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Our Work - Farmers Feeding Florida

Other Proteins

Growing Protein Options for the Future

The Farmers Feeding Florida program is designed to ensure Florida-grown food reaches Florida families who need it most. This includes exploring other proteins, and while we are currently centered on eggs and peanut butter, we have room to expand into additional sources like venison as partnerships develop.

These foods provide affordable, familiar, and highly nutritious sources of protein that fit seamlessly into food boxes, pantry shelves, and prepared meals across our statewide food bank network.

This category includes:

  • Eggs — a versatile, whole-food protein sourced from Florida egg producers
  • Peanut butter — shelf-stable, nutrient-dense spreads made from peanuts grown and processed in Florida as well as the Southeast
  • Future additions — including wild-harvested proteins like venison, pending program expansion and partner readiness

Together, these foods help ensure families have access to reliable, easy-to-use protein options that can be prepared in many ways and fit diverse cultural and household needs. Peanut butter and eggs are especially powerful tools in that mission.

Florida Peanut Butter

Florida peanuts are a versatile and highly nutritious commodity, yet a portion of each harvest may go unsold or diverted from commercial markets. Farmers Feeding Florida partners with Florida peanut growers and processors to transform this surplus into peanut butter, a shelf-stable, protein-rich staple that can be distributed to families in need across the state.

By purchasing peanuts for peanut butter production, Farmers Feeding Florida provides a reliable outlet that helps drive demand for Florida peanuts, creating positive economic impacts for growers. This program not only turns surplus crops into essential nutrition for communities but also strengthens the market for Florida peanut producers, allowing them to feel the benefits of their contributions throughout the supply chain.

Through careful coordination and integration into the peanut supply chain, Farmers Feeding Florida helps growers maintain operational continuity, offset post-harvest challenges, and maximize the impact of their harvests, ensuring that Florida peanuts nourish both families and the state’s agricultural economy.

LEARN MORE– Read our Commodity Chronicles Blog on Peanuts for more about the history of peanuts in Florida and how this commodity directly affects the families our food banks serve.

Florida Egg Recovery

Eggs are a staple protein and a highly requested food for families facing hunger, yet not all eggs meet retail standards. This fall, Farmers Feeding Florida partnered with Florida egg producers to recover large brown eggs that were not suitable for the retail shelf, turning surplus product into a valuable source of nutrition for families across the state.

By providing a reliable outlet for these eggs, the program helps egg producers maintain continuity, reduce waste, and maximize the value of their production, while ensuring that families receive fresh, protein-rich food. Farmers Feeding Florida acts as an extension of the producer, coordinating logistics, handling, and distribution so that surplus eggs can reach food banks efficiently and safely.

Through this program, Florida egg producers not only see the direct impact of their contributions on families in need, but also benefit from a structured, supportive outlet that strengthens the state’s food system and reinforces the connection between agriculture and community nutrition.

Looking Ahead

The “Other Proteins” category is intentionally designed to grow. As partnerships evolve, Feeding Florida and its food bank network are exploring additional protein sources, including venison and other specialty proteins, that could help:

  • Reduce food waste
  • Support rural and agricultural economies
  • Increase variety and cultural relevance for the families we serve

This flexible structure allows the program to respond to both producer supply and community needs as they change. 

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