35 Years of Putting Food on the Tables of Florida Families

FOR 35 YEARS, FARM SHARE, FLORIDA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT FOOD BANK, HAS CONNECTED FLORIDA COMMUNITIES WITH FRESH FOOD.

Thirty-five years ago, Farm Share founder Patricia Robbins saw truckloads of perfectly good produce being thrown away in Homestead because it was too small, too big, or simply the wrong shade for a supermarket shelf.

She partnered with farmers to rescue that surplus food and mobilized volunteers to get it into the hands of people who needed it. What started as a local effort in Homestead has grown into Florida’s largest independent food bank, serving communities from Pensacola to Key West.

The mission remains the same: no one should go hungry while good food goes to waste.

Today, Farm Share has seven warehouses across the state and works with a network of nearly 2,000 partner agencies and community organizations. Last year, it rescued and distributed 112 million pounds of fresh food, providing 100 million meals to Florida families. Since Farm Share began, more than one billion pounds of food have been distributed across the state.

“We have become the hub in the food distribution wheel here in the state of Florida,” said Stephen Shelley, Farm Share’s president and CEO. “What’s driving my employees and my staff is that mission. It’s helping those people, seeing the smiles on those seniors’ faces or the kids’ faces when they receive those fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Over the years, Farm Share has also grown into a major part of Florida’s disaster response. The organization aims to mobilize within the first 24 to 48 hours after a disaster occurs to get food, water and disaster relief supplies to affected communities. During Major Hurricane’s Helene and Milton Farm Share distributed nearly 8 million pounds to communities in need.

But as the organization turns 35, the need for its work has only become more pressing. With rising costs, many Florida families are finding it harder to make ends meet.

Hunger is not limited to families living below the poverty line. According to Farm Share, 34% of Florida households are considered ALICE households, working families who earn above the federal poverty level but can still struggle to afford essentials such as groceries, rent and utilities.

For a family facing an unexpected expense, a senior living on a fixed income, or a working parent trying to make a paycheck stretch, access to fresh food can provide much-needed relief.

That sense of community is also at the heart of Farm Share’s 35th anniversary documentary. The film brings together the voices of founders, staff, board members, farmers and community partners who helped build the organization, along with stories from people and families who have received support.

It offers a look at where Farm Share started, how it has grown over the past 35 years, and the people who continue to carry the mission forward.

Today, Florida residents can be part of that story in many ways, from volunteering, making a financial contribution or creating corporate partnerships.

As Farm Share celebrates 35 years, the milestone is an opportunity to look back at how far the organization has come, but also to recognize that the next chapter is already being written.

For an organization that began with farmers, volunteers and a community willing to believe in an idea, the future still comes down to the same thing: people showing up for one another.

Learn more about Farm Share’s 35th anniversary and how you can support Florida families at FarmShare.org/35years.

SOUTH FLORIDA RECOGNIZES FARM SHARE

That community spirit has recently been recognized in South Florida as well.

On August 17, the City of Hialeah officially proclaimed Farm Share Day, recognizing the organization’s commitment to serving communities through charitable programs, humanitarian efforts and community outreach in honor of National Nonprofit Day.

Farm Share is also a finalist for the 2026 Moxie Awards South Florida, which recognize organizations for boldness in business, including leadership, innovation, growth and community impact.

For Farm Share, these recognitions are about more than the organization itself. They reflect the farmers, volunteers, donors, partners and community members who have helped make the work possible over the past 35 years.