If you’ve been waiting for a definitive word about the State of Florida’s final 2025-2026 budget, you’re going to have to hold out a little longer. The State Legislature failed to pass a budget and will be reconvening in Tallahassee on May 12 to iron out the details. Of particular interest is the portion of the budget that would earmark $200 million for the ailing citrus industry.
Despite the pause, Florida ag advocates scored an early win with the Legislature’s passage of the 2025 Florida Farm Bill. Here are just a few notable provisions in the bill.
- Prohibits financial institutions from discriminating against agricultural producers based on environmental policies or set emission targets.
- Strengthens disaster recovery programs for agriculture producers affected by hurricanes and storms.
- Bans drones over farms to protect privacy and property rights.
- Prohibits local governments from banning housing for legally verified agricultural workers on bona fide farms.
- Gives the state the ability to turn solar fields back into agricultural production.
- Protects 4-H and FFA programs in local schools from local governments’ zoning laws by ensuring local programs can have agriculture facilities on school property.
- Supports FFA participation through scholarships for annual dues and educational opportunities.
- Expands the use of proven Best Management Practices for small farms to better protect water resources.
- Prohibits the mislabeling of plant-based products as “milk,” “meat,” “poultry,” or “eggs.”
I don’t have to tell you that each and every one of these marks important progress in ensuring the future of agriculture, our land, and our future. Now let’s just hope the funding for the citrus industry remains intact when the budget is passed.