Last year, I was recognized as one of two Democrats for the 2021 Champion of Agriculture award in part for helping passing a bill to help the local aquaculture industry survive climate change and ever more polluted waters. This year, I'm going further...

Introducing HB1013, cost-sharing for sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, and timber operations:

Shellfish, clams, and oysters grown in the Gulf of Mexico filter upwards of 50-gallons of water a day, cleaning it of red tide, blue-green algae, and other pollutants. Timber lands provide a HUGE boost to fighting climate change by sequestering carbon in the trees and providing habitats for native species. 

Nevertheless, every year we lose more and more land to endless sprawl and more and more harvestable waters are lost to pollution. Meaning, more of our timber comes from the deforestation of the rain forests and more of our aquaculture will come from non-sustainable fishing practices overseas.

HB1013 rewards American farmers who follow best management practices and plant sustainable crops in ways that add value to our state's ecology. It tasks University of Florida researches to assign "prices" for the environmental benefits of sustainable operations and directs funds to incentivize sustainable operations.

It's a win for our farmers, a win for the environment, and a win for Florida!

You can help me pass this great bill (and others like it) by visiting my 2022 Action Center to click to email the committee chairs we need to hear this bill and help it along. 

Thank you, now let's go pass this thing!