Food is Econ Dev. Food Builds Resilience.
It’s been a busy weekend—and a beautiful reminder of why we do what we do at Access to Fresh.
Food is more than fuel.
Food is health.
Food is medicine.
Food is opportunity.
Food builds community—and that’s our goal every single day.
Food as Community
Thank you to Josey Crane Burrows and everyone who joined #TheBigVeggieTakeover!
Photo one: Farmer Lundyn’s breakfast masterpiece—a veggie-packed plate made from scratch by my 12-year-old homeschooler. (Yes, I count that as a culinary class! 🥕)
Seeing everyone’s feeds filled with colorful veggies felt like heaven on earth—and a perfect reminder that when we share our plates, we grow our community.
Food as Health and Medicine
The next photo is especially meaningful.
This morning, our team showed up for a class that was nearly canceled after SNAP-Ed cuts led to job losses for local educators.
Since Access to Fresh was already scheduled to deliver produce, we stepped in to make sure the class could go on. Twenty participants came together to learn, cook, and share new recipes—and the feedback said it all:
“I learned so much I never knew!”
“I tried that recipe with my family– can you believe it? They ate kale, beet and apple saladI
Huge thanks to AdventHealth West Florida and AdventHealth Tarpon Springs for sponsoring this class and believing in the power of food as medicine. 💚
Food as Connection
After class, I joined a call with Clancy Harrison to prep for an upcoming webinar—then headed to a local farm to pick up 47 bags of the first-of-the-season salad mix. Those greens will be included in this week’s bundles for Veterans in partnership with Seniors in Service.
The day wrapped up helping a local veteran open a produce stand on his 60 acres—turning what could have been empty fields into a space full of promise.
Days like this remind me that building resilient communities isn’t about big moments—it’s about showing up, one class, one farm, and one family at a time.
At Access to Fresh, that’s exactly what we do:
We show up.
We teach.
We grow.
And together—we feed resilience. 💚
Nichole Dube
