Hard to find edible plants with Josh Jamison of Cody Cove Nursery

Cody Cove : The Small Plant Nursery Specializing in Hard-to-Find Edible Plants

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Babson Park, FL, is Cody Cove, a small family owned and operated plant nursery that is quickly growing a reputation as a haven for food growing enthusiasts. This nursery has carved out a niche by specializing in rare and hard-to-find edible plants that produce well in Central Florida.  

Owner and farmer Josh Jamison has spent the last 15 years finding and testing different varieties of hard-to-find edible plants. He evaluates each variety on its ability to thrive in the unique climate of Central Florida. Josh refers to them as “Florida adapted” edible plants and explains that “Florida is a unique environment compared to the rest of the continental US. It is a peninsula that is reaching out towards the tropics, [which makes it] not very similar to the rest of the US.” Josh clarifies that knowing this is important in making a plant selection because “if you go to buy seeds or plants that are adapted to the rest of the United States, you are likely to have certain problems because it [Florida] has such a different climate, and soil.”

Josh moved from an education role in H.E.A.R.T Village in Florida where he focused on tropical agricultural development, to starting this nursery 4 years ago. He and his wife Emily decided that they wanted to be more of service to their community. Motivated by wanting to help other people, Josh feels that he and his nursery fill a “special niche, contributing to make the world better.”

With a focus on plants, seeds and education, Cody Cove wants you to succeed as a gardener. Unlike large chain garden centers, Josh has a carefully tested and curated selection of edible plants that often aren’t available in mainstream stores, because they are not a part of mainstream American cuisine. Many seed varieties that are traditional throughout the tropics and Latin America seem to thrive well in the Florida climate. This, Josh explains, is why testing and choosing a good variety is vital to success. “Even in the same plant species, one variety can be really poorly adapted,” and he likes to do the “evaluation on how they are likely to [perform] for other gardeners.” He does this “leg work” and then offers the best to other gardeners.

Jamison spoke to the fact that a lot of home gardeners struggle when starting seeds. A solution he proposes is perennial vegetables. “Our farm is 90% perennial crops and 10% annual crops and lesser-known perennial vegetables, herbs and building materials, like bamboo.”

During the interview, the Sustainable Living show has a number of callers who wanted to know what Josh’s favorite tested edibles were. He made a passionate recommendation for his favorite yam which he called “West African yam,” a variety from Columbia that doesn’t produce bulbs and is not invasive, that he also describes as “good tasting”. Mulberries were recommended as a great choice for a fruit tree because it “grows with no effort.” Cody Cove Nursery currently has 20 different varieties of Mulberry that they are evaluating, including pink, white, and a promising 5 inch variety. Lastly, he expressed his excitement about finding a cucumber replacement that does well in Florida, a variety that in the past, has only been grown in Zambia.  His recent tests find that this cucumber alternative has shown resistance to pickleworm, stem borers, powdery mildew, nematodes, and cucumber mosaic virus. 

Along with access to hard to find as well as more regionally suitable varieties of plants, buying from local nurseries can often offer something more than nurseries that buy in bulk from national distributors. With the rising cost of food in recent years, more people are moving towards learning to garden and to take control of their food sources, a trend that Cody Cove can help support. Josh offers scheduled times for the public to visit the nursery where he gives advice and guidance, helping customers select plants best suited to their gardens, the local climates, and personal tastes. Cody Cove also has a Saturday 9:30am bi-weekly nursery tour with a tasting table. 

Jamison said the biggest issue that the nursery is facing right now is a lack of manpower, which is a telling sign of success. The nursery’s progress is a reminder that sometimes the smallest businesses can make the biggest impact—by offering something special, they are helping people rediscover the joy of growing their own food.

Find out more about Cody Cove Farm & Nursery and peruse their selection on their website.

If you love the Sustainable Living Show, make sure to tune in every Monday at 11am on 88.5fm or listen to past episodes in the archives here. You can also stay up to date with show happenings on our Facebook page. Head over to the tip jar and direct your donation to Sustainable Living to show your monetary support. Remember, it takes a community to build a community.