AI hiring tools can streamline recruitment, but they can also reinforce biases and leave qualified applicants struggling to get an interview. Second Harvest’s Keonna Yearwood-Branch explains how job training and direct employer relationships can help candidates move beyond automated screening.

The Farmworker Association of Florida invites the community to a family-style dinner featuring harvests from its gardens on Friday at the Apopka Community Center. The evening will also include live entertainment, a raffle, an auction, and a market of local makers. Tickets are still available.

The annual Peanut Butter Challenge is collecting donations to stock local food pantries, and Orange County hopes to expand its impact after winning last year’s competition. Residents can donate sealed, unexpired peanut butter at participating Extension offices during October, with collections continuing into November in some counties.

The Florida Blue Foundation is awarding $3.1 million to eight community-based initiatives addressing food insecurity across the state. The programs will serve students, farmworkers, uninsured residents, people experiencing homelessness, and rural communities.

A steady stream of recall notices and social media posts may make the nation’s food supply seem less safe, but a UF/IFAS expert says current recall numbers are generally consistent with previous years. Consumers should review the specific products, brands, and lot numbers involved rather than avoiding an entire category of food.

Bojangles has opened a new restaurant at 3050 State Road 436 in Apopka. The location is the Carolina-based chain’s seventh restaurant in the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne market.

The City of Apopka has issued a precautionary boil-water advisory for several neighborhoods and businesses following a water main break on Welch Road east of Rock Springs Road. Customers should boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes until the city lifts the advisory.

AdventHealth is supporting 13 Central Florida nonprofits working to improve housing stability, food access, transportation, and maternal health. The grants are expected to help the organizations serve more than 123,200 people, including families in the Apopka area.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida asks residents to take at least one action to fight hunger in September. Community members can donate, volunteer, attend an event, advocate for hunger relief, or wear orange for Hunger Action Day.

Hope CommUnity Center is asking the Apopka community for donations as supplies at its emergency food pantry begin to run low. Residents can purchase needed items through an Amazon Wish List, deliver food to the center or contribute financially.

Prices for tomatoes, lettuce and other fresh produce have climbed substantially over the past year as disruptions ripple through the agricultural supply chain. Shoppers can reduce costs by choosing less-affected foods and substituting canned or frozen produce when appropriate.

Florida has recorded at least 50 cyclosporiasis cases across 24 counties since May 1 as infections rise nationwide. The foodborne intestinal illness can cause diarrhea, appetite loss, and weight loss, with symptoms sometimes lasting more than a month.

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida and WFTV 9 Family Connection have launched their annual summer food drive to help combat food insecurity across the region. Community members can donate nonperishable food items at participating Goodwill stores through July 11.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Florida's heritage cattle are serving as a living reminder of the state's agricultural roots, tracing their lineage to Spanish livestock introduced in the 1500s. Today, ranchers and UF/IFAS researchers are preserving the hardy breed while applying its traits to more sustainable, climate-resilient ranching.

While Central Florida avoided major hurricane impacts last year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida warns that storms, inflation, and shrinking food supplies are creating a growing risk of hunger across the region. The organization is encouraging residents to volunteer, donate, and support local hunger-relief efforts ahead of hurricane season.

University of Florida researchers have developed two web-based applications that use artificial intelligence and drone imagery to help strawberry and tomato growers predict yields. The tools, known as PhenoSeg and PhenoSnap, aim to reduce the time and labor required for traditional crop counting while improving forecasting accuracy.

A new poll suggests the rising cost of groceries is placing growing financial pressure on Florida households, with many families taking on debt just to afford food. While some items, such as eggs, are expected to become less expensive this year, shoppers are likely to see continued price increases across many other grocery categories.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is expanding its workforce development efforts with the launch of Career Pathways, a new training model designed to prepare residents for in-demand jobs. The expanded program adds a customer service track while continuing the organization’s successful culinary training initiative.

A new study examining U.S. farmers market shoppers found consumers generally fall into six categories based on their motivations, habits, and level of engagement. Researchers say most shoppers are driven by a desire for healthy food, support for local farmers, and the enjoyment of the experience itself.