490-acre cow/calf farm in St. Lucie County to be preserved
Joseph Miller Ranch, St. Lucie County (Photo by FDACS)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Secretary of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of a Florida family farm through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The Joseph Miller Ranch, a 490-acre cow and calf operation in St. Lucie County, will be preserved through a rural land protection easement for $2,070,000.
“The preservation of the Joseph Miller Ranch through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program is another success for Florida agriculture and the state of Florida,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “By protecting this land from future development and keeping it in the hands of agricultural operations, we are preserving an essential natural resource and ensuring that future Floridians will benefit from the economic and environmental advantages of our state’s agricultural heritage.”
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program acquires development rights to the agricultural properties through voluntary rural protection easements, preventing future development on the properties and allowing the farms to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and produce food, timber and other resources critical to Florida’s prosperity.
Joseph Miller Ranch
The Joseph Miller Ranch is a 490-acre cow and calf operation located approximately 14 miles west of Port St. Lucie and 11 miles northeast of Okeechobee. The property includes upland and wetland areas with a diverse range of Florida wildlife. Approximately half of the property is covered in mature mixed wetland and marsh forest. There are numerous depressions and small dome swamps throughout the property. A portion of Cypress Creek flows through the southwest corner of the property. The remaining area is a mosaic of wetland and woodland pasture.
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 agricultural lands are critical to Florida’s economic future. Agricultural lands are increasingly threatened by urban development. To counteract this development, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program works with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources.
During the 2024 legislative session, Commissioner Simpson helped secure $100 million from the Florida State Legislature for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and an additional $100 million per fiscal year appropriated in SB 1638 to support the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including the acquisition of conservation easements under the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
Commissioner Simpson recently recognized the families of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at an event in Lake Placid, Florida, celebrating the 100,000thth Milestone of 1,000 hectares in the conservation of agricultural land.
Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida land protection policy issues long before his appointment as Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner. 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 agricultural lands from future development. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson also secured $300 million 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.
–FDACS
