Anna Prizzia is the program director for the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens and she has served as an Alachua County Commissioner since 2020. Prizzia is dedicated to fighting food insecurity and promoting a greater understanding of local food systems for both University of Florida (UF) students and Gainesville citizens.
She received her master's of science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the UF. After deciding that the research field was not for her, Prizzia joined the Peace Corps.
There, she found her real passion: community engagement and involvement.
Prizzia founded the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens alongside the UF Office of Sustainability and UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences after the agronomy and soils club struggled with students losing interest and abandoning the plots available for rent.
At the time, she served as the director of the UF Office of Sustainability. Her idea was for the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens to serve as a teaching garden for interdisciplinary students.
In addition to her work with the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens, Prizzia’s passion for food insecurity and sustainable food systems inspired her to run for public office. Anna Prizzia has served as an Alachua County commissioner for the last four years.
Her work with her students and passion for agriculture inspired her to seek public office. The questions the students asked, and the challenges they faced on the farm made Prizzia think of how local government and policy impact agricultural work.
“As I learned more about the way in which we can successfully advocate for food, both in the community and at UF, I decided to take that experience and apply it to run for office,” Prizzia said.
The intersectionality between agriculture and policy is evident in her work within both roles. Using her platform and resources as a county commissioner, Prizzia is working to find solutions to fight food insecurity. She applies the challenges and topics she is learning on the farm and applies it to the larger scope of the Gainesville and Alachua County community to influence policy.
“So many of the policies and programs that I’ve introduced as a commissioner have been related to the issues of food security and food resilience,” Prizzia said.
As commissioner, Prizzia has targeted food insecurity by introducing agricultural easement programs as well as seeking grants for small farmers to protect Alachua County farmland.
Prizzia’s impact on students and the community goes beyond the confines of the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens. In both of her roles, her passions for food systems and community food systems and encourage UF students to get involved in their community.
She hopes that these programs will educate citizens on the importance of agriculture and sustainable involvement in agriculture are evident. Because of her of hard work and passion for service, more students and citizens are learning where their food comes from and getting their hands dirty.
To learn more about the Field and Fork Farm and Gardens or to get involved, visit: https://fieldandfork.ufl.edu/
About the Authors
Photos provided by Megan Edge and Anna Prizzia