Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)

Agriculture Loan Program

The **Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Emergency Loan Program** (formerly the&#x2004;Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program) has been established within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to make low-interest or interest-free loans to agricultural and aquaculture producers who have experienced damage from a declared emergency.

Loans may be used to:

- Restore, repair or replace essential physical property, including fences, equipment, greenhouses and other buildings;

- Restock aquaculture; **or**

- Remove vegetative debris from the property. Any structure or building constructed using loan proceeds must comply with storm-hardening standards as defined in [Section 604.50(2), Florida Statutes](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=Section+604.50&URL=0600-0699/0604/Sections/0604.50.html) (F.S.).



The Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Emergency Loan Program (formerly the Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program) has been established within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to make low-interest or interest-free loans to agricultural and aquaculture producers who have experienced damage from a declared emergency.
Loans may be used to:
- Restore, repair or replace essential physical property, including fences, equipment, greenhouses and other buildings;
- Restock aquaculture; or
- Remove vegetative debris from the property. Any structure or building constructed using loan proceeds must comply with storm-hardening standards as defined in Section 604.50(2), Florida Statutes (F.S.).

- Applicants must own a bona fide farm operation on land classified as agricultural pursuant to Section 193.461, F.S., or lease sovereign submerged land pursuant to Section 597.010, F.S.
- The farm or aquaculture facility must be located in a qualifying county for the applicable declared emergency.
- Applicants must have experienced damage or destruction due to a qualifying disaster.
- If an applicant is not the owner of the property, please have the property owner complete the Authorized Representative Form before applying for a loan.
- Loan funds may only be used to restore, repair or replace essential physical property, remove vegetative debris from essential physical property, or restock aquaculture. A structure or building constructed using loan proceeds must comply with storm-hardening standards for nonresidential farm buildings as defined in Section 604.50(2), F.S.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Accepting funds under this program could render an applicant ineligible for financial assistance from other sources; applicants must not unlawfully duplicate assistance (including FEMA and USDA) and must disclose any recovery funds received from other sources.
- You must complete all sections and upload all required documents for your application to be considered complete.
- You can apply up to one year after the date of the declared emergency or until available loan funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.

Note: As outlined in Florida Statute, an applicant may not receive more than one loan per application period, more than two loans within a 12-month period (based on the date of their first loan application), or more than five loans in any three-year period.

A payment that must be returned to the provider following specified terms of repayment and interest rate.

Loan

Aquaculture

Aquatic Plants

Seafood

Eels

Fish

Shellfish

Atka Mackerel

Carp

Catfish

Flounder

Goosefish

Herring

Hybrid Striped Bass

Largemouth Bass

Ornamental Fish

Pacific Cod

Pacific Ocean Perch

Pollock

Recreational Sportfish

Red Drum

Sablefish

Salmon

Sole

Sturgeon

Tilapia

Trout

Tuna

Turbot

Crustaceans

Crab

Dungeness Crab

King Crab

Snow Crab

Southern Tanner Crab

Crayfish

Lobster

Molluscs

Geoduck

Squid

Coronavirus

Fencing

Trade Relief

Trees

Weather

Wildfire

Drought

Flood

Hurricane

Tornado

Emergency

Low- or no-interest disaster recovery loan from FDACS, with a built-in partial-forgiveness structure.

- Maximum loan: "The maximum amount an applicant may receive during the application period for a loan is $500,000."
- Interest: the program makes "low-interest or interest-free loans" (the page does not publish a specific rate).
- Term: "Ten years."
- Payment deferral and 30% write-down: "FDACS shall defer payments for the first three years of the loan. After three years, FDACS shall reduce the principal balance annually through the end of the loan term such that the original principal balance is reduced by 30%. If the principal balance is repaid before the end of the 10th year, the applicant may not be required to pay more than 70% of the original principal balance." In practice you repay no more than 70% of what you borrow if you carry it to term.
- Window: "You can apply up to one year after the date of the declared emergency or until all available loan funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first."
- Frequency limits (statutory): no more than one loan per application period, no more than two loans within a 12-month period (from your first loan application date), and no more than five loans in any three-year period.
- No cost-share or match is published. Loan proceeds are restricted to restoring, repairing or replacing essential physical property, removing vegetative debris, or restocking aquaculture; anything you build must meet the storm-hardening standards in s. 604.50(2), F.S.
- Watch out: accepting these funds "could render an applicant ineligible to receive financial assistance for recovery from other sources," and you must not duplicate FEMA or USDA assistance and must disclose other recovery funds received.

