LOCAL FOOD CONNECTION
Moving local food from farms to community with purpose.
Connecting neighbors and growers to build a more just local food community.
Too many families in our region struggle to access fresh, nourishing food. At the same time, local farmers often have full fields but limited ways to reach buyers. We’re working to close that gap by building local food connections.
We see a future where local, fresh, nourishing food is accessible, inclusive, and convenient.
Get involved
Support your community and access fresh, local food! Find local food donations, learn how to use SNAP and Fresh Access Bucks, volunteer at food distribution days, and order from our online market when it launches in 2026.
In North Central Florida, it’s not always easy to find or afford fresh, local food.
Limited time, low wages, high prices, and transportation challenges can make local food feel out of reach. The movement of local food from the ground to our plates has far-reaching effects on community health. Rates of nutrition-related chronic disease in our region are on the rise. Not knowing how to cook with seasonal ingredients or how to use federal benefits to purchase local food can make this even worse.
Meanwhile, local farmers and food entrepreneurs face slim profit margins and shrinking markets, and face barriers to getting their products to buyers. Income from farming in Florida dropped by 44% in the last ten years (USDA ERS, 2023). Farmers markets help keep resources circulating in our community, but they aren’t always accessible to all. We believe local food should be something we can all enjoy. So we’re building the systems and supports to make that a reality.
We expand access to locally-produced food while supporting each aspect of the food web.
Local Food Connection brings together growers, neighbors, and community partners to expand access to locally-produced food while supporting the farmers who grow it and the artisans and food entrepreneurs who prepare it.
Our work helps direct food where it’s needed, and ensures the people who grow it can thrive.
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Grow and share food from our Giving Gardens
Reduce barriers to fresh food through donations to community organizations
Offer a weekly walk-up food donation day
Help redirect farm surpluses to reduce waste
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Support farmers and food makers with new markets and tools
Increase fresh food access through online ordering, group purchases, and convenient community pick-up locations
Offer simple, culturally rooted ways to cook with local ingredients through recipes and tastings.
Make local food more affordable by accepting SNAP and Fresh Access Bucks
Our Impact
During the 2024 -2025 fiscal year:
5,000 lbs of organic produce was donated to reduce food insecurity.
5 local partners, including UF Health Shands Pediatric Clinic, received regular fresh food donations.
Over 450 households received free, locally grown produce
40 food-based entrepreneurs grew their businesses in our shared commercial kitchen
Four farmers participating in our value-added products program generated $95,000 in additional revenue in one year.
How It Makes a Difference
Thanks to Local Food Connection, more people:
Eat fresh, local food grown right here in our region
Learn new ways to cook and enjoy seasonal produce
Can earn a living growing food
Connect with the farmers and neighbors who feed our community
Keep resources circulating within the local economy
We foster connections between the people who grow and prepare food and those who eat it, supporting a food web rooted in justice, care, and mutual support.
Want to get involved?
Want to get involved?
Explore our other initiatives
Giving Gardens
We cultivate an urban farm and many gardens that provide seeds, food, community gathering space, living classrooms, and homes for wildlife.
Youth Growing Together
We create safe, inclusive spaces where young people learn about, care for, and take part in our local food web - building confidence, agency, skills, and a lifelong investment in food and community.