TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's Department of Agriculture launched a new website Monday in an effort to help the state's farmers and ranchers amid the coronavirus crisis.
The new Keep Florida Growing webpage,announced in a social media video by Commissioner Nikki Fried, is a portal that provides food and agriculture-related information.
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“With COVID-19 deeply affecting not only Floridians but also agriculture, our state’s second-largest economic driver, we’re launching a new one-stop page to support consumers and our agriculture community,” said Fried. “We’re bringing together Floridians and their food producers in one place to share state and federal resources, ways to buy and sell farm-fresh Florida products, and information on steps we’re taking to keep Florida growing.”
I'm excited to launch our #KeepFloridaGrowing page, a one-stop site for:
— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) April 13, 2020
🍉Info for ag producers like Florida Farm To You commodities list & @SBAgov loans
🍅Info for consumers like U-pick farm locations
It's how we're keeping Florida & food producers connected in #COVID19.
For agriculture producers, the site features the Florida Farm To You commodities list, where farmers can list their products for buyers, food banks and consumers.
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The page also features information on economic assistance, such as SBA loans, USDA assistance and state emergency bridge loans, along with state purchasing programs for agricultural commodities.
For consumers, they can find access to food-related information, including a U-pick farm locator where produce can be found, helping to reduce transportation costs for agriculture producers.
Consumers can also find information on the department’s food assistance programs, including summer food service programs for children during school closures and food assistance locations for low-income families.