Applicants must sign in or register on the program portal to apply. Questions about the application should be directed to 1-800-435-7352. The application deadline is January 1, 2027.

FDACS Consumer Assistance (1-800-HELP-FLA)

The Florida Block Grant Disaster Relief Program, developed by FDACS in partnership with USDA, provides financial support to help agricultural producers rebuild, restore operations, and return to full production after hurricane losses.



Eligible applicants are agricultural producers whose operations experienced damage or loss during the 2023 or 2024 hurricane seasons.

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Buildings

Construction

Greenhouse

High Tunnel

HVAC

Irrigation

Lighting

Repairs

Storage

Disaster Relief

The program covers: Infrastructure — restoration, repair, or replacement of agricultural structures like greenhouses, barns, irrigation systems, and livestock shelters; Market Loss — compensation for specialty crop producers (strawberries, watermelons, blueberries, tomatoes, snap beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, sweet corn); Citrus — economic loss recovery, grove damage, replanting, and infrastructure restoration; and Timber — debris removal, cleanup, and reforestation for landowners with at least 10 contiguous storm-damaged acres. The page states the program will deliver more than $600 million.

The program will accept new applications from September 1 – October 9, 2026. Contact your local County Forester office for details.

Florida Forest Service — Main Office

The Florida Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program helps non-industrial private forest landowners reduce pine beetle damage through management practices. It provides partial cost reimbursement or incentive payments for forest treatments that improve stand health and decrease infestation susceptibility. Funding comes from temporary USDA Forest Service grants.



Eligible applicants are non-industrial private forest landowners located in 44 northern Florida counties within the southern pine beetle range. Minimum tract size is 10 acres (5 acres for first pulpwood thinning). One application per landowner annually, with up to two approved practices per year.

A payment that requires some percentage of matching contributions by the recipient.

Cost Share

Inputs

Forest Management

Maximum funding is $10,000 per landowner per year. All payments are made at specified per-acre or per-seedling rates. Eligible practices: first pulpwood thinning, prescribed burning, planting longleaf and/or slash pine, and mechanical underbrush treatments. Limited funding is available.

The 2026 application window ran January 13 – March 27, 2026. Landowners must contact their local Florida Forest Service County Forester to begin the application process.

FDACS — Grants Office

The RESTORE Landowner Incentive Program aims to increase the acreage of healthy pine ecosystems in Florida by helping non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners through cost-share reimbursement for approved forest management practices that enhance water resources and forest health, funded by the RESTORE Act.



Applicants must be non-industrial private landowners, county/local governments, or registered nonprofit organizations owning their own land. Properties must be located within the designated RESTORE project area and have a minimum practice area of 10 acres (funding caps at 250 acres).

Water Management

The program reimburses two practice categories: Tree Establishment (site preparation, seedling purchase, and planting) and Timber Stand Improvement (first pulpwood thinning, underbrush treatment, and prescribed burning). All on-the-ground practices must be completed no later than April 30, 2027.

The application period has closed, as the number of applications received exceeded available state funds; the program may reopen if additional funding becomes available. Contact OAWPCostShare@FDACS.gov or 1-800-HELP-FLA.

FDACS Office of Agricultural Water Policy — Cost Share

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Office of Agricultural Water Policy administers the BMP Cost Share Program to assist eligible agricultural producers with implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) for agricultural water management improvements.



Eligible applicants are agricultural producers enrolled in the applicable BMP program. (The program page directs applicants to a separate link for full eligibility details.)

Water Quality

Waterway Protection

Wetland Conservation

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Cost share reimbursement will not exceed the lesser of 90% of the actual project costs, or the maximum reimbursement amount of $150,000 per applicant per contract; applicants cover the remaining costs. Completed applications are evaluated in order of receipt, with FDACS conducting site visits and reviewing eligibility, project type approval, cost-benefit analysis, and potential funding duplication before making funding decisions.

Applications were submitted through the FDACS grants portal. The application deadline was Tuesday, August 6, 2024 by 5 p.m.

The overall goal of the Resilient Food System Infrastructure Program (RFSI) is to create more and better processing options for local and regional producers across specialty crops, dairy, grain (for food), aquaculture, and other sectors, while addressing gaps in pandemic assistance and Food Systems Transformation programs. FDACS administers it as a pass-through of USDA-AMS RFSI funds.



The program targets producers and agribusiness entities operating in the middle of the agricultural supply chain across the specified sectors (excluding meat and poultry).

