1. Michael Mirabella
The University of Florida’s Center for Public Issues Education has completed research
determining consumer preferences on locally grown and processed foods in Florida.
The researchers used focus groups and surveys to collect data on consumer preference.
They found that consumers prefer foods labeled “Fresh from Florida” to foods labeled “local.”
“The research was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,” said Joy Rumble, an assistant professor in
UF’s agricultural education and communication department.
The PIE Center hoped to distinguish an advantage in sales by labeling foods “local” or
“Fresh from Florida.” The research from the focus group data is under review at The Journal of
Applied Communications and the survey data is under review at the Journal of Agricultural
Education, says Rumble.
The researchers found consumer sales of locally grown products in Florida were roughly
a hundred times higher than the USDA predicted for the state, said Alan Hodges, an extension
scientist in UF’s food and resource economics department.
“The local food movement is really big right now,” Rumble said. “This research is able to
help producers learn how and where to market their products.”
The researchers found that local food markets boost the local economy and create new
jobs.
“This research will help boost Florida’s economy relating to agriculture due to the $8
billion in local food product sales in the state,” Hodges said. “Also, it generates 180,000 jobs that
are attributed to the local food business sector.”

2. The researchers found 28 percent of Florida households eat at local food restaurants,
Hodges said.
The researchers learned that consumers prefer locally produced foods when available, but
when choosing between the branding of “local” or “Fresh from Florida” they preferred the
“Fresh from Florida” logo, Rumble said.
“The research showed consumer identification with the ‘Fresh from Florida’ logo,”
Hodges said. “Over 90 percent of consumers recognized the ‘Fresh from Florida’ label.”
Results indicated most producers would prefer to label their products “Fresh from
Florida”. Some producers of fruit brand their products with the farms’ name and would prefer
their own label than the “Fresh from Florida” logo, Rumble said.
“The only setback to the logo is the producers have to pay a fee to the Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in order to use the ‘Fresh from Florida’
logo,” she said.
Contact Info
Name: Joy Rumble
Phone: 352-273-1663
Email: jnrumble@ufl.edu
Name: Alan Hodges
Phone: 352-294-7674
Email: awhodges@ufl.edu