Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson this week announced the state has approved the preservation of more than 2,800 acres of working agricultural land to help fuel food and timber production across the state.
“These Rural and Family Lands Protection Program easements represent a lasting investment in Florida’s future, and I was proud to support their approval today,” Simpson said. “By protecting working agricultural lands, we are preserving our food supply, conserving critical natural resources, and supporting the farmers and ranchers who drive our state’s economy – all without adding new costs for taxpayers.”
The Florida Cabinet, including Gov. Ron DeSantis acting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, approved the preservation.
They include the following:
Square One Ranch
- A 1,500-acre cattle ranch in Highlands County. Square One Ranch received a $6.1 million easement, with $2 million provided through the U.S. Air Force Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program. The ranch includes pasture and natural, forested uplands, as well as natural, unforested wetlands.
Buckhorn Ranch
- A 1,326-acre cattle ranch in Hardee County. Buckhorn Ranch received a $5.3 easement for the property. The ranch includes pasture with areas of sod, citrus, and row crops.
Both ranches are located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, an 18-million-acre network of connected lands and waters established by the state for conservation in 2021.
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has preserved over 230,000 acres of working agricultural land, including 165,000 acres under Commissioner Simpson, since its inception in 2021.
Moreover, Commissioner Simpson has secured more than $700 million in state funding for the program since 2022, including $250 million in the 2025/2026 state budget. Simpson became agricultural commissioner at the start of 2023.
In other matters, Simpson voted to greenlight a 450-acre conservation easement within the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem Florida Forever Project in Volusia County. The move intends to protect the area from future development.
