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Local Farm Groups Tell County Agriculture Is Economic Engine, Water Protector
Summary
Jackson County Farm Bureau president Jeff Pittman told commissioners that agriculture covers nearly half the county’s land, generates about $122 million in market value and plays a role in water protection and rural identity.
Jeff Pittman, president of the Jackson County Farm Bureau, told the Board of County Commissioners on April 22 that agriculture is both the county’s economic backbone and a steward of local water and open-space resources.
Pittman said 43% of Jackson County land is engaged in agricultural production, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, and that agricultural parcels carry taxable value that supports local services. He said crop and livestock production together generated about $122,000,000 in market value in 2022, and that crop production accounted for roughly $81,000,000 of that total with peanuts, cotton and vegetables highlighted as leading contributors.
Pittman framed the county’s land-use designations — including AG-1 tracts of 250 acres or more and AG-2 with lower density allowances — as tools to preserve working lands. He described Jackson County rules that limit housing density in some agricultural zones and an impervious surface ratio (he said agricultural zones are required to keep at least 40% permeable) as measures that protect groundwater and reduce runoff.
Pittman also described the Blue Springs Basin and its role as a recharge zone for the Florida aquifer, noting producers’ participation in Florida’s best management practices (BMP) programs and the Bay Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP). He listed on-farm conservation practices — soil mapping and nutrient planning, precision irrigation and pesticide training — and referenced the Florida Farm Bureau "Farm Cares" recognition program.
Commissioners and others thanked the presenters. Pittman asked county leaders to consider farm-compatible road design, right-of-way clearance and guardrail placement to make moving large equipment safer during the March–June planting window and the August–November harvest window.
Why it matters: Pittman presented data and arguments intended to show that farmland preservation and farm-supportive infrastructure are tied to local tax revenue, rural livelihoods and water-quality stewardship.
Pittman closed by urging that county planning, infrastructure and policy prioritize agriculture to sustain Jackson County’s economy and culture.
