SVN | McDonald & Company Joins HFF as a Founder Member

by | Aug 29, 2024 | News

Horse Farms Forever® welcomes Bartow McDonald IV and SVN | McDonald & Company as our newest Founder Member. The commercial real estate firm joins over 70 businesses and horse farm owners, as well as thousands of members that have all joined forces to help inspire the conservation of horse farms and agricultural lands in Marion County.

Bartow serves as managing director for SVN | McDonald & Company, where he enjoys working on commercial real estate deals throughout Florida. Prior to joining SVN, Bartow served as the vice president of acquisitions and development for Cope Properties, Inc. While his expertise is in large, commercial properties, he also has a passion for helping landowners find the best solution for the conservation and preservation of their family lands.

“The balance between development and conservation is an important conversation for everyone in Marion County,” said Bartow. “Horse Farms Forever leads the initiative in this conversation, which we encourage and support.”

At SVN | McDonald & Company, we specialize in connecting clients with the perfect commercial real estate opportunities in Ocala, FL. With our extensive network, personalized service, and in-depth expertise, we’re committed to helping you achieve your goals in the vibrant Ocala market.

SVN | McDonald & Company also represents many landowners and their families in large and often complex land transactions involving generational wealth. We are experts in helping clients understand the complexities and navigating their options for the development, conservation and preservation of their lands.

Learn more

For Bartow, his conservation ethic sits close to his heart as his wife, Laura Drake McDonald,  is a co-owner of the majestic Drake Ranch along with her siblings and cousins as the fourth generation of the Drake family. 

In 2002, Laura’s father Trusten (Trusty) Drake, III and her uncle, George (K) Drake, Sr. preserved 5,800 acres of the Drake Ranch by placing it in a conservation easement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Drake Ranch is one of Marion County’s crown jewels, and it preserves over 6.5 miles on the east side of the scenic Withlacoochee River.

“Marion County is blessed with the wonderful natural resources of land, soils and water,” said Bartow. “The abundance of scenic open spaces, horse farms and ranches have come to define our community and this is what makes it so special.”

“For generations of our family, saddling a horse has meant a long day in the swamp rounding up cows and their calves, chasing a bird dog on the scent trail of a bob white quail, or while navigating a steep switchback in the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains,” said Bartow. “A saddled horse is the quintessential symbol of harnessed power, beauty and big horizons. The horse is a companion that lets us run faster, jump higher and go further. And by itself, the horse is majestic and a creature that is a joy and delight just to behold.”

The McDonald family’s love of horses, the outdoors, and conservation are a true inspiration! Horse Farms Forever thanks them for their generous support to help preserve the character and culture that horses, horse farms, and the Farmland Preservation Area make unique to Marion County.

Laura and Bartow McDonald on the family’s Drake Ranch.
Photo courtesy of the McDonald family

Horseback riding with Laura in the Rocky Mountains.
Photo courtesy of the McDonald family

Bartow and his wife Laura with their family. (Drake and Esther McDonald, Mac McDonald, and Stiles McDonald)
Photo courtesy of the McDonald Family
Bartow enjoys sight fishing and bow hunting. Two things that will get me up before sunrise, he says.
Photo courtesy of the McDonald Family
Members Spotlight Late Summer 2024

Members Spotlight Late Summer 2024

by | Aug 22, 2024 | News

Welcome, New Friends and Thank You, Faithful Partners!

Horse Farms Forever and our critical mission are carried forward by the longstanding commitments of our Board and members. Take a quick tour through our Member’s Logos and you’ll get a sense of the size and diversity of our herd. This bodes well for the future of horse farms in Marion County!

See who has renewed this month, and allow us to introduce you to our newest herd mates.

New to the Herd
We welcome you!

