Free St. Augustine Event Nov. 17 Aims to Connect Restaurants With Local Farms

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Restaurants and local businesses can learn how to connect with area farmers during a free event in St. Augustine on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The Slow Food Snail of Approval Program information event will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at The Floridian, 485 Old Beach Road, with advance registration required. Restaurants, retailers, chefs and other businesses can learn how Slow Food First Coast's Snail of Approval designation works and who is eligible.

The gathering brings together St. Johns County, Slow Food First Coast, The Floridian and the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. Organizers want to help restaurants and other businesses understand how the Snail of Approval program works and how they can participate. The larger goal is to build stronger relationships between businesses that serve food and the farms that produce it.

"Connecting our local businesses with our farmers creates opportunities to strengthen our local food system," said Prissy Fletcher, Agricultural Liaison for St. Johns County. Fletcher made the comment in the county's Oct. 13 news release announcing the event. The release named St. Johns County, Slow Food First Coast, The Floridian and the visitors bureau as partners.

A Free Event for Restaurants, Chefs and Local Businesses

The Nov. 17 gathering is designed for restaurants, retailers, chefs and other businesses interested in learning about the Snail of Approval designation. Participants can learn who qualifies for the program and how businesses can take part. Those who previously received the designation and want to renew it are also welcome.

The event focuses on an important connection in the local8 food economy: the relationship between farms and the businesses that use or sell their products. Restaurants and retailers can play a role in supporting local producers through purchasing decisions. The Snail of Approval program recognizes businesses that demonstrate a commitment to local or sustainable sourcing and other community values.

Attendance is free, but participants must register through 904tix.com. The program takes place at The Floridian in St. Augustine, giving local businesses a specific opportunity to explore the designation. The event is scheduled for 90 minutes, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

What the Snail of Approval Means

The Snail of Approval is a designation from Slow Food that recognizes producers, purveyors, restaurateurs and artisans who demonstrate a commitment to responsible food and business practices. The recognition covers more than the ingredients a restaurant purchases or the products a retailer sells. It also considers how businesses approach environmental responsibility, employees and their communities. The program identifies six values that participating businesses are expected to demonstrate:

1. Local or sustainable sourcing: Using products that are locally sourced or sustainably produced.
2. Environmental stewardship: Demonstrating a commitment to responsible environmental practices.
3. Cultural diversity in food: Recognizing and supporting diversity within food traditions and businesses.
4. Community involvement: Taking part in and supporting the surrounding community.
5. Supporting employees: Showing a commitment to workers.
6. Inclusive business practices: Operating with an emphasis on inclusion.

These values place food sourcing alongside broader responsibilities that affect businesses and their communities. A restaurant's interest in locally grown ingredients is one part of the program, rather than its only focus. The designation also recognizes the importance of workers, cultural diversity and environmental stewardship.

Slow Food First Coast provides information about the program through its website, including sections titled "Find a Snail" and "Become a Snail." The organization does not publish application fee information or detailed eligibility criteria on its Snail of Approval page. Businesses seeking those details can learn more through the Nov. 17 event.

24 Businesses Already Hold the Snail of Approval

The Slow Food First Coast website listed 24 current Snail of Approval businesses as of Oct. 24, 2026. The list includes restaurants, food producers and other businesses connected to the local food system. The organization also indicates that more businesses will be added. The current businesses listed are:

The existing list gives interested businesses a look at the range of participants recognized by the program. It includes names associated with farms, restaurants, markets and other food-related enterprises. The Nov. 17 gathering offers businesses that are not yet participating an opportunity to explore what joining would involve.

Previously recognized businesses can also attend if they are interested in renewing their designation. That makes the gathering relevant to both first-time applicants and past participants. Slow Food First Coast maintains its current list through the Snail of Approval section of its website.

St. Johns County Farming by the Numbers

The event comes as federal agricultural data show how much farming has changed in St. Johns County. According to the USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture, the county had 223 farms covering 23,749 acres. Compared with 2017, the number of farms declined 12%, while land in farms dropped 31%.

The average St. Johns County farm covered 106 acres in 2022, a decrease of 22% from 2017. The Hastings area in western St. Johns County remains the county's traditional farm belt. The figures show why connecting remaining farms with businesses interested in local agricultural products is a relevant part of the county's food discussion.

Despite the decline in farm numbers and acreage, agriculture represented substantial sales in 2022. St. Johns County farms sold $57.8 million in agricultural products, with crops accounting for 97% of sales and livestock accounting for 3%. Vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes generated approximately $38.7 million, or about 67% of the county's agricultural sales.

Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod products accounted for another $15.4 million in sales. The USDA also reported 8,143 irrigated acres in the county. Together, the figures describe a farming sector with significant agricultural production but fewer farms and fewer acres than five years earlier.

How Large Are St. Johns County Farms?

The USDA data also show a wide range of farm sizes in St. Johns County. Nearly half of the county's farms covered fewer than 50 acres in 2022. Only two farms had at least 1,000 acres.

The differences extend to how much farms sell. Of the county's 223 farms, 108 reported less than $2,500 in agricultural sales, representing 48% of all farms. Another 35 farms, or 16%, reported sales of at least $100,000.

Those figures illustrate why the county's agricultural economy cannot be described by a single type of farm. Smaller operations exist alongside farms that generate substantially more in agricultural sales. The Snail of Approval event focuses on creating connections between that farming community and businesses interested in local sourcing.

Slow Food First Coast Has Roots in St. Augustine

Slow Food First Coast began in St. Augustine in 2007 and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It belongs to the international Slow Food movement, which Carlo Petrini founded in 1986. The local organization works to strengthen connections among farms, communities and food systems across Florida's First Coast.

The organization uses the Snail of Approval program to recognize businesses that reflect its values. Through that recognition, it brings attention to local sourcing, environmental stewardship, cultural diversity and community involvement. Its work also emphasizes employees and inclusive business practices.

The November event continues that focus through a partnership with St. Johns County and local organizations. Instead of addressing only restaurants, the invitation extends to retailers, chefs, producers and other interested businesses. That wider participation reflects the program's emphasis on the connections throughout the local food system.

How to Register for the Nov. 17 Event

The Slow Food Snail of Approval Program information event is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at The Floridian, 485 Old Beach Road, St. Augustine. Admission is free, and registration is required through 904tix.com. The county's announcement lists 904tix.com as the place to register.

Businesses interested in the designation can also visit the Slow Food First Coast Snail of Approval page. The organization can be contacted at [email protected] or through Instagram at @slowfoodfc. Its website includes information for those interested in finding current participants or becoming a Snail of Approval business.

How We Did This

Jax Times used the Oct. 13, 2026, St. Johns County news release for the event details, partnerships and program description. The list of 24 participating businesses came from Slow Food First Coast's Snail of Approval page, checked Oct. 24, 2026. Agricultural figures came from the USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture profile for St. Johns County.