Florida Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services

The mission of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to safeguard the public and support Florida's agricultural economy by: ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of food and other consumer products through inspection and testing programs; protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices and providing consumer information; assisting Florida's farmers and agricultural industries with the production and promotion of agricultural products; and conserving and protecting the state's agricultural and natural resources by reducing wildfires, promoting environmentally safe agricultural practices, and managing public lands. This sponsorship is made available through a specialty crop block grant.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information accessible. While extending into every community of the state, UF/IFAS has developed an international reputation for its accomplishments in teaching, research and extension.  Because of this mission and the diversity of Florida’s climate and agricultural commodities, IFAS has facilities located throughout Florida.

The mission of the UF Office of Sustainability is to make the University of Florida – in its operations, education, research, and outreach – a model of sustainability, integrating the goals of ecological restoration, economic development, and social equity. In pursuing this mandate, the Office of Sustainability encourages and facilitates the collaborative efforts of faculty, students, staff and alumni to generate knowledge, acquire skills, develop values, and initiate practices that contribute to a sustainable, high quality of life on campus, in the state of Florida, and across the globe.

Florida A&M University/CAFS
The College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS) is the land-grant arm at Florida A&M University. CAFS offers unique opportunities for students to grow professionally and build on their dreams for the future. For more than 100 years, CAFS continues a rich legacy of "Excellence with Caring" through its tripartite land-grant mission to provide collegiate teaching, extension and outreach that is global in scope and recognized both nationally and internationally.

We believe in supporting local farmers and producers. We have a Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP) that provides up to $10 million in low-interest loans to small, local producers. We want to make it easier for you to grow your business and bring local products to market. Find out more at wholefoodsmarket.com.

SARE is a competitive grants program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote research and education about sustainable agriculture. The objective is to enable farmers and ranchers to move profitably toward production systems compatible with the goal of sustainable agriculture, including promoting good land stewardship, protecting the health and safety of people and animals, enhancing quality of life, and strengthening rural communities.

Verti-Gro® specializes in vertical growing and vertical gardening to utilize space, water and energy in an efficient manner. Our systems provide for high density production for the commercial grower and space saving for the hobbyist or home gardener. Whether for the purpose of small farms, large scale agricultural operations or research, the advantages are significant with Verti-Gro.

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries.

PrimusLabs is a global leader in food safety and is expanding its services to local farmers via the Local Farmer Program. The program eases the process by which small-scale farmers successfully implement and verify personalized food safety plans in order to participate in markets that increasingly demand truly local produce.

Publix is privately owned and operated by its 157,000 employees, with 2011 sales of $27.0 billion. Currently Publix has 1,068 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.

FL Farm Bureau Federation
FL Farm Bureau Insurance
We exist to strengthen family farms and local communities, and apply a collective effort to solve farmers’ problems. In addition, Insurance offers its members access to a full line of quality products.