Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces Preservation of Florida Family Farm Through Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

Canaan Ranch in Gilchrist County

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of a Florida family farm through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. An approximately 1,449-acre portion of the Canaan Ranch, a 3,040-acre working tree farm in Gilchrist County, is being preserved through a rural land protection easement for $4,783,400.

"The preservation of the Canaan Ranch through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program represents another victory for Florida agriculture's continued productivity and its legacy of environmental stewardship," said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. "By permanently preserving this land from development, we not only protect a vital natural resource but also honor the legacy of those who have worked it for generations. This initiative ensures that future generations of Floridians will continue to benefit from the economic and ecological contributions of our state's agricultural lands."

The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program purchases the development rights to agricultural properties through voluntary rural land protection easements, which prevent the 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.

Canaan Ranch

The Canaan Ranch is a timber operation that includes 3,040 acres in eastern Gilchrist County. The ranch is a contiguous piece of property situated at the northern boundary of the Brooksville Ridge and is about 3.6 miles south-southwest of the Santa Fe River.

This property has been owned and operated by the same family since 1944. Current agricultural uses are timber production and preservation of the longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem. Historically, sandhill was the dominant natural community on the tract, and it still represents approximately 43% of the property. About two-thirds of the property is in natural or planted longleaf pine, with lesser portions in planted slash pine, oak hammock, depressional wetlands, and small karst features.

Canaan Ranch has been implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the farm for decades. BMPs are a set of guidelines that advise producers on how to manage the water, nutrient, and pesticides they are using to reduce agriculture's impact on the state's natural resources. Canaan Ranch also uses a prescribed burning system to suppress many undesirable plant species to maintain the trees natural balance.

About the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

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.

During the 2024 Legislative Session, Commissioner Simpson helped to secure from the Florida Legislature $100 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and another $100 million each fiscal year, appropriated in SB 1638, to support the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including the acquisition of conservation easements under the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson also secured $300 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.

Commissioner Simpson recently recognized the families of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at an event in Lake Placid, Florida, and celebrated the program's 100,000^th acre milestone in agricultural land preservation.

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.

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.

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