Outcomes
2021-2024 Florida Heritage Foods Initiative: linking local food and local culture in Florida Farmers Markets
Funding for the Florida Heritage Foods Initiative: Connecting Local Food with Local Culture in Florida Farmers Markets was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA). Agricultural Marketing Service through grant Agreement Number 21FMPPFL1026-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
2021-2024 Executive summary:
Heritage foods represent one of the fastest-growing sectors of the food industry in Florida as an increasingly diverse population is fueling demand for foods that embody social, cultural, and historical value. Yet, farmers in Florida farmers’ markets face difficulties selling heritage foods because current customers are usually unfamiliar with new food varieties, and knowledge barriers prevent customers from accessing heritage foods for sale at farmers’ markets. Farmers’ market customers need information about heritage foods, and farmers’ markets need inclusive multicultural outreach to the diverse population of consumers driving the heritage food industry in Florida. The purpose of the Florida Heritage Foods Initiative: Connecting Local Food with Local Culture in Florida Farmers Markets is to stimulate the heritage food economy in Florida farmers markets by providing education about heritage foods for consumers and providing farmers markets with tools to reach culturally diverse communities already purchasing heritage food. View Project Narrative
Florida Heritage Foods Initiative Project Objectives
One
increase access to heritage foods in farmers’ markets with educational marketing materials for farmers, consumers, and K-12 students that provide information about the cultural, historical, nutritional, and culinary value of heritage foods
Two
expand direct-to-consumer marketing opportunities with a Multicultural Heritage Food Event Planning Tool-Kit for farmers markets.
Three
provide training and education on heritage foods to farmers, market managers, and local food stakeholders through three virtual and on-site symposiums.
Project Deliverables
Objective Two
Eight Heritage Food Outreach
Events on Farms and at Farmers Markets
Cultural Asset Map
Seasonal Planning Chart
Objective Three
Year 1 Symposium:
Opportunities and Benefits of
Heritage Foods
Year 2 Symposium: Linking
Local Food and Local Culture
Year 3 Symposium: Marketing
and Promoting Heritage Foods
Impacts
Coming soon
Florida Heritage Foods Initiative Project Objectives
One
increase access to heritage foods in farmers’ markets with educational marketing materials for farmers, consumers, and K-12 students that provide information about the cultural, historical, nutritional, and culinary value of heritage foods
Two
expand direct-to-consumer marketing opportunities with a Multicultural Heritage Food Event Planning Tool-Kit for farmers markets.
Three
provide training and education on heritage foods to farmers, market managers, and local food stakeholders through three virtual and on-site symposiums.
Objective One
Seven Heritage Food Instructional
Artifacts
Objective Two
Eight Heritage Food Outreach
Events on Farms and at Farmers Markets
Cultural Asset Map
Seasonal Planning Chart
Objective Three
Year 1 Symposium:
Opportunities and Benefits of
Heritage Foods
Year 2 Symposium: Linking
Local Food and Local Culture
Year 3 Symposium: Marketing
and Promoting Heritage Foods
Impacts
Coming soon
food and culture events
In collaboration with Florida Organic Growers and the Institute for Food and Agricultural Services (IFAS) at the University of Florida, the Florida Heritage Food Initiative at Santa Fe College worked with eight farmers and farmers markets to host culturally-thematic heritage foods events in collaboration with local cultural communities. In addition, Santa Fe College held three stakeholder symposiums to share resources and information, disseminate deliverables, and promote networking in the local food community.
ORGANIZE YOUR OWN EVENT
Santa Fe College has collaborated with Florida Organic Growers (FOG), Working Food, and the University of Florida’s Institute for Food and Agricultural Services (UF IFAS) to create a toolkit that can help others across our state organize their own multicultural food event to promote Florida heritage crops.
Our toolkit is ideally suited for use by farmers, farmers market managers, or other community stakeholders interested in promoting healthy, locally grown crops through local farms and farmers markets. Although the final toolkit will not be available until the summer of 2024, you can access key elements of the toolkit by clicking on the button below.
