View our Protecting Horse Country brochure.

The Farmlands Program is an outreach project initiated by the Conservation Trust for Florida to address the high conversion rate of working rural lands to urban uses. In 2003, according to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida's 44,000 farmers and ranchers contributed $62 billion and 648,550 jobs to the state's economy. However, the state loses more than 150,000 acres of rural land to urban development every year.

The state trend is similar to what is occurring in Marion County. The number of farms increased to 2,930 in 2002 from 2,370 in 1997, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture, but the total acreage decreased from 281,798 in 1997 to 270,562 in 2002; a loss of 11,236 acres of farmland. The average size of each farm also decreased by 27 acres; down to a 92-acre average in 2002.

The goal of project titled - The Farmlands Program - protecting HORSE COUNTRY - which is a focus area of the larger CTF program titled The Farmlands Program, is to slow this trend by protecting horse farms. By providing landowners with information about methods to protect their farm and in some instances receive a cash payment for protecting their land, there is a better chance of maintaining family lands and passing them on to future generations. The financial assistance, federal income and estate tax savings, and/or possibly a reduction in property taxes will help sustain Marion County's horse industry.

Horses in Mist...Photo by K. Heubeck

Ocala/Marion County is one of only four major Thoroughbred breeding and training centers in the world. However, with each farm that succumbs to development pressure this coveted designation could be removed. Along with the loss of horse farms, the network of equine services that supports the industry and employs nearly 29,000 people will also disappear. According to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association's website, Florida is home to some 600 Thoroughbred farms and training centers, with more than 75 percent of these located near Ocala in Marion County. One reasons the Ocala/Marion County area attracts horse owners is because of the calcium rich soils. Instead of clay or sand beneath the top soil, much of Marion County's soils are underlain with limestone.

The Quail Roost Foundation, founded in honor of Elmer and Harriet Heubeck, has generously contributed $5,000 to initiate the project. Funds will be used to develop and print an educational brochure targeted toward horse farm owners. CTF will mail the brochure along with additional materials about land conservation options such as conservation easements and tax and estate planning methods to all horse farm owners in Marion County.

CTF will also host two educational workshops in Marion County geared toward landowners and will provide information about current tax incentives for land conservation, the economic benefits of conservation easements and ways to reduce property, federal income, and estate taxes. Additional topics covered at the workshop include life estates, charitable remainder trusts, and business organization strategies. CTF will also schedule four presentations with local organizations, and will meet with individual landowners, area farm organizations, elected officials, and the media.

Additional information on land conservation and stewardship options, including the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, Rural Land Stewardship Areas, the Wetlands Reserve Program, Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, the Florida Forever program, and conservation easements will be provided as part of the workshop and presentation series and in information mailed to landowners.

CTF's goal is to protect horse farms, the network that supports horse farms and the horse farm lifestyle for future generations by educating landowners about land conservation methods, and by assisting them in protecting their land.

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