Thank You to Our 2023 Conservation Summit Sponsors!

Thank You to Our 2023 Conservation Summit Sponsors!

by | Sep 14, 2023 | Events, News

Horse Farms Forever® wants to sincerely thank all of the 2023 Conservation Summit Sponsors thus far. We are looking forward to an incredible event, and couldn’t do it without you!

Join us for a Conversation about Conservation, and hear from Carlton Ward Jr., the National Geographic Explorer and Conservation Photographer as he shares the story about how photographing the elusive and endangered Florida Panther in south Florida led to the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act and $800 million in funding for the corridor. Carlton’s quest was documented in  Path of the Panther, an award-winning film produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

We will also hear from Mallory Lykes Dimmitt, CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation and Traci Deen, President and CEO of Conservation Florida.

2023 Conservation Summit Sponsors

Title Sponsor

horse-farms-forever-farmland-preservation-area-ocala-marion-county

Gold Sponsors

Cone
kinsman Farm Horse Farms Forever Ocala Marion County
Live Oak Stud Ocala Marion County Florida
Misty Lane Cattle Co.
Niall Brennan Farm Horse Farms Forever Ocala Marion County
 
 
 

 
Perla Boord
Paul and Ann Kaplan
Dave and Ann Quanbeck 
Bill Kearns
 
 

Silver Sponsors

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Bronze Sponsors

 

 

Media Partners

 

 

 

  
 

 

  

Special Guests

 

*Sponsors as of October 18th, 2023.

Are You a Sponsor? Register Yourselves & Guests Here!
Register for the Summit Today!

There are still 2023 Conservation Summit Sponsorship Opportunities Available!

Learn More About Sponsoring the 2023 Conservation Summit

Come meet our special guests, the Gentle Carousel Miniature Horses!

Agricultural Lot Splits – What’s the Plan Stan?

Agricultural Lot Splits – What’s the Plan Stan?

by | Sep 8, 2023 | News

Have you wondered what Marion County will look like in 50 years? What about the Farmland Preservation Area? Will it still have the same miles and miles of four board fences and the rolling hills of horse farms that create the character and culture of Marion County?

The good news is that there is a Plan to help protect farms and the Farmland Preservation Area. The plan to manage growth is codified in Marion County’s Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code. These two documents, and how they are implemented or changed, will determine the future of Marion County.

The Comprehensive Plan – Say What, Say Why?

The County’s Comprehensive Plan is similar to a company’s Mission Statement in that it lays out Goals, Objectives, and Policies to provide a vision for sustainable urban, suburban, and rural growth that supports a transportation network, a variety of land uses, natural and agricultural resources, and open space.

For example, the goals to help preserve the rural and equestrian character for the nearly 200,000-acre Farmland Preservation Area are included in Objective 3.3 of the Comprehensive Plan and the Farmland Preservation Area boundary is designated on the Future Land Use Map.

Click HERE for the Future Land Use Map. The Farmland Preservation Area is in the northwest and outlined with a green and black dotted line. The Urban Growth Boundary is in red. The two lines merge on the northwest section of the Urban Growth Boundary.

Marion County Comprehensive Plan Objective 3.3: The Farmland Preservation Area is intended to encourage preservation of agriculture as a viable use of lands and an asset of Marion County’s economy and to protect the rural character of the area. Planning principles within this area are designed to protect significant natural resources, including prime farmland and locally important soils as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture and unique karst geology that provides high recharge to the Florida Aquifer, a key source of freshwater for central Florida. The County establishes this area as critical to the enhancement and preservation of its designation as the Horse Capital of the World.

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Ten Ways to Say Exception!

WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THERE ARE 10 EXCEPTIONS TO DIVIDE LAND.

Horse Farms Forever® (HFF) monitors all applications to divide land using the exceptions, especially the most commonly used exception in the Farmland Preservation area, the Agricultural Lot Split.

The agricultural lot split exception allows landowners to subdivide rural land into 10-acre or larger lots without having to plat the land into a subdivision. The exception has some rules, including a maximum limit of 10 lots per parcel division. While nearly all applications using the agricultural lot split exception adhered to the 10-lot limit, HFF discovered several applications that sought a waiver from the County’s Development Review Committee to exceed this 10-lot limitation.

At the May of 2023 Development Review Committee meeting, HFF challenged the statutory authority of the committee to waive any provision of the LDC by approving an application to allow 20-lots on one parcel using the agricultural lot split exception. While the Committee heard our testimony and accepted our objection letter, they proceeded to approve the waiver and send the application to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval.

