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

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of two Florida farms through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. Adams Farm, a 1,687-acre farm located in Walton and Holmes counties, and Triple S Ranch, an 806-acre farm in Citrus County, are being preserved through rural lands protection easements for $2,275,200 and $3,392,000.

"We're proud to announce today more partnerships to permanently preserve working Florida farmland through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program," said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. "By protecting working agricultural operations like Adams Farm and Triple S Ranch, we're ensuring that agriculture continues to thrive as a cornerstone of Florida's economy while conserving the natural landscapes that make our state special."

The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program purchases the development rights to agricultural properties through voluntary rural lands 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.

Adams Farm

Adams Farms, Inc. is a diversified row crop, cattle, and timber farm located in Walton and Holmes counties. Members of the Adams family have continuously operated parts of this farm since the 1890s.

This farm is designated as an FDACS Florida Pioneer Century Family Farm, recognizing this family as one of the original stewards of the land, preserving environmental resources, and helping foster the state's agriculture industry.

Triple S Ranch

Triple S Ranch is a working farm in Citrus County with operations that include raising whitetail deer. The property is adjacent to the Withlacoochee River floodplain and the Withlacoochee State Trail. The property contains multiple cultural resource sites registered with the Florida Department of State.

The ranch contains a diverse ecology, including mixed hardwood-coniferous, cypress swamp, sandhill, improved pasture, freshwater marshes, freshwater non-forested wetlands, wet prairie, and rural lands. The hardwood areas contain a closed canopy mixture of old-growth live oaks, laurel oaks, slash pine, and sable palms.

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. Since its inception, the program has permanently preserved more than 127,000 acres, with over 62,000 acres coming during Commissioner Simpson's administration.

During the 2024 Legislative Session, Commissioner Simpson helped to secure a $100 million legislative appropriation 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 rural land protection easements under the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.

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 a $300 million legislative appropriation 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.

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