State Secures Deals To Save Over 1,500 Acres Of Working Florida Farmland from Development

State officials have finalized conservation agreements to permanently protect more than 1,500 acres of working agricultural land across four Florida counties, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced today.

The deals, arranged through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, purchase development rights from property owners. The easements legally bar future residential or commercial building while allowing agricultural operations to remain active.

"Florida's farmers and ranchers are our most important conservation partners, and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with them to protect their land from development while keeping it working and feeding our communities," Simpson said. "Florida is a national leader in using conservation easements, the most cost-effective conservation tool we have, to protect as much of our agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, and natural resources from development - before it's too late."

All four properties sit within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and are enrolled in FDACS Best Management Practices.

The largest single purchase is Meetinghouse Groves, an 816-acre citrus property in Putnam County between Lake Margaret and Silver Lake. The easement totaled $2,665,000, funded in part by $1,306,000 from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

In Hardee County, the state closed a $2,475,000 easement on Stevens Land and Cattle, a 485-acre citrus and cattle ranch. The property includes wetlands linked to Oak Creek, a tributary that feeds Charlie Creek, the Peace River Watershed, and Charlotte Harbor.

In North Florida, the state preserved Bishop Family Farms, a 228-acre timber, crop, and pasture property in Jefferson County abutting the Aucilla/Wacissa Watershed. The $1,347,700 easement received $655,500 in federal USDA partnership funds. Additionally, the state acquired a $381,000 easement on Warren Timberlands, a 136-acre timber tract along the Chipola River in Calhoun County.

Created by state lawmakers in 2001, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has preserved more than 246,000 acres to date, with over 180,000 acres protected under Simpson's tenure. State lawmakers allocated $425 million to the program in the 2026-2027 state budget, bringing total funding secured for the initiative since 2022 to more than $1.1 billion.