At the June of 2023 Board of County Commissioner meeting, the application with the waiver was part of the Consent Agenda and scheduled for fast-track approval. HFF again challenged the authority of the DRC to waive a provision of the LDC and presented the County Attorney Guy Minter with a position paper from our land use attorney, Matthew Brockway. After a lengthy debate and a statement from Mr. Minter that while he thought our position was most likely correct, he needed more time to review the matter, the Commissioners tabled the application and asked the County Attorney to report back on our challenge at the next commission meeting.

At the July of 2023 Board of County Commissioners meeting, HFF land use attorney, Matthew Brockway, again challenged the legal authority of the Development Review Committee to waive any requirement of the Land Development Code, especially the limits related to the agricultural lot split exception. As a result of this challenge, the Commission chose to halt any future use of the agricultural lot split exception until this section of the Land Development Code could be reviewed and the practice of waivers by the Development Review Committee scrutinized.

“We do want to thank you, and Horse Farms Forever,” said Craig Curry, County Commission Chairman to HFF attorney Matthew Brockway at the July 18 Commission meeting. “You have become a good partner and help put an extra set of eyes on things and have been very helpful in a number of areas. We work very closely with you to protect the Farmland Preservation Area and we are appreciative of your time.”

In regards to the Agricultural Lot Split exception, Horse Farms Forever has not taken any position on the agricultural lot split exception and has no issue with the current language. As part of our watchdog efforts, we did respectfully challenge the statutory authority of the Design Review Committee to waive any portion of the Land Development Code, which is created by ordinance.

It is the vision and mission of Horse Farms Forever to inspire conservation of horse farms through education, awareness and idea exchange so as to preserve natural pasture land focusing on horses and their habitats, to protect soil and water on which they depend, and minimize land use conflicts in Marion County, Florida.

We are watchful of government and others to preserve and protect horse farms and farmland for future generations – especially in the Farmland Preservation Area. We are neither anti-growth nor anti-development; we encourage urban growth to remain inside the Urban Growth Boundary.

Horse Farms Forever® is a Florida not-for-profit corporation registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as a charitable organization and approved as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation by the Internal Revenue Service. Horse Farms Forever® does not have a political mission. Our status as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization does not allow us to participate or intervene in political activities. The organization will neither advocate on behalf of political candidates nor advocate for the passage of legislation.

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Joins HFF as a Founding Member

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Joins HFF as a Founding Member

by | Sep 4, 2023 | News

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association is a not-for-profit association with the mission of promoting the Florida Thoroughbred worldwide. Since 1945, FTBOA has represented the Thoroughbred industry legislatively, serves as the breed registrar, and administers lucrative awards programs and incentives for Florida-Bred racehorses.

The FTBOA represents more than 1,000 Thoroughbred breeders and owners internationally who breed, raise, sell, train and race horses born in the state of Florida. FTBOA does this by having a seat at the table for pertinent issues facing the local, state, and national Thoroughbred industries. FTBOA also works closely with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the State of Florida thanks to the State’s pro-business stance and industry tax incentives such as no sales tax on fencing, feed, and grain.

 

FTBOA trademarked Horse Capital of the World® and Ocala/Marion County Horse Capital of the World®, which are used to promote the region and its equine services.

FTBOA owns Florida Equine Communications (FEC), publisher of the award-winning monthly Thoroughbred-centric magazine The Florida Horse and the Wire to Wire Racing Digest. FEC also produces Horse Capital Digest®, the official publication of Horse Capital of the World®; and partners with Horse Capital Television, the official video platform of Horse Capital of the World®, to promote all equine breeds and disciplines in Central Florida. FEC produces award-winning industry videos, social media, and original website content.

 

In 2022, FTBOA launched, The Florida Horse podcast and Kaplan Media’s production studios moved to the FTBOA headquarters providing seamless video production capabilities for the Association.

In 2022, the Association’s CEO Lonny Powell was honored with two national awards, the American Horse Council’s Van Ness Award for lifelong service to the equine industry, and he was named Florida Executive of the Year by the Florida Society of Association Executives.  In 2015, FTBOA was awarded Florida Association of the Year by the Florida Society of Association Executives and the Non-Profit of the Year by the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, a prestigious honor considering there were more than 1,000 non-profits in the county.

FTBOA through its charitable arm, Florida Thoroughbred Charities, has raised more than $4 million in the last two decades for Thoroughbred retirement, scholarships, and education in Marion County, and within the State of Florida. The FTBOA headquarters also houses the Florida Thoroughbred museum where visitors and fans alike can learn more about the history of Florida Thoroughbred champions, their connections and achievements in the industry.

