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.
The state-run program is modeled after two USDA programs, the Local Food Purchase Assistance program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which were canceled by the Trump administration earlier this year.
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The $1 billion in USDA cuts would have meant a shortfall of nearly $34 million for growers and food banks in Florida, according to Robin Safley, executive director at Feeding Florida.
That's no longer the case.
Florida's historical investment, compared with $6.5 million last fiscal year, will be used to expand food purchases beyond locally grown produce.
"We've been practicing this model for about 15 years with a focus on produce," Safley said. "We started experimenting with proteins, dairy, beef, aquaculture — and so this funding will allow us to expand that."
I think of farming as the sacred livelihood of all of us, and then when you think about people that are food insecure, that go to bed hungry every night, if you can put those two together, I think that we've created something very special.
The program also helps minimize food waste by prioritizing the purchase of excess or less marketable products for distribution at food banks.
Safley said about 70 farmers and ranchers are partnering with Farmers Feeding Florida, and she expects that number to keep growing.
Speaking at Feeding Tampa Bay on Thursday, Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, touted the new program, which began July 1.
"The work going on here is the Lord's work, and it's something we can all be proud of," Albritton said.
Albritton, who made supporting rural Florida a top priority during this year's legislative session, called the program's benefits for food-insecure families "a hand up, not a handout."
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Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who has a background in egg farming, said the program creates a win-win for farmers and hungry families.
"I think of farming as the sacred livelihood of all of us, and then when you think about people that are food insecure, that go to bed hungry every night, if you can put those two together, I think that we've created something very special."
Other concerns for families facing food insecurity in Florida remain.
The Trump administration approved sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that could impact eligibility and average monthly benefits for the nearly 3 million Floridians who rely on food stamps.
Last week, Florida also got approval from the USDA to narrow the list of eligible foods SNAP beneficiaries can buy.
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here's how you can share your story with her.
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