SfL Network

The Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group

Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group

Solutions from the Land (SfL), in collaboration with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), initiated in late 2018 a climate smart agriculture dialogue with a group of highly respected and well networked agricultural and forestry thought leaders and value chain partners in the state.

The consensus view of the Work Group was that Florida agriculture was undergoing transformational change resulting from a growing population, land fragmentation, rising operating costs, labor shortages, trade imbalances and that changing climatic conditions represented a major threat multiplier to the future economic viability of the industry.

Based on these conditions, they committed to work together to accomplish the following mission:

The Florida Climate Smart Agriculture (FLCSA) initiative will identify and implement climate smart agriculture solutions and ecosystem services that benefit the public, producers and the planet.

Oranges on the tree in Florida

Group Biographies

Leaders

Photo of Jim Strickland
Jim Strickland

Owner of Strickland Ranch and managing partner of Big Red Cattle Company and Blackbeard’s Ranch, a cow/calf operation; Past President, Florida Cattlemen’s Association; Past Chairman, Florida Cattlemen Foundation; Vice Chairman, Florida Conservation Group.

Photo of Lynnetta Usher Griner
Lynnetta Usher Griner

Co-owner of Usher Land and Timber Inc., a cattle and timber operation; 2013 Woman of the Year in Agriculture; Past President, Florida Forestry Association; Trustee of the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy; Past Chair, Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board.

Steering Committee

Work Group Activities

AI-Harvest

Develop a national ecosystem services monitoring network and AI-driven approaches to quantify the impact of ecosystem services.

 

21st Century Agriculture Renaissance Report

Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays (HF-HB)

  • Connecting upland ranchers, farmers and silviculture with downstream aquaculture and anglers.
  • Work together towards a future where healthy and productive ecosystems, bays, rivers, and streams are underpinned and supported by vibrant and sustainable agricultural and fishing economy

 

21st Century Agriculture Renaissance Report

Work Group Meetings

 

As part of the recruitment process, farmer leaders were advised that they would be joining a “self-directed” work group with the following mission:

  • Review the impacts that extreme weather events and changing climatic conditions are having and are expected to have on the state’s agriculture and forestry sectors;
  • Determine any need for and benefits of developing an agricultural and forestry adaptive management strategy for the state based on climate-smart agriculture principles; and
  • If participants agree that such a strategy would be useful, develop an action plan for producing same.

More than 90% of the individuals nominated agreed to serve on the Work Group, and after two inaugural meetings in February and April 2019 concluded that there was work to be done, the group announced the Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative.

Communications Initiative

 

The Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group is working with Volo Foundation to produce videos and other media to share the stories of conservation in Florida. Op-eds and film appearances by FLCSA Co-Chairs Jim Strickland and Lynetta Usher-Griner can be found below!

In the Press

Stories from Florida Leaders

Specialty Crop Industry AgNet Media
Published: August 1, 2023 Website: Read more…
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Florida Grower
Published: January 16, 2023 Website: Read more…
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Sarasota Magazine
Published: April 29, 2021 Website: Read more…
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Tampa Bay Newswire
Published: April 27, 2021 Website: Read more…
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Fruit Growers News
Published: April 18, 2021 Website: Read more…
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Tampa Bay Times
Published: April 13, 2021 Website: Read more…
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The Invading Sea
Published: March 3, 2021 Website: Read more…
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Orlando Sentinel
Published: January 15, 2021 Website: Read more…
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Ocala Star Banner
Published: March 6, 2020 Website: Read more…
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South Dade News Leader
Published: February 10, 2020 Website: Read more…
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Foster Folly News
Published: February 4, 2020 Website: Read more…
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Tampa Bay Times
Published: January 23, 2020 Website: Read more…
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Gephardt Daily
Published: August 28, 2019 Website: Read more…
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NWF Daily News
Published: August 26, 2019 Website: Read more…
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Growing Produce
Published: August 20, 2019 Website: Read more…
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Miami Herald
Published: August 19, 2019 Website: Read more…
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NWF Daily News
Published: August 18, 2019 Website: Read more…
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WLRN Radio
Published: August 13, 2019 Website: Read more…
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WUSF News
Published: August 9, 2019 Website: Read more…
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UF | IFAS Blogs
Published: April 18, 2019 Website: Read more…
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Featured EventS

2022 Florida Climate Smart Ag Forum

On December 14th in Gainesville, the Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group hosted their second forum on pathways to sustainably intensify production, improve resilience and deliver ecosystem services. Read our report on Hurricane Impacts and...

2019 Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Forum

Agriculture and Forestry in a Changing Climate: What the Future Holds for Florida--- On August 12, 2019 the Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group – through Solutions from the Land and UF/IFAS – hosted Florida House Representative Kathy Castor and chair of...

FLCSA Project News

Check out articles related to the Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group.