Florida has added two more ranches to its growing list of protected agricultural lands, with nearly 1,500 acres in Manatee and Highlands counties secured from future development. The ranches are now permanently protected through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said in a release. These rural land easements prevent future development while allowing agricultural operations to continue and contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber and other resources vital to the state’s prosperity.“I’m proud to announce today the preservation of two additional working Florida agricultural operations, which builds on the historic progress we’ve made through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program,” Commissioner Wilton Simpson said in a statement. “My goal is to secure the permanent future of agriculture in Florida, and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program gives us the most effective and cost-efficient way to preserve our natural lands from development while also supporting our farmers and ranchers.”Since the program began, Florida has protected more than 253,000 acres of farmland, including nearly 188,000 acres under Commissioner Simpson’s administration. The newly protected properties lie within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and are enrolled in the department’s Best Management Practices (BMP) programme.
Mossy Island
Mossy Island covers about 420 acres used for cattle farming, and its location does much of the work. It sits next to Myakka River State Park to the west and Myakka Prairie Conservation Easements to the south, so it already borders protected land. The surrounding area consists mostly of pasture, with some cropland and scattered low-density housing. Mossy Island is protected from future development through a $4 million conservation agreement, with $500,000 contributed by Manatee County.The state’s announcement also points to the threat. Land along the property’s northern boundary is projected to be developed by 2040, according to University of Florida projections. The easement is intended to prevent that development.
Florida Commission Company Ranch
Florida Commission Company Ranch sits in Highlands County and covers about 1,046 acres. The farmland is now permanently protected from development through a rural land protection easement totalling $4.7 million. The ranch raises cattle on pastures and natural areas and grows hay for on-site use.
What is the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program?
In 2001, Florida established the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Act, which recognises the importance of working agricultural lands to the state’s economic future. This helps preserve farmland as development puts increasing pressure on rural areas. The programme works with farmers and ranchers to keep agricultural land in use and protect natural resources.The state pays landowners to restrict future development under conservation agreements, but not to stop farming and ranching. This allows the land to continue producing food and timber while also helping the state avoid the long-term costs of buying and managing conservation land itself.Since 2022, Commissioner Wilton Simpson has helped secure more than $1.1 billion in state funding for the programme, including $425 million in the 2026–27 state budget. Simpson has also played a key role in Florida’s land conservation policy long before becoming the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture. During his tenure as Senate President, he backed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which aims to connect and protect natural habitats across the state while keeping working agricultural lands safe from future development.Meanwhile, Mossy Island and Florida Commission Company Ranch sit within that corridor. Both are enrolled in the state’s Best Management Practices programme, a set of environmental practices for working land. The easements protect the land from development, while the ranchers continue farming under those practices.
