Cedar Key, Fla. — The future of Florida’s land is uncertain. When the land is threatened, water also is at risk.
Clam and oyster farmers along the Gulf of Mexico and row croppers in the Suwannee Valley have come together to call for expanded research on how to protect water quality, support to expedite adoption of actions that work, and improved education and advocacy efforts to show how land conservation and sustainable agriculture practices support healthy and productive ecosystems and the critical services they provide.
For too long, upstream farmers and downstream aquaculturists have been pitted against each other. Farmers are under tremendous pressure to prove they are not using excess nutrients that would pollute waterways. Seafood production is hindered by poor water quality and, like upstream food production, changing climatic conditions.
Something had to change, so farmers and aquaculturists came together, for the first time ever, to form the Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays initiative.
“You can’t solve problems if you don’t know the source of those problems,” says Randall Dasher, a farmer in Suwannee County and co-chair of the Healthy Farms-Healthy Bays initiative. “The solution starts with communicating and understanding the issues each of us—upstream farmers and downstream aquaculturists—face so we can fix them together.”
Today, the work group is releasing their vision for a better future and recommended next steps with their Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays: Harmony Between Land and Sea in Florida report.
“This report is a culmination of over a year of dedication from Florida agriculture and aquaculture leaders who are united and committed to uncommon collaboration,” said Ernie Shea, president of Solutions from the Land, one of the initiative’s sponsors and collaborating partners. “They are stepping up to make the most of their resources and to co-create solutions, including identifying research needs, that will benefit not just them but the land, sea and all of Florida.”
The initiative was funded by a $100,000 grant from VoLo Foundation. VoLo Foundation is a private family foundation whose mission is to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education and improving health.
“We are proud to support Solutions from the Land in their Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays initiative,” said Thais Lopez Vogel and David S. Vogel, Trustees of VoLo Foundation. “We believe in funding projects that create sustainable solutions to pressing environmental challenges. This initiative not only addresses critical issues like water quality and land preservation but also fosters collaboration between diverse agricultural and aquacultural communities. By working together, we can ensure a healthier and more resilient future for Florida’s ecosystems and its people.”
Water quality, changing climate, and loss of land to urban development are a few of the complex issues that face Florida. According to the Agriculture 2040/2070 report, a joint project by the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and 1000 Friends of Florida, if effective planning and land management strategies are not implemented, the state could lose up to 120 acres of agricultural land daily—totaling nearly 45,000 acres annually. This loss would be driven mainly by development and, to a lesser extent, by rising sea levels, with projections extending through 2070.
The loss of land alters Florida’s ability to support surface water quality, store and purify what becomes drinking water, protect floodplains, provide wildlife habitat, and sequester carbon.
Long-term, this affects all of society. But, right now, it is the people living closest to the land and sea—farmers, ranchers and aquaculturists—who have found themselves at the heart of the issue.
The Recommendations
Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays leaders envision a future where both land- and water-based farmers have a place at the table discussing policies that affect their life—and all life—on and surrounding the river. They recognize a need to be proactive, not just reactive.
They envision agriculture in Florida to not be defined simply as a sector that produces high-quality commodities such as fruits and vegetables, field crops, livestock, timber, shellfish, and other seafood—though it certainly will. Agriculture will be known as a sector that concurrently filters and stores water, enhances biodiversity, sequesters carbon, supports wildlife, and provides other ecosystem services that improve quality of life in the state.
The group identified a core need for more science and data as well as for community engagement, education, planning, and resilience.
“University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) supports the call for more research on managing water and nutrients,” said Rob Gilbert, UF’s interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and the leader of UF/IFAS. “Solid science helps Florida farmers support their families and the Florida economy while preserving our land and sea resources.”
Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays’ two priority goals are:
- An accelerated Best Management Practice (BMP) research and implementation program.
Best Management Practices are already used by upland farmers to reduce nitrogen run-off and other impacts to water quality and quantity. However, more work is needed to widen the adoption of BMPs in the watershed. Expanded research is also needed as best practices of two decades ago will not be the same best practices of today or tomorrow, as the environment, climate, and market conditions change.
- Development and implementation of a comprehensive agriculture and aquaculture community engagement, education, and advocacy program.
They want to see greater efforts to show what Florida needs to support healthy and productive ecosystems, bays, rivers, and streams underpinned by a vibrant and sustainable agricultural and fishing economy.
“We all have a vital role to play here,” says Ed Chiles, Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays co-chair. Chiles has an ownership stake in water-front restaurants that serve clams and other seafood along with the produce he grows at Gamble Creek Farms, He also is a co-founder of the Gulf Shellfish Institute. “Developers, farmers, ranchers, aquaculturists, business owners and homeowners—we all have a significant role to play if we are to maintain the quality of life we have grown up with. We owe our grandchildren and future generations nothing less.”
Learn More
More information about the project can be found at Florida Climate Smart Agriculture
A webinar highlighting the Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays initiative and experiences of upstream farmers and downstream aquaculturists will be presented on August 28, 2024, from 9:00-10:15 a.m. ET. REGISTER HERE
If you are interested in joining the Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays initiative or in learning more, contact Solutions from the Land at info@solutionsfromtheland.org.
Join us in an uncommon partnership that will collaborate to achieve win-win outcomes for Florida agriculture and coastal bays.
About the Initiative
Healthy Farms – Healthy Bays is an initiative of Florida Climate Smart Agriculture (FLCSA) and collaborating partners: Solutions from the Land, the Suwannee River Partnership, and the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences. The initiative connects upland farmers and ranchers with downstream aquatic ecosystem stakeholders to work together toward a future where healthy and productive ecosystems, bays, rivers, and streams are underpinned and supported by a vibrant, sustainable agricultural and fishing economy.
For more information, contact Ernie Shea, SfL president, eshea@solutionsfromtheland.org or 410-952-0123; Ed Chiles, HF-HB co-chair, echiles@chilesgroup.com; or Randall Dasher, HF-HB co-chair, rdasher@dasherfarm.com.
