about my county st johns county florida

I had a truly unique opportunity to see a part of St Johns County that I didn’t even know existed…. our agricultural land.

Did you know that, in 2022, total sales from agriculture products totaled $57 million, and that $38 million of that came from vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes, while $15 million came from nursery, greenhouse floriculture and sod?

And 94% of the farms in St Johns County were family farms in 2022!  Not corporate farming, but family businesses.

In 2022, St Johns County ranked 39^th in the State of Florida for sales of agricultural products, and 10^th in the state for vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Partnership with the University of Florida

As one of two land grant universities in Florida, UF provides extension services to each of Florida’s 67 counties, including St. Johns County. The St. Johns County agricultural center provides research, education and support for agriculture and families in the agriculture business across the County.

The St Johns County Agricultural Center is supported jointly by UF/IFAS (UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) and St Johns County and offers consultations and education courses on the latest science in livestock, agronomic crops, nurseries and sod, small farms and aquaculture. Youth programs include 4-H, camps, clubs and after school programs.

The Extension service includes programs for Florida Master Naturalists, Florida Master Gardener and Florida-Friendly Landscaping programs, as well as programs related to quality of life, from a science-based perspective. The Agricultural Center has around 100 Master Gardener Volunteers working in the County. Want to learn about Florida Friendly Landscaping for your home?  Look no farther than the Agricultural Center.

The Center also provides mentorship for the 20+ clubs of the local 4H chapter, and recently supported County 4H members in the Public Speaking Competition, where they learn public speaking and present to their peers – a vital skill for the business end of agriculture.  Local winners go on to compete regionally and nationally.

Agriculture is a tough, demanding business

 Besides the obvious challenge of cooperative weather, farming and agriculture have become more complicated making it harder to compete and remain financially viable.  Considering that farms typically invest thousands per acre, the return must substantially exceed that for the farm to thrive.

Science and business merge in agriculture and the County Agricultural Center is available to help with both. 

The Center conducts scientific research such as testing soil and water regularly, to help farmers manage nutrients for healthier crops. They share educational information as new science is developed. aimed at making St Johns County crops competitive in the marketplace.

The County Agricultural Center is also available to help farmers understand the economic benefits that the state provides to them, such as the Greenbelt Agricultural Tax Assessment which provides a lower tax rate to farms formally recognized as using the land for agricultural purposes.

Why should we care about agricultural land in St Johns County?

Besides the obvious benefits of feeding the population and providing employment for workers both directly on the farm and indirectly, farmers are the ultimate conservationists of our land. Scientific techniques such as cover crops which keep living roots in the soil year-round, improve soil fertility, reduce crusting and improve water infiltration and aeration, enable farms to both produce and conserve.

As the science of farming and land conservation and the business and economics of agriculture becomes more complicated, the more our farmers need specialty expertise to maximize their crops and conserve our land.

If you haven’t yet seen this remarkable part of St Johns County, take a self-guided tour from County Road 210 south on County Road 13N.  Stay on CR 13N past the intersection of CR214.  Pass the McCullough Creek Conservation Area, through the Deep Creek Conservation area and eventually run into CR 207 south into the town of Hastings. Hastings is known as the Potato Capital of Florida, with 21,000 acres of potato, cabbage, onions and eggplant, as well as ornamental horticulture.

And don’t forget to stop at County Line Produce and support the local farmers by buying the freshest produce you will find.

If you want to know more about Florida agriculture, take a look at this presentation given in 2018 to the Florida Association of County Managers.  Having grown up in cities, I find this fascinating.  As I was researching this post, I kept finding more and more about this important part of our economy, land conservation and heritage.