Farmers Market

Food Systems

The grant derives from a USDA-AMS cooperative agreement (opportunity number USDA-AMS-TM-RFSI-C-23-0001).

A landowner may apply for inclusion on the approved acquisition list by submitting an application to the department after an application review cycle is noticed to the public. The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Application must be submitted in accordance with the public notice requirements. Additional statutory and rule guidance can be found in Section 570.70, F.S., and Chapter 5I-7 of the Florida Administrative Code.

(1) For purposes of Sections 259.105(3)(i), and 570.71, F.S., anyone submitting an application for consideration of a Project shall utilize Form FDACS-11207, Rural & Family Lands Protection Program Application, Rev. 04/23, hereby incorporated by reference and immediately available on the internet at: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15367 or by sending a request to the following mail or email address. When an application review cycle is announced, applications must be submitted by mail or email to:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,
Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
Florida Forest Service
3125 Conner Boulevard, Suite “J”
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650
RFLPP@FDACS.gov.

Applications must be delivered by 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), on the final day of the application period, as announced pursuant to subsection 5I-7.004(2), F.A.C.

(2) The Department shall publish a Notice of Application Review Cycle announcing the opening of an application review cycle and the date by which new applications must be received. The notice shall include any funding priority criteria that will be considered in addition to the preferences set forth in Section 570.71(10), F.S. The notice shall be published in the Florida Administrative Register, and available on the internet at: http://www.flrules.org/.

(3) When an application review cycle is initiated by the Department, all Projects on the existing Project acquisition list will be carried over without submission of a new application, unless the landowner notifies the Department in writing that the Project is withdrawn from the list. Landowners with property on the existing Project acquisition list shall submit descriptions of any changes to use or conditions on the property by the deadline for submission of new applications published in the Notice of Application Review Cycle. If the Project no longer meets the Program eligibility criteria set forth in Rule 5I-5.003, F.A.C., due to changes to use or conditions on the property, Division staff shall recommend to the Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee that the Project be deemed ineligible. When an application review cycle is initiated by the Department, all new and existing Projects will either be ranked or re-ranked in accordance with Rule 5I-7.007, F.A.C.

(4) Each Project application received shall, within 30 days of receipt, be reviewed by Division staff to verify sufficiency of information and that on its face it is eligible for further review and evaluation in accordance with this chapter.
- (a) The Department shall notify the applicant with a notice of deficiency provided, via the applicant’s preferred method of contact as indicated on the application, setting forth a description of the deficiency and instructions for resubmission. If the required information is not received in writing via the methods described in subsection 5I-7.004(1), F.A.C., within five (5) business days of the applicant’s receipt of the notice of deficiency, the application will be rejected.
- 	(b) Applications determined to be ineligible shall be returned to the applicant with an explanation of the reason that the Project was determined to be ineligible.
- (c) Applications received after the application review cycle deadline described in subsection 5I-7.004(1), F.A.C., will not be considered and will be returned to the applicant.

(5) Requests to modify the boundary of a Project on the Project acquisition list by 15% or more of the total approved Project area must be submitted by the landowner prior to the application review cycle deadline and shall be considered for approval by the Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee with the next group of new Projects. Should the Committee approve the modification, a new total Project acreage would be established.

(6) If the landowner contemplates a division of the property, the size and scope of such division must be specified in the application and must go before the Selection Committee for approval. No division of the property will be allowed after the approval of the Project without the written consent of the Department. The division must not result in any parcel being below the median size of farms in the county, as determined by the USDA Median Size of Farms by County Table, Version 2017, hereby incorporated by reference and immediately available on the internet at: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15369 or by sending a request to RFLPP@FDACS.gov or the mailing address provided in Rule 5I-7.004, F.A.C.

Rulemaking Authority 570.07(23), 570.71(10), 259.105(3)(i) FS. Law Implemented 570.71, 259.105(3)(i) FS. History‒New 11-3-08, Amended 4-14-15, 6-12-23.

Sue Mullins

The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) is an agricultural land preservation program designed to protect&#x2004;important agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements. The program is written into Section 570.70, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 5I-7, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). Projects are reviewed by a Technical Review Team, ranked through a formal process by the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Selection Committee, and approved by the Governor and Cabinet.

The program is designed to meet three needs:

- Protect valuable agricultural lands.

- Create easement documents that work together with agricultural production to ensure sustainable agricultural practices and reasonable protection of the environment without interfering with agricultural operations in such a way that could put the continued economic viability of these operations at risk.

