Brad Jones

Co-Founder, Edible Education Experience

Orlando

Brad Jones, exchanged his fire fighting helmet for a gardener's hat when he retired from the Orlando Fire Department to co-founded the Edible Education Experience, a 3,000 sq. ft. culinary garden education experience. Brad coordinates the planting as well as designs edible lessons in local schools. Brad and his team provide hands-on experiences for garden visitors and harvesting the garden’s produce. Brad discovered his love for horticulture when his daughter enrolled as a 1st grader at Orlando Junior Academy. Brad wanted to tie-in Florida’s natural beauty with his daughter’s education. He began volunteering his time developing natural gardens on the school’s campus. The faculty saw Brad’s gardens as the perfect teaching tool. Brad rolled up his sleeves and worked side-by-side with teachers and administrators to build a small garden plot. Brad tapped into his enthusiastic relationship with nature and food to help grow the idea from a simple schoolyard garden in 2003 to a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2014---complete with the debut of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and Culinary Garden in 2017. Brad serves as one of the founding members of Edible Education Experience. Brad has also been an active participant in EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival providing workshops. To know Brad is to know One of his favorite quotes, "I love dirt!"