Florida’s Legislative Session of 2023 just ended, and the results are in for residents and business owners all over the state. Many laws were passed with huge wins for the agriculture industry. Here are some key accomplishments from congress from the 2023 session that farmers can look forward to:
- Introduced the Florida Farm TEAM Card
- Secured nearly $50 million for the citrus industry
- Established a requirement for public institutions to look to Florida-grown food first
We’re excited to bring you more details below. For more information on the latest agriculture news, stay up-to-date with us on the Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch blog.
Florida Farm TEAM Card
While many supplies farmers and ranchers need for their businesses are tax-deductible, the procedure for getting those tax benefits is long and arduous. Some farmers were even traveling across state borders to take advantage of simpler tax benefits in other states. The Florida Farm TEAM Card aims to change that by providing a free physical card that can be used to establish ranchers’ tax-exempt status without having to manually fill out a paper form for each transaction.
$50 Million for Citrus Industry
This year’s budget is the largest one to date, and a good portion of that is being allocated to agriculture. Within that line item, $100 million has been allocated to the Rural and Family Lands Program, which provides for the purchase of land for conservation easement status (you can read more about conservation easements on our blog here). Nearly $50 million of the budget has been dedicated to citrus infrastructure, research, and expansion of propagating efforts.
Putting Florida-Grown Food First
While many businesses may have been overlooking the great produce and food grown and raised right here in the state, that won’t be the case any longer. Public institutions and the food contractors they work with will now have to look to Florida-grown and raised produce and meat first before choosing supplies from elsewhere.
At Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch, we’re always looking toward innovation and progress. We hope this session results in wins for farmers all over the state. For more about what we do, learn about us on our website.