FOUNDER

BRONZE

 

RENEWING Organizations

Corporate Founders – Gold

 

Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association – Corporate Founder

Ocala Horse Properties – Corporate Founder 

kinsman Farm Horse Farms Forever Ocala Marion County

Kinsman Farm – Corporate Founder 

Cloverly Farm – Corporate Founder 

Live Oak Stud Ocala Marion County Florida

Live Oak Stud – Corporate Founder 

Corporate Members 

ICard Merrill – Silver

Imagine Thoroughbreds – Silver

American Farmland Trust – Bronze 

RENEWING Individuals & Families

Bill Kearns – Founder

Family Leaders

Paige & Thomas Campbell
Nancy & Patrick DeCavignac

NEW Friends

Thomas Hotte
Laurie Augusta
Peg White
Bill Kasseo
Katie Rocco
Susan Starling
TJ Cottongim
Lisa Fender
Joie Wilson
Doborah Allan-Lucas
Elaine Leknes
Alyson Scotti
John Kendrick
Jacqueline Ford
Mireille Doffegnies
Daniel Balys
Beverly Moreau
Jane Zima

RENEWING Friends

Cathy Barnes
Carol Tremblay
Jenaay Brown
Elizabeth Goodwin
Alexis Evanich
John Crowe
Jill Norair
Ron Beschmann
John D. Corbitt
Julie Bembenek
Kit Maurer
Linda Petz
Julia Davies
Debra Stevenson
Francis Rath
Debra Stevenson
Blandina Rojek
Mary Hogan
Sarah Almida Dennis
Nancy Alford
Stephanie Goetz
Kimberly McDowell
Mary Windsor-Nespolo

Questions About Membership and Sponsorship?

Sara Fennessy, Executive Director

859-553-5510

Always Watching

We work hard to keep you informed, and to represent our members' interests in preserving our horse farms, farmland and the unique character and culture of Marion County's 193,000 acre Farmland Preservation Area.

Join the herd. Every voice matters.

Join Today!

Land Development Regulation Commission Vacancy!

Land Development Regulation Commission Vacancy!

by | Jul 24, 2024 | News

Do you have expertise in the areas of planning, real estate, land development, or agriculture? If so, Marion County has a vacancy on the Land Development Regulation Commission (LDRC). This is an exciting opportunity to serve your community and learn first-hand the inner working of the Land Development Code and how it relates to the Comprehensive Plan.

The LDRC’s role in shaping future growth is even more important now, as Marion County is updating its policies in the Comprehensive Plan through the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR). The Comprehensive Plan is like a road map for the community and it will guide where and how Marion County grows over the next 20 years.

The LDRC members should be representative of the technical fields related to land development regulations including the ability to evaluate and recommend specific regulatory standards and criteria.  Preferably, they should be familiar with the areas of planning, environmental science, agriculture and the development industry. The current LDRC members include a land surveyor, several engineers, a land developer and a realtor. This is a volunteer position.

The members of the LDRC are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. To be eligible, you must be a qualified voter and resident of Marion County. Applications may be obtained at the Marion County Board of County Commissioners’ Office located at 601 S.E. 25th Ave., Ocala, Florida; online at https://www.marionfl.org/my-commissioners/advisory-boards via an online application or by downloading and emailing a PDF: or by calling 352-438-2323.

The deadline for receiving applications is Friday, August 2nd, 2024 at 4 p.m. 

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners plans to appoint members on Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 or as soon thereafter as possible.

The LDRC has several important duties:

  1. To review and consider all proposed land development regulations and amendments thereto.
  2. To hold public hearings regarding proposed land development regulations and amendments thereto.
  3. To make recommendations to the county commission regarding consistency of proposed land development regulations or amendments with the county’s approved and adopted comprehensive plan.
  4. To review and make recommendations to the county commission regarding the adoption and amendments to the Land Development Code.
  5. To monitor and oversee the effectiveness and status of the Land Development Code and recommend to the county commission such changes in the code as may be required.
  6. To make its special knowledge and expertise available, upon reasonable written request and authorization of the county commission to any official, department, board, commission or agency of the county, state or federal governments.
  7. To adopt rules of procedure consistent with law and the Land Development Code as are necessary for administration and governance of its proceedings.
  8. To perform such other functions, duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to it by the Board or by general or special law.

Advisory Board Main Page: https://www.marionfl.org/my-commissioners/advisory-boards

Link to the Online Application: https://www.marionfl.org/my-commissioners/advisory-boards/advisory-board-application

 

Concerned About Growth? The EAR Needs to Hear From You.

Concerned About Growth? The EAR Needs to Hear From You.

by | Jul 9, 2024 | Events, News

How fast will Marion County grow over the next 20 years?

The population is estimated to grow to nearly 500,000 residents by 2040. That’s an increase of about 100,000 new people living and working in Marion County.

