Name:
Greg

In what part of town do you live?
Westchester

How long have you lived in the area?
Just over three years. Before that, a couple different places. We rented in South Miami, and then while we were trying to get a place of our own, we stayed at my parents in Kendall, which is where I grew up.

Did you always think you’d stay in Miami?
I kind of had that inclination because my wife Janell and I started dating in high school. We both grew up here. I went to Westminster Christian, and she went to Palmetto.

What keeps you busy during the week?
I am a physical therapist.

How did you get into that field?
Initially I was introduced to physical therapy through different sports injuries that I had. I went to a small private school, so I was able to participate in a lot of different sports, baseball, track, football, basketball. Baseball was my main sport for about 13 years. I started real little and they didn’t have all the regulations back then about throwing too much. I was playing year round and threw my arm out. Physical therapists helped me get stronger. I thought, that’s a pretty cool gig.

Are you working on your own now or within a practice?
I’m actually with Baptist hospital. I work with outpatient orthopedic patients of all kinds.

What part of it do you enjoy the most?
I love all of it. I love being able to help people get better. I’m always seeing new faces and I’m not stuck behind a desk. I like the challenges that come with it. Sometimes there’s a lot of problem solving involved, finding creative solutions, because something that helps one person may not work for the next person, even though they may come in with the same pathology.

Are you continuing your education while you work?
Yes. We have to do so many hours bi-annually. I’ve maintained my athletic training certification. Recently, I was studying for the orthopedic specialty. I just missed it by a couple questions. Brutal! The test is only given once a year. I’ll probably do it again next March. We’ll see what life throws my way, but I very much like the continued learning.

Tell us a little bit about what you do outside of work. What do you enjoy?
I enjoy working out, but probably most is spending time with the family. I have two little girls and another one on the way next month. My oldest is six and before all this pandemic stuff began, she brought a plant home from school which ended up getting us into gardening. So throughout all this, I’ve really taken up gardening and trying to grow our own vegetables. Since then, we’ve planted an avocado tree and I built two raised garden beds. The girls enjoy it. They’ll help me with putting the seeds in or transferring plants from pots.

Were any crops particularly fun?
It was cool watching the girls pull carrots out of the ground. More than that, I’d probably say the kale because they loved the kale, which I feel like you would never think little kids would like. I started making kale chips. Maybe because it’s different then the bitter kale you get in the store. They’ll devour the whole tray before my wife or I are able to have any, which is pretty neat. When we’re playing tag in the backyard, without fail, they always stop and pull some basil leaves or oregano and eat it.

How did you discover LNB Grovestand?
A workout guy that I follow, Noah Ohlsen, posts about you. When you were way back at the Pinecrest Farmer’s Market, we used to go there all the time. Then a buddy of mine told me about your new spot.

What do you pick up when you come by?
We love the Rainbow Smoothies. My girls love them. They’re all about the aesthetics of the colors. We enjoy getting those versus going to some place to grab a milkshake and stuff like that. They look so good and everything tastes just as good as something with ice cream in it. We enjoy exploring and trying new fruits that we wouldn’t normally get to try. We usually try to get some different stuff each time. We love the apple bananas. My little one climbs up on the counter to take those all the time. We also enjoy freezing them and putting them in our smoothies. We like the starfruit and the sapodillas. I get the Turmeric concentrate from you guys, which I really like with almond milk. I probably use it a few times a week for the anti-inflammatory properties, and I do like the taste a lot. I know there’s ginger in there, which is good for GI health too.

What other restaurants or places do you all enjoy going to might recommend?
My daughter has an egg allergy, so that dictates a lot of our food choices. We found this place that’s completely vegan call Aguacate, just south of Bird road and West of Kendall Regional. It’s definitely worth checking out. They have like a coffee and tea bar, and smoothies and bowls. Everything is completely plant based. They won’t even take honey from the bees there.

Any other places come to mind?
There’s a French, vegan bakery, which I believe is one of the first in the US, called L’artisane. It’s in the Gables near the Mile. They use a lot of nut based stuff. My daughter really likes being able to get a baked treat, because normally that’s completely off limits.

What is Miami’s best kept secret?
I would say, it’s the knowledge of the locals who grew up here. I feel like Miami is a very transient city where a lot of people come and go. It’s the things that we have access to, like the Everglades and some of the farms and beaches, other than Miami Beach. There’s a lot of cool wildlife stuff here.

What for you is a worthy splurge?
An experience that I may not get the chance to have again. Like, trying new fruits with my kiddos.

Are they any community or philanthropic groups that are important you that you might like to promote or share? 
We like the WOW Center. They help adults specifically with special needs, to get reintegrated into the community. They help with job training and other opportunities that they wouldn’t normally have. It’s a little close to home too, because one of my uncles has down syndrome and he does a lot of stuff with them.

Is there a question, challenge, or words of advice that you might like to pose to the community?
My challenge would be, try to find ways to invest your time in things that not only lead to personal growth and development, but are fruitful to those around you and the community that you live in.

Is there a question you would like to ask us?
(GK) How long have you guys been in business?

(A+W) The farms were started in 1980 by Adena’s parents, Kiki and Marc. We started doing farmer’s markets in 2010 and then opened the drive through when COVID started.