Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has announced the preservation of Holt Agricultural, a 421-acre property in Alachua County, through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The property is being preserved with a rural lands protection easement for $2,975,000. “Protecting working farms like Holt Agricultural is how we keep Florida free, self-reliant, and economically strong,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “This easement ensures the land stays in private hands, continues to feed our communities, and supports the values that make rural Florida worth fighting for.”
The program purchases development rights to agricultural properties through voluntary rural lands protection easements. These easements prevent future development while allowing agriculture operations to continue contributing to Florida’s economy.
Holt Agricultural is located north of San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park. It includes cropland and pastureland with small strips of wetland forest. The farm produces irrigated row crops such as peanuts in winter and broccoli and watermelon in spring and summer.
Established in 2001, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program aims to protect agricultural lands from urban development. Since its inception, it has preserved over 210,000 acres of working agricultural land. Nearly 146,000 acres have been preserved during Commissioner Simpson’s administration.
During the 2024 Legislative Session, Commissioner Simpson secured a $100 million legislative appropriation for the program. An additional $100 million each fiscal year was appropriated in SB 1638 to support the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Commissioner Simpson has long been involved in land conservation policy issues. As Senate President, he championed the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act and secured a $300 million legislative appropriation for the program.
A story map of all completed projects can be viewed at FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap. For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
Information from this article can be found here.
