On Tuesday, I attended Pasco County Government Day in Tallahassee — it was my first time inside our Capitol! Huge shout-out to The Greater Pasco Chamber for an amazing experience from start to finish. Chairing our Food Policy Advisory Council is really pushing me out of my comfort zone.
We listened to presentations by Senators, Representatives, Florida’s CFO, the Department of Education, the Appropriations Chair, and many more. We finished with a networking dinner where our local elected officials attended, and we were able to connect with them on a more personal level.
There were many a-ha moments, but here are a few key takeaways:
💚 Senator Ralph Massullo left an impression with his advice to:
- Listen with empathy to gain understanding
- Speak — let your voice be heard
- Stay involved
✅ STEM and Career & Technical Education (CTE) are a huge focus
✅ Third grade is critical for learning development — 43% of Pasco students are not at grade level
✅ 20% of kids in Pasco County live in poverty
✅ Florida is losing ground in the AgTech space
✅ Investment in rural lands is a focus, especially to support job creation
On Wednesday, Access to Fresh headed to the Boys & Girls Club in one of the most rural areas of our county to bring our market — and I had a few more a-ha moments.
I was walking with a little girl when she said, “Thank you for bringing us all these fruits and vegetables. It really helps my mom. She works a lot and is in school to be a nurse.” She told me food is so expensive at the store that they only get fruits and veggies from us. I asked her what grade she was in.
She said, “Third.”
Then a teen tried some starfruit and didn’t like it. I had noticed earlier that she was eating candy. I challenged her to try the starfruit again later and explained that when we eat a lot of processed foods, it can affect our taste buds. She came back, tried it again — and kept coming back for more. Then she asked if we could plant a tree in their garden. 💚😭
I could go on with the stories, but these pictures are worth a thousand words. 💚
Imagine if we invested in Food Resilience Hubs in rural areas that provide access to AgTech, CTE, and STEM education while growing food in the communities that need it most — hubs that also support processing, aggregation, and distribution for farmers already growing locally.
And imagine if that food ended up in our schools and hospitals. 🤯
Some may call me a dreamer… but I’m not the only one. 🎶💚
Nichole Dube
