Farm Share, non-profit food-bank, for recovery and distribution of surplus food for hungry people

Farm Share, using inmate labor and volunteers, re-sorts and packages an abundance of surplus food and distributes it to individuals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, churches, and other organizations feeding the hungry in Florida at no charge. This important distinction makes Farm Share critical to smaller agencies located in poorer rural areas that cannot afford to pay for food. By tapping into this near limitless supply of donated produce, we keep our costs low, while providing fresh nutritious fruits and vegetables to the hunger distressed. However, the fact that we do not require the hands-on agencies to share the burden of our expenses makes Farm Share more reliant on donations from the community. If you do not help, we cannot help.

Millions of Americans suffer from hunger and malnutrition. As family income levels decrease, funds available for food diminish, resulting in nutrient-deficient diets. America's children and elderly are most severely affected by hunger and malnutrition. Farm Share is working to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by recovering and distributing fresh and nutritious foods to those who need it most. Farm Share provides food to hundreds of non-profit organizations that serve more than 7 million meals monthly reaching more than 600,000 families each year. More than 18 million pounds of fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables are trucked each year to participating agencies throughout Florida.

Established in 1991, Farm Share is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to recovering, sorting, packing and distributing nutritious food for people in need. Farm Share administers a combination of USDA commodity programs and produce recovery operations.

Farm Share attributes much of its success to the efforts of our staff, volunteers, and board members. The following board members have been instrumental in the development of our program.

Farm Share attributes much of its success to the efforts of our staff, volunteers, and board members. Our boards consist of state and local leaders, farmers and agricultural experts, philanthropists and community advocates, government and legal advisors, and are all instrumental in the development of our program.

Executive Board

Mark Robbins, President/CEO

Patricia Robbins, Chairman

Ann Wainwright, Vice Chairman

Charles H. Hartz

Senator Daryl L. Jones

Jennifer Helms-Shelley

Advisory Board

Commissioner Adam H. Putnam

Secretary Kenneth S. Tucker

Secretary David E. Wilkins

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Congressman Marco Rubio

Yvonne Alexander

John Alger

Richard Alger

Sam Ard

Sandy Batchelor

Paul DiMare

Katie Edwards

Richard Gunnels

James Humble

Ella Knight

Charles LaPradd

Robert Levy

David Lorency

Winn Peeples

Don Pybas

Diego Rodriguez

Greer Wallace

Free food distributions occur at many of Farm Share's locations. Distributions provide thousands with the food they need to live healthy, and nutritionally balanced lives for free.

A handful of dedicated volunteers and a small staff operate this program. They are assisted by inmate labor, provided by Secretary Kenneth S. Tucker of the Florida Department of Corrections. Farm Share operates at locations convenient to farmers and provided by Commissioner Adam H. Putnam of the Florida Department of Agriculture. We have sites in north Florida at the Gadsden County State Farmers Market, and in south Florida at the Pompano State Farmers Market and the Florida City State Farmers Market. Our headquarters is located in our own charitable packinghouse in Homestead--the heart of Miami-Dade County's farming area.

Farm Share serves as a vital link between farmers with surplus produce and social service agencies that provide food to needy people. Click to see a diagram of what we do. Farm Share works with farmers throughout Florida and the Eastern United States to recover nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables (in bulk lots of 20,000+ pounds) considered unsuitable for the retail market due to size or minor blemishes. In addition, Farm Share works with packers, workers, wholesalers and grocers to divert food that has been rejected in the retail sector due to minor imperfections. Farm Share then arranges deliveries to participating nonprofit organizations. All recovered produce is distributed to qualifying low-income families and charitable organizations feeding those in need -- at no charge.

Farm Share not only helps needy people, but also provides a valuable service to farmers by assisting in disposing of produce not marketable at the retail level. This saves the farmers the added expense of disposal fees and related labor costs. In addition, field productivity is increased, sales are potentially increased as a result of product exposure, and food is donated and distributed to needy people without interfering with normal marketing channels.