Farm-City Week celebrates the bond between rural and urban communities in Manatee County, highlighting its agricultural heritage. Despite a decline in the number of farms, the average size has increased, indicating consolidation. Challenges like rising costs and taxes threaten local agriculture, but community support, educational programs, and awareness can help sustain this vital industry. Local efforts are essential for food security and preserving agricultural tradition.
Grassroots initiatives in Manatee County have gained momentum following the election of new commissioners in November 2024. Despite state interference limiting local governance, residents are actively engaged in community projects like the transformation of Mixon Farms into an agricultural education hub. The site aims to foster entrepreneurship and sustainability, reflecting the county's evolving identity amidst significant growth and budget increases.
Agritourism has transformed Florida's agricultural sector, linking farming with tourism to boost income for farmers amid rising costs and decreasing product value. Legislative support since 2013 has enabled this shift, with over 4,000 farms in Florida adopting agritourism. Manatee County hosts notable operations, enhancing community engagement and economic viability.
In the first segment of The Future of Manatee County Ag we went over how the number of farms has reduced, cost of doing business has gone up, market value of Ag products has gone down, and the insatiable demand and prices for land in our county has ballooned. Those facts frame up the… Continue reading The Future of Florida Agriculture
Why should you make the effort to shop local? It’s not as simple as going to the grocery store and assuming they have sourced in state foods and goods. If you have checked the labels in your local store lately, odds are you have first-hand experience and knowledge that food is rarely sourced in state. … Continue reading Fresh from the Source
There's been quite a bit going on in our nation recently. Rising interest rates, inflation, higher gas prices, labor costs, the list goes on. It can be quite overwhelming, especially if you're a farmer. Lately I've seen many posts about farmers and sadly, a big portion were negative. How grocery prices rising are the fault… Continue reading The Threshold of American Agriculture
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