District provides over $1 million to local growers for participation in water conservation efforts
Bruce Cobb with MacGregor’s Greens in Mount Dora just completed a cost-share project to convert to a recirculating hydroponic system in his greenhouse that produces herbs for local residents and restaurants.
PALATKA, Fla., Nov. 8, 2022 ― Today, the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board approved the execution of 13 contracts that will provide local growers with over $1.1 million in cost-share funds. Together, these projects will reduce water use by 73 million gallons per year and significantly reduce the amount of harmful nutrients that could potentially enter nearby water bodies.
“Over the last seven years, the District’s Agricultural Cost-Share Program has helped complete 136 projects across our 18-county region,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “Both the District and our Governing Board are committed to continuing the partnership with local growers who are choosing to implement projects that conserve water and protect our water supply.”
The District’s Agricultural Cost-Share Program was developed to assist farmers and growers who elect to execute projects that conserve water, reduce nutrient loading (amount of nutrients entering a water body), and result in more efficient farm management. Approved projects will receive up to 75 percent of cooperative funding, not to exceed $250,000 per applicant annually, toward the design, construction and implementation of technologies and strategies to improve water efficiencies and protect natural systems.
Many local growers depend on these funding opportunities in order to complete projects they may not be able to afford otherwise.
“They really want us to get this technology and implement it,” said Bill Lennon, a fifth general central Florida citrus farmer who has participated in several cost-share projects with the District. “They’re helping us conserve resources to help the environment. It’s a real partnership.”
Examples of projects eligible for cost-share funding include, but are not limited to, irrigation conversions, irrigation retrofits, soil moisture sensors, weather stations, fertigation and precision fertilizer placement equipment.
Projects receiving funds are:
- DeLee Produce, LLC (St. Johns County) – Installation of precision fertilizer equipment
- Diamond D Cattle, LLC (Duval County) – Installation of compost application equipment
- Estes Citrus (Indian River County) – Pump automation
- Faryna Grove Care (Lake County) – Liquid fertilizer injection equipment
- Florida Research Center (Indian River County) – Soil moisture probes and weather station
- IMG Citrus (Indian River County) – Irrigation retrofit
- Jeff Parker Farms (St. Johns County) – Precision fertilizer application equipment
- Lennon Grove Services (Lake County) – Irrigation retrofit
- May and Whitaker BB, LLC (Lake County) – Irrigation retrofit with soil moisture probes and weather station
- Picolata Produce Farms, Inc. (St. Johns County) – Portable weather stations and soil moisture probes.
- Sun Ag, LLC (Indian River County) – Conversation to surface water
- Total Ag Care, LLC (Orange County) – Irrigation retrofit
- Yale Lodge, LLC (Lake County) – Precision fertilizer application equipment.
This year the District received 14 applications seeking funds through the Districtwide Agricultural Cost-Share Program for projects in the 15 counties outside the Tri-County Agricultural Area (portions of Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties), which has its own separate funding program.
For information about District cost-share programs, visit www.sjrwmd.com/localgovernments/funding.