- Protect natural resources, not as the primary purpose, but in conjunction with the economically viable agricultural operations.

Originally created in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program has successfully acquired permanent rural lands protection easements for over 232,000 acres of working agricultural land to date. The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida's economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program coordinates with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while reasonably protecting natural resources. The program’s conservation easements ultimately provide a two-fold benefit: protecting a viable agricultural sector while providing rural landscapes and open space.



The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) is an agricultural land preservation program designed to protect important agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent agricultural land conservation easements. The program is written into Section 570.70, Florida Statutes, and Chapter 5I-7, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). Projects are reviewed by a Technical Review Team, ranked through a formal process by the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Selection Committee, and approved by the Governor and Cabinet.
The program is designed to meet three needs:
- Protect valuable agricultural lands.
- Create easement documents that work together with agricultural production to ensure sustainable agricultural practices and reasonable protection of the environment without interfering with agricultural operations in such a way that could put the continued economic viability of these operations at risk.
- Protect natural resources, not as the primary purpose, but in conjunction with the economically viable agricultural operations.
Originally created in 2001 with the passage of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Act, the program has successfully acquired permanent rural lands protection easements for over 232,000 acres of working agricultural land to date. The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program recognizes that working agricultural lands are essential to Florida's economic future. Agricultural lands are being increasingly threatened by urban development. To counter this trend, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program coordinates with farmers and ranchers to ensure sustainable production practices while reasonably protecting natural resources. The program’s conservation easements ultimately provide a two-fold benefit: protecting a viable agricultural sector while providing rural landscapes and open space.

In order to be eligible for acquisition pursuant to this chapter, a Project must be consistent with the Program Goals and Objectives as stated in Rule 5I-7.001, F.A.C., and meet at least one of the following public purposes consistent with Section 570.71(1), F.S.:

1. Promotion and improvement of wildlife habitat;
2. Protection and enhancement of water bodies, Aquifer Recharge Areas, wetlands, and watersheds;
3. Perpetuation of open space on lands with Significant Natural Areas; or
4. Protection of Agricultural Lands threatened by conversion to other uses.

Rulemaking Authority 570.07(23), 570.71(10), 259.105(3)(i) FS. Law Implemented 570.70, 570.71, 259.105(3)(i) FS. History‒New 11-3-08, Amended 6-12-23.

Payment per unit of land to do or avoid certain practices related to land management.

Easement

- Learn more about the program and application process.

FAQ:
What is the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program?
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP) is an agricultural land preservation program, administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, designed to protect important agricultural lands through the acquisition of permanent rural lands protection easements. A thriving rural economy with a strong agricultural base, healthy natural environment, and viable rural communities is essential to Florida.
The program is designed to meet three needs:
1. Protect valuable agricultural lands. 
2. Create easements that work together with agricultural production to ensure sustainable agricultural practices and reasonable protection of the environment. 
3. Protect natural resources in conjunction with economically viable agricultural operations.

How is the RFLPP unique compared to other land conservation programs in the state?
The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program engages solely in acquiring development rights through rural lands protection easements, or less than fee simple acquisitions. By acquiring conservation easements on agricultural-producing land, landowners can continue farming operations and contribute to the local tax roll while preserving wildlife habitat and the environment. Additionally, by purchasing development rights through a conservation easement, the RFLPP does not impose an additional burden on the taxpayer by having to maintain state-owned lands.

What is a Rural Lands Protection Easement?
Rural Lands Protection Easements are less-than-fee acquisitions of development rights on a tract of productive agricultural land. These easements compensate property owners for restrictions on the future development of their land in perpetuity while allowing them to continue their agricultural activities.

Who is eligible to apply?
To be eligible for acquisition, agricultural land must be consistent with the program’s goals and objectives of bringing under public protection lands that serve to limit subdivision and conversion of agricultural and natural areas that provide economic, open space, water, and wildlife benefits in rural areas.
For the purposes of selecting and ranking eligible projects, funding prioritization is based on projects that are ranch, timberlands, or agriculture operations that contribute to a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply and are managed using sustainable practices; perpetuate the viability of ongoing agricultural operations on the property; are at risk of conversion to non-agricultural use; and perpetuate the protection of wildlife, water, and other natural resources.

