Our Work - Farmers Feeding Florida
Feeding Florida set out to expand our programs to include Florida-produced proteins, recognizing that the state’s cattle ranchers have both resources and expertise to make a meaningful difference for the 2.3 million Floridians facing hunger. Protein remains one of the most needed and least donated food items, making access to high-quality beef especially impactful for families. Beef is a protein powerhouse and the nutrition it provides is undeniable.
Through our partnership with the Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA), we developed a beef recovery program that utilizes mature Florida beef and dairy cattle no longer in production. This initiative provides ranchers with a responsible, community-focused option by allowing them to donate cattle that are then humanely processed into ground beef at inspected facilities.
Once processed and packaged, Feeding Florida’s network of nine food banks distributes the beef to local communities across the state, ensuring families have access to nutritious, Florida-raised protein. By connecting ranchers to neighbors in need, the program strengthens agricultural sustainability while transforming a transition point in the production cycle into nourishment for thousands of households.
To better understand how this process works from ranch to food bank—and the role Florida beef plays in strengthening hunger relief across the state—read more in our blog, Commodity Chronicles: Beef.
Beef plays a unique role in hunger relief because it is a nutrient-dense, high-quality protein that provides essential nutrients often lacking in food-insecure households. It delivers a complete protein, along with key nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins, which support growth, development, and overall health.
Protein is one of the most requested and least donated food categories in the hunger relief system due to cost, storage, and sourcing challenges. Our beef recovery efforts help fill that gap by offering a highly versatile protein that can be distributed in ground form and used across a wide range of household meals.
By including Florida-raised beef in the food bank network, the program helps ensure families have access not just to food, but to meaningful nutrition that supports long-term health and food security.
The Beef Recovery Program provides multiple pathways to support Florida’s hunger relief efforts through cattle and beef donations. Participation is not limited to a single model—producers can engage in ways that align with their operation type, production goals, and community needs.
Opportunities include mature cattle donations, partnerships with direct-to-consumer beef programs that help channel beef into the hunger relief system, and support of youth livestock projects through fed steer sales that contribute beef directly to Feeding Florida.
When herd management decisions are being made, producers work closely with the Feeding Florida Agricultural Relations team to coordinate donation timing, identify appropriate drop-off or processing locations, and receive documentation for their contribution.
In both models, cattle are treated as charitable donations, and producers receive documentation reflecting fair market value for tax deduction purposes.
The Agricultural Relations team works directly with producers prior to harvest or drop-off to coordinate logistics with approved livestock markets or USDA-inspected processing partners, identify optimal scheduling, and ensure a smooth transition from ranch to food bank distribution.
We are accepting interest year-round, please complete this form to get started.
Agriculture Relations Coordinator