The FTBOA is located at 801 SW 60th Avenue in Ocala, Fla., next door to the worldwide perennial leader in two-year-olds in training sales, Ocala Breeder’s Sales, centered in the heart of the Thoroughbred industry in the state.

 

Carlton Ward, Jr to be Keynote Speaker at Horse Farms Forever’s Conservation Summit

Carlton Ward, Jr to be Keynote Speaker at Horse Farms Forever’s Conservation Summit

by | Aug 25, 2023 | Events, News

Ocala, FL – August 25, 2023 – Horse Farms Forever, Inc.® is pleased to announce that Carlton Ward, Jr, a National Geographic Explorer and photographer, will be the Keynote Speaker at the Fourth Annual Conservation Summit to be held on Thursday, November 16 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company.

Join us for a Conversation about Conservation as Carlton shares the story about photographing the first female Florida panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973. Carlton’s quest to photograph the elusive and endangered Florida Panther was documented in the “Path of the Panther,” an award-winning documentary film produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Carlton’s photograph of Babs, as the panther is affectionately named, shows that the range of the Florida panther has expanded north from the Everglades. This expansion is the key to the panther’s recovery, but their long-term survival depends on protecting land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

“If we can show the world who that panther is, that’s going to be the spark to save this whole corridor,” said Carlton in the Path of the Panther film preview.

The Path of the Panther film has already made an impact by inspiring the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021, which helped secure over $800 million in state funding for land conservation. Since the Act was passed in 2021, nearly 120,000 acres of land have been approved for conservation.

“I want everyone who sees the film to have tremendous pride in the state of Florida and know about the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the importance of it for the state’s future,” said Carlton “That’s why our team spent so many years focusing on the Florida panther. It’s a symbol of the need for protecting the corridor.”

The Florida Wildlife Corridor is an existing, nearly contiguous network of land that stretches from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys over about 18 million acres. Nearly 10 million acres has been conserved as public lands and as private lands that are protected with a conservation easement, but about half of the corridor is at risk of being developed.

About 40% of Marion County is included as part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The Ocala National Forest at over 430,000 acres in Marion County, is one of the largest pieces of the Florida Wildlife Corridor puzzle. The goal is to connect additional conservation lands such as the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and Silver Springs State Park by protecting private land with conservation easements. A portion of the Farmland Preservation Area in northwest Marion County is also part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Two of the key partner organizations working to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor will also be speaking at the 2023 Conservation Summit. Mallory Lykes Dimmitt is the CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, which champions a collaborative campaign to connect, protect, and restore the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Traci Deen is the President and CEO of Conservation Florida, a statewide land conservancy focused on protecting natural and agricultural landscapes with a primary focus on saving land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

By conserving private ranches and farms as part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, this also allows agriculture operations to continue to contribute to the economy and to the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida.

View Trailer

The Florida Wildlife Corridor

The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a statewide network of over 18 million acres that supports wildlife, people, and communities. It runs from the panhandle all the way to the tip of the peninsula. The Florida Wildlife Corridor already exists. The goal is to ensure continued connection between public land and green spaces across the state through private and public land conservation.

Learn More

Path of the Panther

The Path of the Panther tells the story of how a group of photographers, veterinarians, ranchers, conservationists, and indigenous people joined forces to track and protect the endangered Florida panther. In this moving documentary, stunning images of the big cats spur the movement to restore a majestic keystone species as well as a dwindling wilderness.

Learn More

The Florida Panther

The Florida panther is more than just an icon for Florida’s last wild places. It is a conservation keystone. The panther is an umbrella species with the largest terrestrial home range in the state, protecting dozens of other species in its domain. Reaching near extinction in the 1950’s, the Florida panther was among the first to be added to the U.S. Endangered Species list in 1973.

Protecting land for the panther is important for people and communities too because connected habitat helps provide clean air and drinking water, as well as other benefits like pollination of food crops and flood mitigation from heavy rains or hurricanes. The panther population has rebounded from about 30 adults to nearly 200 today. But the species faces a multitude of new challenges.

