Florida’s Newest Farm Bill

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNED THE 2026 FLORIDA FARM BILL INTO LAW RECENTLY. YOU MAY THINK IT ONLY IMPACTS THOSE WHO WORK IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE OR LIVE IN FARMING AREAS, BUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE. JOINING US NOW TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE FARM BILL IS VERY GOOD. WHEN DOCTOR GOODWIN IS A PRESIDENTIAL FELLOW AT FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY. DR GOODWIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> YEAH, THANK YOU. >> CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE 2026 FLORIDA FARMVILLE AND IT COVERS A LINEAGE OF TOPICS. WHAT STICKS OUT AS FAR AS MOST INTERESTING ARE INFLUENTIAL. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? >> WELL, I THINK SOME OF THE THE PROTECTION OF OF RURAL LANDS FROM DEVELOPMENT IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. FLORIDA'S LAST AND, YOU KNOW, A FAIR BIT OF ANCHORAGE TO DEVELOPMENT OVER THE YEARS. AND I THINK THAT'S A THERE'S THERE'S THE ISSUES RELATED TO PREVENTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM PASSING REGULATIONS THAT WOULD CONSTRAIN THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO FARMERS. SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF THAT AND THE IMPORTANT THINGS I THINK AND I YOU KNOW IT IT WAS FOR SOME NEW INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE. SOME PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT FOR THE DISTRIBUTION AND SO FORTH. >> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE POSITIVES OF THE BILL SPECIFICALLY FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA? >> WELL, I THINK, >> YOU KNOW, THE LAND PRESERVATION THAT NEED THE ISSUES AND N. >> LIMITING HIGH-DENSITY DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE IMPORTANT NIGHT. I KNOW IN THE FORT MYERS AREA, WE ARE I SPENT A LOT OF TIME. THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF DEVELOPMENT, PRESSURE, THE AIR AND IT'S AND, YOU KNOW, ENCROACHING ON FARMLAND. THERE'S THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, AT SOME PARTICULAR PROVISIONS FOR EMERGENCY RECOVERY LOANS AND WE'VE SEEN, OF COURSE, THE THE PAST DISASTERS WITH HURRICANES AND SO FORTH THAT MAKES DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY AND IMPORTANT ISSUE AND THE STATE. >> NOW, YOU MENTIONED ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, THE HOUSE IS THEY ARE LOOKING AS WELL AT A FARM BILL AND THERE COULD EVENTUALLY BE ONE PAST THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL. TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT. >> WELL, THAT'S THE THE NATIONAL FARM BILL THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTAINS ALL SORTS OF PROVISIONS FOR AGRICULTURE. AND IT DOES HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. AND IT'S REALLY LARGELY A MAIN COMMODITY CROP, SORT OF A PACKAGE OF LEGISLATION. IT'S IT'S A GUN EVERY 5 YEARS AND WE'RE STILL ACTUALLY IN THE 2018 FARM BILL, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME REALLY IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE AND ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL LAST SUMMER THAT AFFECTED A LOT OF FROM FARM PROGRAM PROVISIONS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL IN SOME SOME THINGS THAT AFFECT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, LIKE SOME INCREASES AND LOAN RATE WAS A I THINK AN IMPORTANT. CHANGE FROM THE STATE THERE ON THE SET, THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE, AT LEAST. BUT IT DOES HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR HORTICULTURAL CROPS. THERE'S A HORTICULTURE TITLE AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE HOUSE VERSION WHICH WHICH WE HAVE NOW IN HAND, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE SENATE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE, LIKE WE SAID. BUT AND THAT THAT MAY BE SLOW TO DEVELOP. BUT THEY'RE CALLING THIS A SKINNY FARM BILL BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE BECAUSE AND THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, IT'S IT'S REALLY SO MUCH HAPPENED THERE THAT THERE'S NOT AS MUCH LEFT TO TAKE TENURE AS NORMALLY WOULD BE THE CASE TO NEGOTIATE. BUT CONSERVATION PROGRAMS ARE STILL SOMETHING THAT THAT CONGRESS IS WORKING OUT. THERE'S A HORTICULTURAL TITLE WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FLORIDA. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING A CROP INSURANCE PROVISIONS AND SOME OF THE BENEFITS FOR FARMERS AND THAT. AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POLICY. FOR FARMERS EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKEWISE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND MOST MOST FARMERS SAID TAKE OUT FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE FOR THE >> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO SUPPORT AGRICULTURE AND FARMING LEGISLATIVELY? >> WELL, IT CAN BE A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, REALLY BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THIS PAST YEAR. SOME VERY BEING AD HOC PAYMENTS WITH YOUR PAYMENTS THAT ARE NOT PART OF POLICY. TYPICALLY THEY'RE JUST ONE-OFF TYPE PAYMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, AND AGRICULTURE IS SUFFERING RIGHT NOW. THE EFFECTS OF THE TARIFFS HAVE BEEN NEGATIVE FOR AGRICULTURE BY AND LARGE, THOUGH, MIGHT AND NOT IN ALL SECTORS. BUT FOOD PRICES ARE HIGH RIGHT NOW. THE EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST RIGHT NOW ARE HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON IT. PUT INPUT PRICES, FUEL PRICES. FARMERS, OF COURSE, A VERY DEPENDENT UPON. ENERGY FOR THEIR THEIR MACHINERY. AND THE TRANSPORT TO GET COMMODITIES FROM THE FIELDS TO THE GROCERY STORE IS VERY DEPENDENT UPON THE COST OF ENERGY AS WELL. SO THERE'S A LOT A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING THAT I THINK HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STATE THERE IN THE REGION. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. DOCTOR GOODWIN, APPRECIATE IT. >> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.