{"id":347236,"date":"2026-07-21T13:17:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/347236\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T13:17:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:17:14","slug":"affordable-st-pete-produce-market-keeps-prices-down-and-boosts-the-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/347236\/","title":{"rendered":"Affordable St. Pete produce market keeps prices down and boosts the community"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. PETERSRBURG, Fla. \u2014 As she fills up bins and baskets in her cozy St. Pete produce market<\/a> with 57 kinds of delicious fruits and vegetables, Kelli Casto is wearing a shiny blue dress.<\/p>\n

She looks not unlike a blonde Marvel Avenger. <\/p>\n

So you ask her: What would your comic-book character be called?<\/p>\n

“I’m the Harvest Hero,” she says, laughing.<\/p>\n

Kelli’s unique store (527 49th St S, St. Pete) is part of her ongoing Produce PAC <\/a>mission: feed a community in more ways than one.<\/p>\n

In the wee small hours of the morning, Kelli works with 7 different area farms to gather produce to fill up her shop and send out food via delivery<\/a>. <\/p>\n

She keeps her fruit and veggie prices lower than those found in grocery stores. <\/p>\n

“Everyone, no matter who you are, should be able to afford fresh, healthy produce,” she says.<\/p>\n

She also uses her fresh bounty to hand-make a variety of cold-pressed juices, a popular new item that helps people replace sugary drinks and sodas.<\/p>\n

“Oh, I’m the Juice Queen,” she says, coming up with another superhero name.<\/p>\n

But supporting farmers and local residents is just the start of her mission. <\/p>\n

Each week, Kelli takes part of the proceeds and provides free produce to dozens of area seniors in need, making sure they get healthy food, too. <\/p>\n

“I love our seniors,” she says. “All that wisdom. Sometimes our community forgets about them.”<\/p>\n

For more on Produce PAC, go here.<\/a><\/p>\n

For more Sean Daly stories, go here. <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

‘It’s either eat or pay bills’: Florida families desperate for answers after losing SNAP benefits to fraud<\/p>\n

Florida families are losing hundreds of dollars in SNAP benefits to fraud, with multiple victims in the Tampa Bay area saying unauthorized charges on their accounts are being traced to the same California address \u2014 and the state is offering no way to get that money back.<\/p>\n

Families say SNAP scammers are stealing food benefits with no reimbursement<\/p>\n