Learn More

Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation

Learn More

Conservation Florida

Learn More
Commonwealth Standard Holdings Joins HFF as a Founder Member

Commonwealth Standard Holdings Joins HFF as a Founder Member

by | Aug 7, 2023 | News

Horse Farms Forever® welcomes Nate Chambers and Commonwealth Standard Holdings as our newest Founder Member. The real estate and private equity firm joins over 70 businesses, horse farms, and individuals that collectively support HFF’s mission to preserve horse farms to ensure that not only are the rolling hills and scenic viewsheds protected, but also to raise awareness about the horse industry’s impact on the economy and its character, which has defined Marion County for over 50 years.

“I joined Horse Farms Forever because of my growing concern about thoughtful growth and development. My firm believes in developing projects that complement the community as well as supporting the protection of property like that in the Farmland Preservation Area,” said Nate Chambers, CEO of Commonwealth Standard Holdings. “It is possible to have both the ambitions of development and the values of conservation.”

The draw of Marion County’s rural charm, the opening of the World Equestrian Center, along with the thriving equine industry, has led many new horse farms and businesses to the area, including Commonwealth Standard Holdings. The equine industry in Marion County represents about one-fifth of the economy and generates over $2.6 Billion dollars every year (2014 study).

“The equine industry is not only personally special to us, it is also the primary economic driver in northwest Marion County,” said Nate. “Thoughtful development is critical or we risk losing what makes this area special.”

Nate and his wife, Dasha are lifelong equestrians and it was their love of horses that brought them together. They also recently welcomed their daughter into their growing family.

“We met at a horse show in Pennsylvania on land protected by a conservation easement,” said Nate. “I grew up riding and Dasha still rides. Hopefully we will see our daughter in the saddle before too long as well!”

HFF welcomes the Chambers family and Commonwealth Standard Holdings to the growing community that supports preserving the character and culture that horses, horse farms, and the horse industry brings to Marion County!

Visit Their Website: https://csholdings.com/

Protecting Farms with the Transfer of Development Rights Program

Protecting Farms with the Transfer of Development Rights Program

by | Jul 31, 2023 | News

The purpose of the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program is to help protect farmland and natural resources in Marion County by providing financial incentives to landowners and program participants. Sending Areas are the areas where communities want less (or no) development and the areas appropriate for growth are called Receiving Areas.

One of the ways to help protect farms in the Farmland Preservation Area is with Marion County’s Transfer of Development Rights Program.

At the July 18 meeting, Marion County Commissioners helped to further protect the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) by approving the use of 72 Transfer of Development Right (TDR) credits from a farm in the FPA that had been conserved with the TDR program over 15 years ago to a parcel of land inside the Urban Growth Boundary.

The 72 development credits were purchased by Sunbelt Land Fund I-Ocala South, LLC and will be used to increase the density on a 36-acre parcel of land by 72 units. The land already has the zoning to build a 288 multi-family apartment, but with the additional 72 TDR credits, the number of units will increase to 360. The property to be developed is located on the east side of SW 60th Avenue at the intersection of SW 52nd Street and it has a Future Land Use of High Density.

“These 72 TDR credits were created in 2008 by Walter and Wendy Boring when they placed a conservation easement on 119 acres of their property in the Farmland Preservation Area. Horse Farms Forever thanks the Boring family for protecting their land for future generations!” said Busy Shires, Director of Conservation Strategies, Horse Farms Forever at the July 18 Commission meeting.

Marion County’s TDR program was created in 2004 and it had some early success by preserving over 3,200 acres of land, but it has not been utilized to its full extent for over 15 years.

However, over the past year, Horse Farms Forever has been working with stakeholders to review the TDR program to see if there are ways to make it more relevant and sustainable for landowners and also for developers. In April, HFF held a Roundtable led by Rick Pruetz, a nationally known expert on TDRs about Marion County’s TDR program with 25 community stakeholders to provide feedback about the TDR program.

With the tremendous growth pressures and the need for additional housing, this is the right time to fully utilize the TDR program to not only help preserve the Farmland Preservation Area but to also direct growth to appropriate areas within the Urban Growth Boundary.

In Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) jargon, the areas where communities want less (or no) development are called sending areas. Sending areas can include environmentally sensitive places, farmland, historic landmarks, open space, or any other resources that a community wants to preserve. The areas appropriate for growth are called receiving areas. Receiving areas are suitable for development, typically because they are close to jobs, shopping, schools, infrastructure, public services, and other urban amenities.

Source: TDR Turns 40, Rick Pruetz, FAICP and Erica Pruetz

View the Summary of Marion County's TDR Program by Rick Pruetz, FAICP
Learn More About the Farmland Preservation Area & the TDR Program
View the Application for Sunbelt Land Fund I - Ocala South, LLC
Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

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