Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Chomanics
Caroline, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Caroline Chomanics, I am the Chief Operations Officer of the global environmental nonprofit IDEAS For Us and Program Director to Fleet Farming. I started in the horticultural field at Nehrling Gardens as a live-in horticultural caretaker of the 7 acres of botanical garden. Here, I lived for four years while I went to school at Valencia College, earning my A.S. degree in Landscape and Horticulture Technology and later attending Rollins College to earn a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Urbanism. I joined the IDEAS For Us team in 2015 as a Farmer to the Fleet Farming program which inspired the tragetory of my career.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road—there have been challenges with funding, changing policies, and getting communities to embrace a new way of thinking about food. Educating people on the benefits of urban agriculture and shifting mindsets takes time, but every obstacle has been an opportunity to grow, adapt, and strengthen the mission.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Fleet Farming?
Fleet Farming, a non-profit program under IDEAS For Us, redefines urban spaces by transforming underused lawns into biodiverse, sustainable gardens and edible landscapes. This initiative is committed to boosting local food access and nurturing resilient communities through urban agriculture. Our mission: Empowering all generations to increase local food accessibility by growing their own food. Our vision: Building connected, healthy communities and localized food systems that foster harmony with the environment.
Fleet Farming turns residential lawns, school grounds, community centers, and affordable housing spaces into productive edible gardens. Additionally, we offer services to local businesses and individuals through our community farming initiative and Edible Landscapes garden installations, working collectively to create a sustainable food cycle.
Founded in 2014 in Orlando, Florida, Fleet Farming was born from a collaborative workshop called The IDEAS Hive, where participants tackled the challenges of conventional, monoculture farming and devised a unique sharecropping model for urban food production. With Orlando’s landscape ordinance allowing 60% of front yards to be dedicated to edible crops, Fleet Farming quickly grew, inspiring communities globally to reimagine food production by using available lawn space.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Running through the forests of Gotha as a kid, climbing trees, and exploring every hidden corner felt like pure freedom. Later, I learned that those same woods were part of the horticultural historic genome of Dr. Henry Nehrling, a pioneering botanist who introduced hundreds of plant species to Florida. That discovery made the land feel even more special. But over time, I watched those forests disappear—clear-cut and turned into subdivisions. Seeing that loss firsthand inspired me to live a life of service, dedicated to protecting and restoring our environment. I later realized just how deeply our food systems are intertwined with the health of the environment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fleetfarming.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleetfarming/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fleetfarming
Image Credits
Fleet Farming
