Gainesville, Alachua County

School District and Grassroots Leadership Advance Good Food Purchasing in Florida

Advocates and organizers in Florida’s Alachua County and Greater Gainesville area have spent decades working to improve conditions for regional farmworkers and to strengthen the local food system. In a major step toward these goals — and to advance the district’s farm to school efforts — Alachua County Public Schools adopted the Good Food Purchasing Program. The school board’s leadership continues to inspire institutions, including the City of Gainesville and Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, to join them in aligning food purchasing dollars with the region’s social and environmental goals.

Population:
269,043

Race Demographics:
21% Black / 0.4% Indigenous / 6% Asian / 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander / 70% White (61% Non-Hispanic) / 3% Two or More Races / 11% Hispanic

Poverty Rate:
18%

Alachua County Public Schools Free and Reduced Price Lunch:
72%

Estimated Public Food Spend:
$37,000,000

Local Leadership:
Alachua County Public Schools, Food Justice League

Curious to see where Gainesville and Alachua County institutions can invest their public food dollars locally? Use the map’s radius distance slider (left) to see how purchasing within a 50 mile, 250 mile, or 500 mile radius looks.