Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces Preservation of 1,200-Acre D & D Ranch in Lake County
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the permanent preservation of more than 1,200 acres of working agricultural land through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. D & D Ranch, an approximately 1,254-acre cattle operation in Lake County, Florida, is being permanently preserved from development through a rural lands protection easement for $3.8 million.
“Florida’s future depends on the decisions we make today to protect our agricultural lands and their economic and environmental benefits,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “By preserving ranches like D & D Ranch, we’re not only defending Florida’s food security and water resources — we’re keeping agriculture alive and thriving for the next generation. Every acre we protect from development is an investment in Florida’s people, economy, and way of life.”
Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agricultural operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida. Additionally, by purchasing development rights through a conservation easement, the program does not impose an additional burden on the taxpayer by having to maintain state-owned lands. Since its inception, the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has permanently preserved over 223,000 acres of working agricultural land, with 158,000 of those acres being preserved during Commissioner Simpson’s administration.
D & D Ranch
D & D Ranch is a 1,254-acre ranch that consists of a mosaic of pasture and forested wetlands. It is adjacent to Southwest Florida Water Management District Green Swamp Conservation Easements on the north and the Green Swamp Land Authority Land Protection Agreements on the south. Surrounding lands are pasture, wetlands, citrus groves to the east and upland forest to the west. According to the University of Florida’s Center for Landscape Conservation Planning’s Agriculture 2040/2070 Report, areas adjacent to the project on the south and west are projected to be developed by 2040. This property overlaps a strategic corridor within the Florida Ecological Greenways Network and is within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
About the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
Established in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida’s economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program partners with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while protecting natural resources.
Since 2022, Commissioner Simpson has helped secure more than $700 million in state funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, including $250 million in the 2025/2026 state budget.
Commissioner Simpson has been involved in Florida’s land conservation policy issues long before becoming Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture. As Senate President, Commissioner Simpson championed the successful passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which directed the state of Florida to better protect and connect Florida’s natural areas and wildlife habitats and to preserve working agricultural lands from future development.
A story map of all completed Rural and Family Lands Protection Program projects can be viewed here: FDACS.gov/RFLPPMap.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
