A drive along Florida’s busy urban — even some rural — roadways are a sure sign the state is getting crowded. No state income tax, strong job market, climate, attractions, and natural resources have made Florida one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
Pressures on Ag Lands
Growth is good because it makes property more valuable and keeps the jobs flowing. But it also is putting pressure on resources, like water, and crowding out agriculture in some parts of the state.
Dean Saunders, Managing Director of Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate, says the economics of supply and demand should keep land values elevated — as land is a scarce resource with no more being added.
“We are growing at a pace of about one million new residents every three years,” Saunders notes. “Most of that growth is in Central Florida where land is still available.”
Dean Saunders
The areas experiencing growth that is putting pressure on agricultural lands are Miami-Dave, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Sarasota, and Manatee counties.
“I would add Orange and Lake counties, but most of the citrus is gone in that region,” Saunders says. “So while they enjoy high growth rates, that growth is no longer replacing agriculture (citrus). Freezes, canker, tristeza, and greening have already seen to that.”
Agricultural Easements
Saunders says one of the best ways to ensure agricultural lands stay green is the use of agricultural easements. In these agreements/contracts, the property owner relinquishes ownership of the land to the state but is allowed to keep farming or ranching the property.
The Florida Rural and Family Lands Protection Program is one such program. However, it went unfunded by the state legislature during the last session. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services administers the program and requested $75 million in funding. An effort will be made in the next legislative session to secure funds.
“The best way, I believe, to protect property rights and keep land in agriculture is for us as a society to recognize how important it is for food security,” Saunders says. “Then we should invest in farmers and ranchers keeping their land in agriculture by paying them for their development rights.”