Marion County Future Growth Committee Hears From Horse Farms Forever

Marion County Future Growth Committee Hears From Horse Farms Forever

by | Jan 4, 2021 | News, Plan

Marion County’s Available Land Within The Urban Growth Boundary is Greater Than the City of Miami.

Marion County is seeking input as they develop their 5-year strategic plan.

Horse Farms Forever was invited to present at Marion County’s Growth and Future Planning Strategic Committee meeting on December 10th. The Committee is seeking input from stakeholders about growth and development as the county develops a five-year strategic plan. It is led by Angel Roussel, Assistant County Administrator of Public Works, and includes staff from Growth Services, Community Services and Utilities. Marion County Commissioner Michelle Stone, who represents the Farmland Preservation Area, is also a member.

 “We are focused on a long-term strategy of protecting horse farms and the Farmland Preservation Area in order to ensure that our global brand as Horse Capital of the World® will remain for future generations. Without our horses, and horse farms, what would Marion County be known for? If we are not proactive in protecting our brand, we will lose the very thing that makes Ocala/Marion county so unique and special.” said Sara Powell Fennessy, Executive Director, Horse Farms Forever.

The Horse Farms Forever team of Sara Powell-Fennessy and Busy Shires Byerly voiced concerns about development pressure on the Farmland Preservation Area. About 2,500 acres of the Farmland Preservation Area has already been lost to urban uses since the FPA was created 15 years ago.

They also shared Horse Farms Forever’s position of support for planned growth within the Urban Growth Boundary and opposition to sprawl, particularly when it threatens to compromise the Farmland Preservation Area.

Marion County has approximately 3,800 farms (including horse farms) on about 322,000 acres. (1) Some view agricultural lands as fallow fields just waiting to be converted to their “highest and best use” as urban development. For the mineral rich soils of Marion County, the “highest and best use” is agriculture, especially in the Farmland Preservation Area. The American Farmland Trust’s The State of the States Report also recently confirmed that the soils in the Farmland Preservation Area are PVR soils: Productive, Versatile and Resilient. (2) Agricultural lands also help to balance county budgets because they don’t require expensive public infrastructure and services.

Sources

  1. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2012/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/Florida/cp12083.pdf
  2. https://farmlandinfo.org/publications/farms-under-threat-the-state-of-the-states/

“Growth is inevitable. Marion County is growing at a rapid rate, the question is not if we will grow, but where, when, and how. There are about 35,000 acres – roughly 55 square miles – of permitted land inside the Urban Growth Boundary. There is more land available within the Urban Growth Boundary than the size of Miami, so why are we putting so much pressure on our precious farmland?”

Sara Powell-Fennessy

Executive Director, Horse Farms Forever

By promoting sustainable growth management policies, we can work together to protect the very thing that makes Marion County so special. The goal is to positively change planning and zoning laws – to help protect our quality of life, economy, and horse farms for future generations. 

Busy Shires Byerly

Director of Conservation Strategies, Horse Farms Forever

Horse Farms Forever offered suggestions that will protect the Farmland Preservation Area and help manage growth.

Short Term:

  • Respect the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and Urban Growth Boundary.
  • Respect the Comprehensive Plan- it should not be subject to change with every developer’s request.
  • Strengthen the definition of the Farmland Preservation Area in the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code regulations.
  • Revise the Ag Zoning and Special Use Permit process to be compatible with the FPA.

Long Term:

Horse Farms Forever wants to be a catalyst, along with other community leaders, for the development of a Rural Land Management Plan (RLMP) for Marion County.  A RLMP is a plan that outlines compatible land uses for the rural area. It will identify issues, resources, policies and methods for the long-term viability of agriculture, while balancing growth and development.

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.

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Horse Capital of the World®

by | Aug 28, 2020 | News, Uncategorized, Videos

Why Here?

Have you ever wondered why Ocala is called the Horse Capital of the World®?

Why here, of all places?

Watch for the answers…in the words of some of our prominent owners and trainers.

That title is deserved, and the unique qualities of this special place need to be preserved for future generations. Once erased, it can’t be replaced.

Please, share this video far and wide. Respect and protect our open spaces and beautiful places.

Save it. Don't Pave it.

Join with us as we raise up the Farmland Preservation Area of Marion County as worthy of protection. It makes conservation sense and business sense. The forces of unrestrained development are strong. Your support helps us to speak out on your behalf and act as a force for sensible, planned growth that protects our farms and farmland.

Join Now
Good News for the Farmland Preservation Area

Good News for the Farmland Preservation Area

by | Jun 25, 2020 | News

Horse Farms Forever is grateful to announce tremendous growth at the grassroots level. This is solid evidence of a growing movement to protect the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) of Marion County.

We were born in 2018 to fight the State’s plans to build a toll road through the Farmland Preservation Area. A small group of farms, businesses and individuals came together with the County, and successfully convinced the State to respect our iconic farmland. In two short years, Horse Farms Forever (HFF) has become a lightning rod, attracting and gathering the voices in Marion County who care about protecting the character and culture created by horses and horse farms. HFF is now an effective 501c3 nonprofit organization with a clear mission to:

  • Protect the Farmland Preservation Area,
  • Promote the equestrian culture and character of Marion County,
  • Preserve farmland for future generations, and
  • Plan collaboratively with government and community stakeholders to ensure that open spaces and beautiful places remain forever.

