Farmers Feeding Florida

Combatting Hunger with Florida's Farmers and Ranchers

Florida’s agriculture industry is one of our state’s greatest assets. As Feeding Florida works to help the 2.3 million Floridians that struggle to afford nutritious food consistently, farmers and ranchers are pivotal in helping us accomplish our mission. Our Florida product recovery initiative, Farmers Feeding Florida, works in partnership with local farmers, ranchers, packers and brokers throughout the state to rescue and distribute excess or unmarketable products to the families that need it most. Throughout the years, this initiative has been able to offset a portion of production costs to enable our partnering farmers and growers to scale up donations to multiple truckload quantities.

Making The Connection

Feeding Florida strives for exemplary service to farmer and rancher partners. We can arrange to have donations picked up within 48 hours of your call, freeing up valuable cooler and dock space at your facility. Our member food bank employees and volunteers are trained and certified in proper food handling to ensure the quality of produce donations. Farmers Feeding Florida is endorsed by Florida’s major commodity groups and is supported by the Florida Department of Agriculture, the Florida Legislature and grants from private foundations.

There are several ways to connect with Feeding Florida and our statewide network of food banks to both help feed more people and find a home for the fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy produced by our agriculture partners. Our most prominent efforts inlcude recovery programs and local purchasing programs, both which focus on sourcing from Florida partners and stregntening our local agricultural system. To submit your interest to connect with Feeding Florida as a partner, email Cacee Hilliard.

Recovery
The heart of Farmers Feeding Florida is produce recovery. Historically, this program has recovered and then distrbuted more than 246 million pounds of fresh Florida fruits and vegetables to those who needed it most. Feeding Florida partners with our state's producers to reimburse a portion of their production costs in exchange for their generous donation. In the 2023 Florida legislative session, Feeding Florida introduced recovery initiatives for new commodities, including meat and dairy.

Local Purchasing
Through local purchasing grants or funding opportunities, our food banks purchase Florida-grown products to help producers sustain and possibly expand their enterprise. These types of funding opportunities are farmer-focused and help serve agricultural producers facing unique challenges within their sector of the industry. This includes first-generation farmers/ranchers, women in agriculture, and individuals who identify as marginalized and/or socially disadvantaged.

For more information or to discuss your donation:

Cacee Hilliard, Agriculture Relations Manager
(352) 222-1959
cacee@feedingflorida.org