Website connects farmers with consumers to sell fresh products

From fresh produce to milk to fresh meat, Florida farmers have it all, but the supply chain is so disrupted that farmers are destroying crops and dumping milk because they can’t sell it.

“They’re used to having buyers be the restaurants, and the cruise line industry, and Disney, and even schools,” said Commissioner Nikki Fried, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

With all of those closed, buyers have mostly dried up, so the department launched “Keep Florida Growing.”

“We felt that we needed to do something to help the industry to really bridge the consumer and the growers,” Fried said.

Struggling to move their crops, growers can now list different products they have for sale, everything from produce to meat and dairy.

Shoppers can find their nearest U-Pick farm for fresh produce.

The “Keep Florida Growing” website also has information on economic assistance for farmers and food safety guidance for shoppers.