What lands are eligible for conservation? What criteria are used to determine eligibility?
Agricultural land that is consistent with the program’s goals and objectives, and meets at least one of the public purposes identified below, will be reviewed and evaluated to determine the degree of potential value. A technical review team will analyze available data, maps, and information related to the property, its natural features and species habitat, hydrology, agricultural operation, and potential for conversion to non-agricultural use.
1. Land must meet at least one of the following public purposes: 
2. Promotion and improvement of wildlife habitat; 
3. Protection and enhancement of water bodies, aquifer recharge areas, wetlands, and watersheds; 
4. Perpetuation of open space on lands with significant natural areas; or 
5. Protection of agricultural lands threatened by conversion to other uses. 

Who approves applications to the RFLPP?
The Rural and Family Lands Selection Committee, appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture, prioritizes applications after reviewing projects and hearing public testimony. The Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, ultimately approve the eligible projects submitted to the program.
 
Land Planning and Administration
- Florida Forest Legacy Program
- Land Management Reviews
- Community Forest Program
- State Forest Land Management Plans
- Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
Program Resources
- 2025 Ranked List 
- Rule Chapter 5I-7, F.A.C., for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
- Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Story Map
- Florida Administrative Register Notice
Contact Us
(850) 681-5828 
RFLPP@FDACS.gov

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©2025 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Florida Capitol — Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0800
Questions? 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) or 1-800-FL-AYUDA (1-800-352-9832), Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EST | LIVE CHAT



Education

FDACS buys a permanent agricultural conservation easement from you — you keep the land and keep farming it, and you are paid once for the development rights you give up. Neither the program page nor the application portal publishes a payment rate, a per-acre figure, or a per-project cap; the amount is set project by project through the statutory appraisal process (s. 570.71(10), F.S. requires the department to adopt rules establishing "an appraisal process").

What the statute does fix (s. 570.71, F.S., the authority the program runs under):

- Payment form: "Payment for conservation easements and rural land protection easements shall be a lump-sum payment at the time the easement is entered into." One payment at closing, not installments.
- No cost-share or match is required of the landowner.
- You keep the fee: "Easements purchased pursuant to this act may not prevent landowners from transferring the remaining fee value with the easement."
- Large deals get extra scrutiny: the department submits a purchase agreement to the Board of Trustees for approval "only if the purchase price exceeds $5 million."

Two optional companion agreements have different, term-limited economics: resource conservation agreements pay "annual payments to landowners for services that actively improve habitat and water restoration or conservation" for "a term of not less than 5 years and not more than 10 years" (available only after you enter an easement); agricultural protection agreements run 30 years, and "Landowners entering into an agricultural protection agreement may receive up to 50 percent of the purchase price at the time the agreement is entered into, and remaining payments on the balance shall be equal annual payments over the term of the agreement." No more than 10 percent of program funds may go to those two agreement types.

Budget context: awards are competitive — projects are ranked by a Selection Committee and "approved by the Governor and Cabinet" — and the program has acquired easements "on over 232,000 acres of working agricultural land" to date.

Interested parties should contact their local County Forester to begin the application process. The 2026 application period ran January 13–March 27, 2026.

Greg Marshall

Conservation Program Manager

Florida's Future Forests Program is a state-funded initiative that helps boost Florida's forest acreage by offering landowners financial assistance to establish and maintain forest ecosystems. The program offers landowners cost-share payments for conducting certain approved forest management practices that establish new forest stands.



Applicants must be non-industrial private landowners, county/local government entities, or registered nonprofit organizations owning their land. Properties must have a minimum 10-acre practice area.

Financial assistance covers site preparation, seedling purchase, and planting activities. Maximum funding extends to 250 acres per applicant. All practices must be completed no later than April 30, 2027.

Applications were accepted until June 30, 2024, via the online portal at IdaliaTimberRecovery.FDACS.gov or by mail. Contact Will Liner, CFA Supervisor: William.Liner@FDACS.gov, (850) 681-5881.

Will Liner

The Hurricane Idalia Silviculture Recovery Program aims to restore Florida's forest lands damaged by Hurricane Idalia through cost-share funding specifically for site preparation and tree replanting on classified agricultural lands.



Eligible applicants are timber landowners in 17 counties: Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, and Taylor. Sites must have been forested on August 30, 2023, with significant hurricane-related timber damage.

Reimbursement covers 75% of actual costs or the practice maximum, whichever is lower, with a maximum of $250,000 per agreement. Eligible practices: site preparation, pine seedling replanting, seedling purchase, and post-planting herbicide costs.

List of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Funding Opportunities