Frequently Asked Questions
What crops and agricultural operations are found on Florida farmland?
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Florida farming has shifted heavily. Citrus greening disease has killed off over 70 percent of the state’s orange groves since 2005. Now, Plant City and eastern Hillsborough County grow massive amounts of strawberries. Blueberries do well in the sandy land in central and northern Florida. Down southwest near Immokalee, farmers grow huge crops of tomatoes peppers and winter vegetables. South and west of Lake Okeechobee, sugar cane absolutely dominates the rich dark soils in Palm Beach, Hendry and Glades counties. Central and south central Florida still run huge cattle ranches on improved grass, while the Panhandle and Big Bend regions mostly grow pine trees for timber.
How does citrus greening disease affect buying farmland with orange groves in Florida?
According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, citrus greening is a fatal tree disease spread by a tiny bug and it has absolutely wrecked the Florida orange industry. Once a tree gets infected, it slowly dies over three to seven years. Right now, there is no cure and no commercial tree that is totally immune to it. If you are looking at buying a Florida property that has orange groves, you must hire a certified citrus expert to check the trees for disease and tell you if it makes more financial sense to rip them out and plant something else. Do not pay top dollar for a citrus farm if the trees are dying.
What is the cattle ranching industry like in Central and South Florida?
According to the Florida Cattlemen Association the area around Okeechobee Highlands Desoto and Hardee counties in south central Florida is one of the oldest cattle ranching regions in the United States. Ranchers mostly use Brahman cross cattle because they can handle the brutal heat high humidity and heavy bugs. Bahiagrass is the main pasture grass here and because the weather stays warm and rains heavily in the summer the grass grows almost year round. Aside from Hawaii Florida gives ranchers the longest grazing season in the country. The biggest challenge is just managing the water since you have to hold water in ponds during the rainy summer so you can keep the grass alive during the dry winter.
