December 2020 - Florida Impact

The mission of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to support family farms and student health around the country, and Florida Impact to End Hunger is excited to have been awarded one of their 2020 planning grants so that we can bring local produce to students at Fort Braden Elementary School in Tallahassee.

We’ve named our project Farm to Leon County Schools and refer to our work at Fort Braden Elementary School as “Farm to Fort”.

Our partnerships with Leon County Schools, Red Hills Small Farm Alliance, Florida A&M University, University of Florida IFAS Leon Extension, Fort Braden Elementary School, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the American Heart Association, and the Fort Braden community has given us the knowledge and resources for planning a holistic project.

During the planning process, we have connected with teachers, administrators, food service staff, and students to better understand current practices and even learn about vegetables everyone would like to eat at school. We’ve learned that students who are engaged in learning about fresh, healthy diets are more open to trying new and different foods. Therefore, as a part of our plan, students will be familiarized with seasonal produce in the classroom and locally sourced produce in the cafeteria.

In 2021, students will get a chance to taste local produce sourced from Red Hills Small Farm Alliance farmers. They will also get to vote if they “like it!” or if they “tried it!”. With this grant opportunity from the USDA, we can ensure these students have the opportunity to enjoy locally-sourced, fresh food.

Donations to Florida Impact to End Hunger towards this project will guarantee students at Fort Braden Elementary School will have a chance to learn about their nearby farms and gain exposure to fresh, local food. So if you are looking to make a real difference this holiday season, please consider donating to Florida Impact to End Hunger to support Farm to Leon County Schools at Fort Braden Elementary!

This fall was full of new beginnings. As a new intern working with REACH and Florida Impact to End Hunger, I had to hit the ground running the first day on the job! I was excited to start working on the different projects that were already active, like the Miami Gardens Healthy Corner Stores Project and ventures that were soon to come.

I have lived in Miami Gardens my whole life and have never been to any of the stores that we have partnered with. Visiting those stores and working with the store owners has made this continuous experience one that has been and will go on to be very beneficial for the community.

I am working on trying to get fresh, healthier items into our local grocery/corner stores so that Miami Gardens residents who are disadvantaged can have that choice to have better food options in their individual households.

In the upcoming year, we will take the Miami Gardens Healthy Corner Stores Project even further after the recent passage of the official healthy corner store designation policy. With this new policy, we will be able to bring more stores into the project and create long-term initiatives that would expand our reach in different parts of Miami Gardens.

I truly believe that the work I am doing is important for the community. The part I play only addresses a small portion of the bigger issue of food disparity within the area that needs to be addressed. My only ask is that people acknowledge these issues and be proactive in the change they want to see. There is so much to be done!

One way to get involved is to give a donation. Anything is something, whether it is big or small. I know we are in a pandemic, but that is even more reason to give and make an impact for those that have been struggling the most. We want to further introduce fresh produce in the stores at affordable prices for city residents, but Florida Impact to End Hunger needs funding to do that. Please visit www.floridaimpact.org/donate to gift a donation and help Florida’s families.

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” – Margaret J. Wheatly

Raniya Mims

REACH Intern

Florida Impact to End Hunger

BRINGING LOCAL PRODUCE TO THE STUDENTS OF FORT BRADEN ELEMENTARY

HOW YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT | A WORD FROM RANIYA MIMS