The American Agricultural producer is facing the bleakest horizon for future farming potential than I believe any farmer ever has. Farmers have no labor force to pull from, after migrant labor has been slashed to a minimum and other industry jobs with larger budgets have pulled away American hard laborers. Input costs soar out of control year after year, fertilizer, equipment, and fuel are doubling and tripling in cost squeezing out any potential margin. We have had record Freezes followed by record droughts, water shortages, new insect and diseases which threaten the potential of any harvest at all. Washington is failing to approve a farm bill which would alleviate some financial burden with millions of dollars in aid to farmers struggling. The final straws to break our backs might very well be a trojan horse. All dressed up as tax savings in your pocket, but beyond the shiny wrapper lay the finale bits of funding cuts that will have to take place which will force our farming families to sell. The only people in town with a pocketbook that can satisfy the mortgage for hundreds of acres, developers.
Check any news outlet and the reports are the same, American farmers are in trouble, there is no need to deep dive that conversation. Those of us who work in AG continue to struggle to advocate for ourselves as we show our ‘grit’ and ‘tighten our belts’. Unfortunately, this has gone on so long our belts have no body to tighten into and those belts have slid up to our necks, now acting as a noose. What is the trojan horse that could kick our feet out from underneath us and snap the noose on the AG industry? Amendment 3, the “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” might sound like a great deal to put some money back in your pocket but the state has not taken into account where that money will come from.
Amendment 3 is holding the preverbal noose around the neck of 29 counties which have already been listed as “fiscally constrained”. These counties which are rural and primarily agricultural have a serious threat of going into default against their bond loans if the tax revenue is eliminated from the budget. This posses a serious threat in the state of Florida and farmers when we could see counties going into default and the primary businesses they have available to tax are Ag businesses. It is true that bonified agriculture operations will retain their tax exemption to not be taxed on their property for its ‘highest and best use’. Where Ag operations are not protected from are non-ad valorem taxes and fees that counties can impose. Things like storm water management, trash collection, or fire protection, and items like road frontage fees which would charge specifically for the amount of road frontage touching your property. These items might not hit businesses in town too hard but for ag operations with potentially thousands of feet of road frontage it would be catastrophic.
These are all topics we have discussed in a previous blog, the more finite details of burdens to the farm that will come from Amendment 3 if it passes. It would include things the county needs to cut from its budget to try and stay fiscally sound by the laws they are subject to. One of the first items that could be cut would be the county extension service, this is an agricultural service that is partly paid for by the University of Florida in our state and primarily funded by the county. The extension office houses scientists and labs for the ag industry, education programs for the public, huge volunteer programs that complete massive restoration projects each year, the 4H and more. If farmers had to pay private labs, scientists, or subscriptions for research papers to stay current with everything in the industry it would be a huge financial blow, the one that could snap the noose on the industry. For the average individual the extension office costs around 3 cents per day which is less that $11/yr, and for that money the extension program gives back $4.7 Billion across the state in economic impact. They teach classes on how to save water for residents, fund grant projects, build and design landscapes, and support our ag producers which is the most profound impact by helping maintain and creating jobs.
The UF/IFAS Extension Office is essential to the ag community in Florida, an ag community which generates 387.85 billion dollars to the Florida economy. Everything starts with the green industry and farming. We would not have healthy shorelines, parks and recreation, lumber for housing, things to buy at the store and eat, or clothes on our back without agriculture. All of those additional services like grocery stores, and home improvement stores stand on the back of the product they sell with comes from some kind of agricultural business. Those agriculture businesses are in a fight right now to compete with foreign product, raising cost of input materials, and if the residents of Florida vote for amendment 3 they will be facing taxes, fees, and an essential loss of support from our extension services.
Amendment 3 is dangerous for agriculture, for our extension services, and for the foundation of our economy. The moment we have to import food, lumber, or plants we run the risk of being held hostage as if we were at the end of a noose and whoever has the goods we need decides if we fall or not. Our state would only have one thing to fall back on, tourism and housing. With no money supporting the ag industry all that land would become available and ag land is extremely valuable because it is typically already partially leveled and cleared. Water use permits connected to the property would open the door for exclusive golfing communities, data centers, and expansive retirement housing built on a massive scale. Don’t allow yourself to be bought out for the promise of a couple thousand dollars only to find out in a few years that little bit of money cost you all of the ag land, and experts who protected it. Vote no on amendment 3.
Written by John Taylor
The Veranda View 