In one of the strangest legislative years for Florida agriculture in decades, funding for many programs and services critical for farmers and ranchers are hitting a wall. Ranchers in particular are concerned about a program that they feel is critical to protect some of the best managed lands in the state from eventually being gobbled up as the state continues to develop at an unprecedented rate.
It appears more and more that lawmakers, and others in appointed government positions, are reflecting a different attitude toward agriculture these days. Judging by some of the meetings we’ve been covering recent weeks, it also seems that emotionalism and political rhetoric favorable to an uninformed public, is trumping the truth about science and the facts about agriculture in the process.
This video was produced by a group of landowners, cattlemen, environmental organizations and others interested in preserving some of what is left of the ‘real Florida’. Their message about this funding situation is as stated: “The House and Senate currently have no funding in their budgets for the Rural Family Lands Protection Program; FDACS has 75 million in budget request. The Florida Forever budget request by Governor DeSantis is 100 million. The Senate currently has 45 million and the House has 20 million for Florida Forever. The funding for these programs will be decided in the next couple of weeks.”
Florida’s Land Conservation Programs