These 5 Northeast Florida Farm Projects Are Set To Save the Environment

Posted by Paul Rusnak|April 29, 2022

The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Governing Board has officially given the green light to five conservation-minded agricultural projects, totaling nearly $552,000 in cost-share funds. According to the SJRWMD, the projects will reduce water use by 14.6 million gallons per year and reduce nutrient loading in the Tri-County Agricultural Area (TCAA), comprised of Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler counties.

The board agreed to execute contracts with selected growers to share in funds provided by SJRWMD, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The farms selected to receive TCAA Water Management Partnership funds are:

Boardwalk Farms, Putnam County
Larry Downes, Putnam County
M. Seay Farms, Flagler County
P. Wesley Smith, St. Johns County
Picolata Produce, St. Johns County

Projects include conversion from seepage to sub-irrigation drain tile, soil moisture probes, as well as precision fertilizer application equipment with GPS. The five projects will reduce farms’ water use and are anticipated to reduce total nitrogen loading by 4,281 pounds per year and total phosphorus loading by 1,734 pounds per year.

“The growers that receive agricultural cost-share agreements have repeatedly expressed how grateful they are for this program,” says the District’s Technical Program Manager, Suzanne Archer. “Not only have these funds assisted them in implementing technology and practices that otherwise they may not have been able to, but it also creates a more sustainable operation that allows future generations the ability to continue to farm the land.”