You can help plan for this growth! Marion County is updating its policies in the Comprehensive Plan through the Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR). The Comprehensive Plan is like a road map for the community and it will guide where and how Marion County grows over the next 20 years.

Planning for the next 20 years is important and your feedback on how best to manage growth and guide the community’s vision for the future will help keep Marion County an amazing place to live!

Ensure Your Voice is Heard

1. Fill out the Survey:

Complete the Beyond 2024 Survey and Map Survey 

2. Attend the EAR Workshop!

Want to be part of the visioning process? Marion County is hosting workshops throughout the County. Workshops are open to the public and residents.

The workshops will be held at different locations in the County to make it easy for residents to attend. There are two workshops near the Farmland Preservation Area:

Wednesday, July 17 at the Sparr United Methodist Church
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
13100 NE Jacksonville Road, Sparr, FL 32192

Thursday, July 25 at Golden Hills Country Club
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
4782 NW 80th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34482

We believe that horses create the character and culture that make Marion County unique and special. For there to be horses, there must be horse farms. In Marion County, there is about one horse for every four people. The equine industry contributes about one-fifth of the economy and one-fifth of the jobs. In addition, rural farmland creates open spaces that act as filtration for the Floridian aquifer which is at the source of all life in Florida. Further, the Farmland Preservation Area acts as a protective umbrella for the primary and secondary protection zones for Rainbow Springs and Silver Springs.

Always Watching

We work hard to keep you informed, and to represent our members' interests in preserving our horse farms, farmland and the unique character and culture of Marion County's 193,000 acre Farmland Preservation Area.

Join the herd. Every voice matters.

Join Today!
Join or Donate Now
Summer Membership Roundup

Summer Membership Roundup

by | Jul 3, 2024 | News

In These Long Days of Summer, Our Grass Roots are Growing Strong.

Horse Farms Forever and our critical mission are carried forward by the longstanding commitments of our Board and members. Take a quick tour through our Member’s Logos and you’ll get a sense of the size and diversity of our herd. This bodes well for the future of horse farms in Marion County!

See who has renewed their commitments this quarter, and allow us to introduce you to our newest herd mates.

Thank you, new and renewing members!

* This spotlight features our new & renewing donors at the $500 & up level as of July 1st, 2024.

New to the Herd


We welcome you!

Corporate Bronze

Corporate Bronze

 

Renewing Founders/Directors

Our dedicated Board of Directors have served tirelessly – most for the entire six years of our existence. Please join us in thanking them. We couldn’t ask for a better group to represent us in the community and provide wise guidance as we grow.

GEORGE ISAACS
Bridlewood Farm

ROB DESINO
Ocala Horse Properties

MARY JANE HUNT
Horsefeathers!

CHESTER WEBER
Live Oak International

LINDA BAMMANN
Laughing Horse Farm

ELMA GARCIA
Elma Garcia Films

Paul Kaplan

PAUL AND ANN KAPLAN

NICK DE MERIC
de Meric Racing

TOM GRABE
Equine and Canine Chronicle

Bernie Little

BERNIE LITTLE
Misty Lane Cattle

Renewing Organizations

Corporate Founders – Gold

 

Brook Ledge Horse Transportation – Corporate Founder and Conservation Summit Title Sponsor

Saint Bernard Foundation – Corporate Founder

Lugano Diamonds – Corporate Founder

Advent Health Ocala – Corporate Founder 

Niall Brennan Stables – Corporate Founder

JP Morgan Chase – Corporate Founder

UF Health – Corporate Founder

Corporate Silver

Icard Merrill 

Renewing Individuals & Families

Individual Founders

Matt & Courtney Varney – Founder Family

Vivian Day and John Stroh 

Page Flournoy

Individual Leader – RENEWING

Tim & Cheryl Holecamp

Family Leaders – RENEWING

Corporate Membership

Looking for a way to promote your business throughout the equine community? Becoming a Horse Farms Forever Corporate Member gives you access to our members in Ocala/Marion County and beyond.  Donating to Horse Farms Forever, a registered 501(c)3 with the IRS, reaches our members, friends, and subscribers though our newsletters, social media, advertising, and events.  To learn more or to join please contact our Executive Director,
Sara Fennessy 

Join Now

Always Watching

We work hard to keep you informed, and to represent our members' interests in preserving our horse farms, farmland and the unique character and culture of Marion County's 193,000 acre Farmland Preservation Area.