Since our inception, we have steadily added members, both Individual and Corporate. This growth enables us to support part-time staff who work hard to fulfill the mission. It has also fuels our Threat Reserve Fund – this critical resource enables us to quickly ramp up our activity when our watchdog efforts uncover a new development or roadway threat to the FPA.

If you have been following us lately, you have seen us tackle two such threats in rapid succession. As we have raised awareness in the community, new friends and supporters have emerged and joined us. Our new members are individuals and businesses who share a deep regard for farmland and want play a part in keeping our area healthy, beautiful and worthy of being called the Horse Capital of the World®. It is not necessary to be in the horse business or to even own a horse to appreciate how horses and horse farms create a special sense of place that is worth preserving. We want to represent everyone who cares about the Farmland Preservation Area and protecting it for future generations. Thank you, new and renewing members, for your support. We are stronger together.

Growth in 2020 has been over 100%.

More blueberry pie, please! The dark blue are new members.

This shows the diversity of donation levels in our membership. Evidence of community support for the FPA!

Why Join?

Nobody can answer this question better than some of our newest members and supporters:

"Thank you so much for being there to support our farmland. It takes a lot of dedication and resources to do what you do. I am proud to be a member."

Sandra Vann

"So glad to see HFF continue to increase in numbers! As we’ve just witnessed, HFF is the best defense against the constant threat to the Farmland Preservation Area and our peaceful way of life. I do think “Border Collies” is a fitting description…….all paws on board…..keep those wolves out!"

Peter Fleming

"Hooray! Horse Farms Forever is a great organization, able to rally its members and the community effectively. You made it so easy to understand the issues and to contact the Commissioners. Great job."

John Toenjes

"Congratulations. You all are doing a fantastic job staying ahead of and on top of all the threats against our farm preservation areas. Thank you for watching out for the future of farm lands. God bless you."

Erna Jean Miller

"As a Real Estate Broker living in the Ocala area for over 30 years and dealing almost exclusively in Equine properties, I must agree strongly with those interested in preserving the FPA and the ambiance connected with the horses and farms that ARE Ocala. Many changes have occurred here over the years, and the majority of those changes are not in favor of keeping Ocala peaceful and beautiful."

Patricia Hawkesworth

"Thank you for keeping me in the loop of everything. I don’t have a horse farm but we live very close to all of you and I love our surroundings and we are so very lucky to see your beautiful horse farms and cattle farms. I truly love living here and it would truly be awful for this expansion to happen in our community. I love the quiet and beauty of this land. Thank you for all that you do."

Sunni Ziroff

"So glad to see a proactive group addressing this. Farmland lost is farmland lost forever. We watched development in Virginia and the way it ruined the countryside before preservation groups realized the consequences. By that time it was too little too late in many instances especially northern Virginia."

Pug & Susie Hart

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.

Join the herd. Every voice matters.

Join or Donate Now
In Praise of Pink – Northern Turnpike Connector Report for April

In Praise of Pink – Northern Turnpike Connector Report for April

by | Apr 30, 2020 | News, Roadway Threats

Florida’s M-CORES Northern Turnpike Corridor Task Force met virtually on Wednesday, April 29. We were there monitoring the action. The meeting covered four general topics:

The best news for Ocala Horse Country came in the first topic. Here is the latest map of the areas that M-CORES is committed to avoid:

That great, big block of hot pink at the top of the map is the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) in Marion County. Hot pink areas will not be impacted by the proposed Northern Turnpike Corridor. Our FPA ranks right up there with springs, military bases, tribal lands and national register sites. A lot of landowners, community leaders and organizations came together to get this highest level of avoidance designation. We are proud to be numbered among them. We will continue to gather those voices and bring them to the table as discussions continue.

The entire meeting presentation can be found here.

The second topic brought forth the concept of Attraction Areas: places where a connection to or service by an enhanced or new corridor is desired to accomplish economic, community, environmental, or other goals. Then, the participants were introduced to an online GIS tool that anyone can use to see more. Members of the Task Force will be using this tool to consolidate their input. Interested parties are encouraged to do their homework and get feedback in to the Task Force.

This is not over. Follow along as we work to keep the best interests of Marion County’s farmland and horse industry at the forefront. Roadway and development threats to the FPA continue to crop up on other fronts. Stay tuned!

Levy County Votes to Reject Toll Roads

Levy County Votes to Reject Toll Roads

by | Apr 9, 2020 | News, Roadway Threats, Uncategorized

This article from the Florida Phoenix lays out the latest in the toll road debate.

Highlights:

Two of the roads are supposed to cut through rural Levy County, near Ocala. But Levy commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to say they do not want them — primarily because of the development they would bring.

“I don’t want to see Levy County become another Tampa Bay, and that’s what’s going to happen if we don’t stand up and say no,” said Levy commissioner Lilly Rooks, who brought up the resolution.

“There’s really no strong appetite for these roads,” said Charles Lee of Audubon Florida, who sits on one of the advisory groups appointed to study the toll roads.

Yet…

To Galvano, the economic disaster caused by the pandemic is an argument for building the roads anyway — just to provide badly needed jobs for Floridians thrown out of work by the pandemic.

“As Florida moves forward from the coronavirus, economic development opportunities like M-CORES, and the jobs created both during and after construction, will be critical to our recovery,” the Republican senator said. 

 

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