by MEREDITH BAUER-MITCHELL, UF/IFAS
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is pleased to announce that its 2026 Flavors of Florida fundraising event raised $13,000 for the UF therapeutic horticulture program .
The funding will be used to support the program, which works to decrease stress and boost positivity for students, hospital patients and community members. Some of the programs this funding will support include gardening to assist young adults with developmental disabilities, patients at UF’s psychiatric hospital and weekly programming for student stress management and resilience.
“The support we saw from our community will help students and Alachua County residents alike. Everyone can benefit from the healing properties of plant- and nature-based interactions, and we will keep doing community outreach and research studies to show the positive impact that this type of therapy has on our community,” said Leah Diehl, director of the UF therapeutic horticulture program.
One of the keys to the event’s success was this year’s presenting sponsor, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.
The association has been a longtime supporter of UF/IFAS, supporting numerous research and philanthropic initiatives in the pursuit of investing in the future of agriculture.
“The Florida Strawberry Growers Association is proud to have served as a key sponsor of this year’s Flavors of Florida event in support of the UF Therapeutic Horticulture program. We wholeheartedly believe in the impactful work being done by UF/IFAS and are honored to partner in advancing initiatives that enrich lives through horticulture,” said Kenneth Parker, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.
Over their decades of support for UF/IFAS, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association has helped elevate strawberry research in Florida to allow the state to make its mark on the international stage.
Their support historically has been instrumental in securing an assistant researcher position for strawberry breeding, a state-of-the-art greenhouse and support for establishing the new UF/IFAS Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture – among many other efforts.
The support via the Flavors of Florida event will help Floridians’ mental health, including students who may one day make their mark on the Florida strawberry industry.
“We thank the Florida Strawberry Growers Association for their current and ongoing support for our program and for many programs across UF/IFAS,” Diehl said.
Provided by UF/IFAS