Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson today announced the first acquisition of a permanent rural land protection easement through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ sole authority under Section 570.71 (14), Florida Statutes. The easement protects the Curren Dairy property, a 237-acre agriculture operation, through the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Rural land protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida.
“I am pleased to announce the recent protection of the Curren Dairy property, marking the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program’s 71st protection easement and the first rural land acquisition solely under the department’s authority. The Curren Dairy property has been in agriculture for over 50 years, and with its recent approval into our program, we will ensure that it can stay in agriculture for 50 more,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “To receive the authority to acquire easements under $5 million without Board approval and just six months later close on this project is a demonstration of the efficiency and nimbleness of this department to the benefit of Florida’s agricultural conservation efforts.”
Simpson further stated, “The rural land protection easements through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program strengthen our food security through the protection of prime agricultural land, keep the protected property on the local tax rolls, and require every property owner to maintain the land and its natural resources according to best management practices. I have asked the Florida Legislature for $300 million in this year’s budget for the program to ensure we can continue to preserve our precious land.”
Department Easements
During the 2023 Legislative Session, HB 1279 was signed to support the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program by no longer requiring the department to submit a purchase agreement to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for approval for projects with a purchase price of less than $5 million.
Curren Dairy
Curren Dairy is a beef and dairy operation in Okeechobee County. The easement consists of approximately 237.34 acres, including 96 acres of improved pasture and 70 acres of native range. The project site is enrolled in the FDACS’ Best Management Practices program and is located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida’s economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources.
Commissioner Simpson recently highlighted the historic interest in the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and the results of the 2023 application cycle. Landowners from over 180 properties – representing over 200,000 acres – submitted new applications to be considered for funding. Last month, the Governor and Cabinet also formally approved the program’s project acquisition list, which ranks over 250 eligible properties for acquisition, estimated at over $1 billion in value.
Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida’s land conservation policy issues long before becoming Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson championed the successful passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which directed the state of Florida to better protect and connect Florida’s natural areas and wildlife habitats and to preserve working agricultural lands from future development. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson also secured $300 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
A story map of all completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects can be viewed here: FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
