Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced the permanent preservation of more than 2,600 acres of working agricultural land spread across four separate farms and ranches in Hardee and Marion counties.
The transactions were completed through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The program utilizes rural lands protection easements, which purchase development rights to prevent future construction while allowing existing agricultural operations to continue.
“The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program is the most cost-effective conservation tool Florida has to permanently protect our food supply, natural resources, and wildlife habitat from development,” Simpson said in a statement. “Thanks to historic investments in the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program from the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis, we’re ensuring Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and producers can continue feeding and supporting Florida families for generations to come.”…