With the the passage of the Farm Bill in Congress, Florida farmers can breathe easier, but because of Rick Scott, food is still hard to come by for some struggling Floridians. 

Rick Scott has repeatedly cut funding to Farm Share, a non-profit organization that provides food that would otherwise go to waste to hungry and malnourished Floridians. This program has received bipartisan support for years, yet the red ink flowing from Rick Scott’s veto pen has other plans. 

Many Floridians struggling to feed their families depend on Farm Share, and Rick Scott could care less. Unless there’s a photo-op:

Here is a timeline of Rick Scott’s cuts to Farm Share, and the backlash that has followed:

Headline: Scott’s decision to cut money for food programs is just mean

“It’s a sorry day when in a growing economy we can find enough money to give a tax break for major corporations, but not a few bucks to ensure our most vulnerable have access to something as basic as food.” — Dan Gelber 

Context Florida – February 2, 2014  

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Headline: State cuts could force Farm Share to stop serving produce to hungry Florida families

“Food wasted while thousands sit hungry.”

“Farm Share is facing a $750,000 cut from the state for the second year in a row.  Past cuts forced them to close down two distribution centers, including one in the Glades area.” 

“It’s just terrible because the wholesale distribution part of all the agencies that serve the hungry is already fairly weak.” 

“Program leaders say the cut would starve the rest of the state from the produce.” 

“People cry sometimes when we give them a bag of green beans or a bag of potatoes, so that tells you how much it means to them… Not giving produce and knowing that produce is going to go to waste somewhere, that’s horrible.” 

WPTV – April 4, 2012 

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Headline: Budget Cuts Threaten Future Of Farm Share

“Farm Share is the pipeline between the farmers and soup kitchens and churches with pantries that are feeding Florida’s hungry.”

“As a person I love to help out and knowing farm share is there to back us up we feel good knowing we can help the people but now without farm share that’s hell…. We are hoping and praying that [Rick Scott] will understand what a vital program this is to the people of Florida.”

CBS-4 Miami – April 2, 2012

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“[Farm Share] was the only instance of Republican and Democrat unanimous support that increased annual funding in a budget-cutting year from $500,000 to $750,000 before their cooperative effort was vetoed by Scott.”

“Farm Share’s efforts that distributed 15.2 million pounds of food with a total value of $26 million to needy Florida children and adults during the past year.”

Kendall Gazette – September 16, 2011

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Headline: Farm Share Facing Cuts

“Farm Share has gotten state funding for almost 20 years, until this year. Governor Rick Scott vetoed 750,000 dollars to fund the agency.”

“It’s hard to even imagine that the funding is gone…. What we’re going to do next, we have no idea. We’re going to stay open as long as we can and keep giving the food out. It’s all we can do, until the money is gone.”

WCTV – July 15, 2011