Miami.
Standardized breadfruit documentation of three mature Otea leaves (front and back) with a label and scale. Photo credit: Milani Cook
What are 3 impactful things that you have learned as part of this internship?
1. How to navigate discussions and engagement with Indigenous communities/local growers.
2. The process of propagating and growing breadfruit, including optimal soil conditions and rainfall.
3. How to conduct field sampling and data organization of various breadfruit varieties.
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