TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — More than 1,600 acres across four Florida farms will be permanently protected from development through conservation easements, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Friday.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services acquired the development rights through its Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The farms will remain privately owned and continue operating while the easements prevent the land from being developed.
The four easements cover approximately 1,665 acres and total nearly $6.9 million:
- Bishop Family Farms: A 228-acre diversified farm in Jefferson County protected through a $1.35 million easement.
- Meetinghouse Groves: An 816-acre citrus operation in Putnam County protected through a $2.67 million easement.
- Warren Timberlands: A 136-acre timber operation in Calhoun County protected through a $381,000 easement.
- Stevens Land and Cattle: A 485-acre citrus and cattle operation in Hardee County protected through a $2.48 million easement.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture contributed nearly $2 million toward the Bishop Family Farms and Meetinghouse Groves easements.
All four properties are located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and are enrolled in the state’s agricultural Best Management Practices program, according to FDACS.
“Florida’s farmers and ranchers are our most important conservation partners,” Simpson said. “The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with them to protect their land from development while keeping it working and feeding our communities.”
FDACS said the program has permanently preserved more than 246,000 acres of working agricultural land since it was established in 2001. More than 180,000 of those acres have been preserved since Simpson took office in 2023.
Click here to view a map of completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects.
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