From Farm Fields to Food Bank -- Peanuts are more than just a tasty snack or a key ingredient in peanut butter sandwiches—they’re also an important crop for Florida farmers and a vital food for families across our state. Recently, we sat down with Gregg Grimsley, President of Peanut Proud, to learn about how peanuts are grown in Florida, why they matter, and how peanut butter helps food banks keep families fed.
Read Full News PostFlorida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, along with state Senate President Ben Albritton, visited Feeding Tampa Bay to announce the Farmers Feeding Florida program. “We have food insecurity all over this state,” Simpson said. State lawmakers and the governor approved $38 million in the recent state budget for the Farmers Feeding Florida initiative. $28 million is meant to buy excess crops and milk from Florida farms, which food banks will distribute. $10 million is to expand food banks and pantries, especially in rural areas.
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Florida is investing in a program that will help local farmers and hungry families. This year, lawmakers allocated $38 million toward Farmers Feeding Florida, a new statewide initiative to expand an existing food purchase program between local growers and food banks.
Read Full News PostSenate President Ben Albritton called the program a 'hand up, not a handout.' What happens to all the dairy farmers when students are out of school for the Summer and not guzzling milk cartons? State leaders say a new state program has found the solution by connecting farmers and ranchers dealing with surpluses in the slow season to families struggling to make ends meet.
Read Full News PostFlorida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula), and Senate President Pro Tempore Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford) today joined Feeding Tampa Bay leadership, Feeding Florida Network Board Members, local Dairy farmers and processors, and representatives from various sectors of Florida’s iconic agriculture industry for the launch of Florida’s statewide Farmers Feeding Florida initiative.
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In our new blog series, “How does that work?” we will bring readers closer to the work our food banks do every day. This month we’re diving into procurement—how food banks get food—which turns out to be far more complex than it sounds. Considering the network moved over 400 Million pounds of food last fiscal year, we have to know- how does a food bank get food to begin with?
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One of the most important teachings within the Nutrition Education curriculum to save time and money is meal planning. It’s not as hard as it seems, but it does help to have useful steps to guide you. Explore this step by step 5-day meal planner, and also hear tips and tricks from our Florida Nutrition Ed Regional Director, Rebecca Rodriguez.
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As Floridians, we’ve faced storms before, and we know the power of being ready. Now’s the time to take action, not just prepare. As Florida enters the 2025 Hurricane Season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, it's crucial for everyone to take proactive steps to safeguard their homes and loved ones. Here are smart, simple tips from our partners at the Division of Emergency Management to help you get your family storm-ready with confidence.
Read Full News PostThe Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget tackles food insecurity in rural Florida and helps farmers, which are key priorities for Senate President Ben Albritton. “No matter how prosperous our state is, unexpected and unplanned things happen that can cause food insecurity for families. I don’t want any Floridian, especially children, to go to bed hungry every night, not knowing where their next meal will come from,” Albritton said in a statement.
Read Full News PostRobin Safley, the CEO of Feeding South Florida’s umbrella organization, Feeding Florida, emphasized the economic importance of guaranteeing access to healthy, fresh food. Those served by her organization’s affiliate food banks disproportionately deal with chronic health issues, including diabetes, said Safley. “Many of them are also on Medicaid,” she noted, “so those chronic conditions can really drive up the cost of health care.” Healthy eating plays a critical role in mitigating those costs, she added.
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