Food Project Receives National Awards

Food Project Receives National Awards

Florida Farm Bureau members have earned a solid reputation for supporting their communities. One example of their service during the past year has received national recognition. Their contributions to assist food-insecure families in our state earned top awards from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The Floridians earned the Harvest for All award for the most pounds of food donated, the Harvest for All Friends award for most volunteer hours served and the Harvest for All Most Innovative award for the “Fresh from Florida Challenge.”

Local Farm Bureau volunteers across the state, Young Farmers and Ranchers, Women’s committees and Florida Farm Bureau employees worked to provide all 12 Feeding Florida food banks with fresh food products.

The challenge provided the charitable facilities with more than 20 million pounds of produce as well as fresh milk. Several county Farm Bureaus supplied local food banks with 10 gallons of milk each week for the entire year.

Volunteers also raised more than $6,000 for the challenge and donated more than 10,000 hours of service. Adam Cook, president of the Florida Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Group, praised the members’ collective effort. “We are honored to receive these awards,” Cook said, “but the real prize is the fact that we have helped to provide good nutrition for Floridians in need. I am privileged to be part of a network of volunteers who take positive action to improve their communities.

“Our work on the Fresh from Florida Challenge shows what Farm Bureau people can accomplish by working together. I thank all of them for their commitment to this project and for making it an outstanding success.”