The Florida agriculture department has added an interactive map and other updates to its website that links growers to consumers during the pandemic.
The Florida Farm To You commodities exchange from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has more than 310 listings for vegetables, citrus and other fruits. It launched April 9 and allows consumers to search for specific produce and other food from Florida producers by county or ZIP Code.
The page had been visited more than 334,000 times in late April, according to a news release from the department.
Transportation companies can now list their services. After filling out an online form, their posts allow growers to find options to transport their crops.
“Our new Florida Farm to You page has successfully connected Florida’s farmers with buyers, food banks, and consumers in their communities,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in the release. “Now, we’ve made the page even more user-friendly by adding an interactive, searchable map, and we’re adding functionality to help agriculture producers find transportation for their crops from their fields.
“As COVID-19 creates unprecedented challenges, we remain committed to doing everything we can to support both our farmers and consumers in need.”
FFVA farm to consumer service
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association has a similar service, and about 75 growers are listing commodities and pick-up locations.
The FFVA site also features a map of participating growers, hours of service, and links to online ordering directly from the growers.
Growers who want to participate can e-mail the association at information@ffva.com.
To list a grower and commodity, the FFVA asks for company name, address of sale site, phone number, Facebook page, commodity for sale and hours of availability.
To see how other associations and companies are reaching consumers during the pandemic, see The Packer’s COVID-19 webpage.
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