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Alachua County outlines food-system resilience plan and small-farmer supports after storm losses
Summary
Alachua County staff described efforts to strengthen the local food system — from small-farmer grants and business-planning support to a proposed food hub and resilience hubs — and addressed commissioner concerns about food loss and distribution after recent storms.
Sean McClendon, the county’s economic development manager, told the joint Water and Climate Policy Board that Alachua County is expanding programs to shore up the local food system after repeated storm losses to agriculture.
McClendon defined a food system as everything from production and aggregation to distribution and consumption, and said that recent hurricanes have caused large agricultural losses in Florida. "Ian had a $1,300,000,000 impact on our agricultural systems here alone in the state of Florida," he said, and noted similar, smaller impacts from 2023 and 2024 storms. He said the county is focusing on reducing waste, supporting small producers and building distribution capacity.
County staff highlighted the small-farmer grant program, now in its third year, as a practical step to keep small operations viable.…
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