Fifty percent of produce grown in the state of Florida is thrown away and not because the fruits and vegetables are bad.
About 45,000 pounds of surplus vegetables were trucked into Tallahassee Friday and hundreds were waiting ready to pick out their favorites for free for their family.
While this is an exciting time for locals, it sheds light on a problem. These fresh veggies would normally land in a landfill. Grace Nelson, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson's Wife, said, “millions of tons of fresh vegetables are left to rot, either because they are too big for bags or fast food chains won't take blemished tomatoes.”
Twelve years ago the organization FarmShare was founded. Patricia Robbins Patricia Robbins, FarmShare founder, said, “we have 38 farmers that donate regularly and we give produce to people who are hungry here in Florida.”
While 152 million pounds of food have been distributed since FarmShare began, coordinators say they are still only able to gather 15 percent of the crops left behind.