Join the herd. Every voice matters.

Join Today!

Horse Farms Forever® Celebrates Six Years

Horse Farms Forever® Celebrates Six Years

by | Jun 21, 2024 | News

Iron Sharpens Iron

For a traditional sixth anniversary gift, iron is given to symbolize strength. Horse Farms Forever® was founded six years ago to gather the community in opposition to a proposed toll road right through the Farmland Preservation Area. While the toll road was stopped, development pressure has only increased. In these six years, growing community support for protecting Marion County’s iconic landscapes has strengthened the commitment to our mission.

We have worked hard to develop strong relationships and support from a broad spectrum of the community, including large and small horse farm owners, realtors, developers, and business owners. This collective strength and shared wisdom of our members has given us a seat at the table and the opportunity to impact land use decisions and to inspire the conservation of horse farms.

We are helping to build a Marion County land conservation success story. Here’s a review of the latest chapter: 

    Advocating for Smart Growth

    Our most high-profile role is in advocating for smart growth and development. We monitor all development, zoning, land use and special use permit applications made to the County with a focus on any that could affect horse farms and the Farmland Preservation Area. When a proposed development threatens the Farmland Preservation Area, or is located outside of the County’s Urban Growth Boundary, HFF has been there at every meeting with the best professional support available that looks at all of the angles. Our goal in advocating for smart growth is to minimize land use conflicts, and thus, we also work toward making policy changes in the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code to help prevent future incompatible development applications.

    This year we worked with the community to oppose the proposed RaceTrac truck stop deep within the heart of the FPA. This proposal would have opened pandora’s box, subjecting all parcels within the FPA to intense commercial development.

    We also led the charge in halting the Jumbolair Aviation Community  proposal to build 200 airplane hangars on rural lands which would have subjected the FPA to a never ending air-raid. 

    This Spring, we developed a campaign to bring awareness to an application to build a 500-vehicle storage lot on 15 acres directly adjacent to the Cross Florida Greenway. The application was withdrawn just an hour before the public hearing started.

    In 2022, HFF successfully amended the Marion County Comprehensive Plan to add further protections to the FPA by more tightly defining rural character and compatible land uses. We have recently applied to amend the Marion County Land Development Code to add further protections from subdivision of rural parcels in the FPA.

    Photos by Elma Garcia (foreground) and Mark Emery (background).

    Protecting our Water and Springs

    Finding a balance to growth and protecting our iconic landscape is paramount to protecting our farms and billion-dollar equine industry, which relies on the expansive pastures with mineral rich soils and water. The Farmland Preservation Area serves as the first line of defense in protecting two of Marion County’s First Magnitude Springs – Rainbow Springs and Silver Springs. In addition, the County is home to abundant natural resources, including two-hundred miles of trails for hiking and biking, and equestrian use, more than 150 miles of streams and rivers, and over 25 second and third magnitude springs.

    HFF is working with the county leadership and other stakeholders to refine the Transfer of Development Rights Program to make it more effective and functional, adding further protections to the FPA with conservation easements.

    Guiding Growth Inside the Urban Growth Boundary

    To help guide growth, HFF will be actively participating in Marion County’s evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan through a process known as an Evaluation and Appraisal Report, or in short, an ‘EAR’. These meetings are open to the public. Click below for the community meeting schedule:

    EAR Meetings

    Conversations About Conservation

    Two of the most successful events over the past year include the 2023 Conservation Summit featuring Carlton Ward, Jr., and the 2024 Spring Speaker Series featuring Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and Florida Cattleman Jim Strickland. These events help create a community dialogue about conservation and inspire a culture of land preservation in Marion County.

    In 2023, HFF held our Fourth Annual Conservation Summit featuring Carlton Ward, Jr., a National Geographic Explorer, who inspired us with his stunning photography and film of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Over 500 people attended and the Summit was also supported by over 60 businesses and organizations!

    Iron Clad

    With the iron clad support from the community and a growing land conservation ethic in Marion County, we can celebrate our 6-year anniversary knowing that our efforts have made a difference to help preserve the landscape that supports our 4.3 billion dollar equine industry and defines the character and culture of the Ocala area.

    Cheers!

    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

    Join Us