TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Anti-Farmer Craig Pittman is at it once more. You will have missed his on-line column, as it’s tough to search out Mr. Pittman’s extremist, anti-farmer, elitist opinions. He’s now working for the obscure internet-based Florida Phoenix — a resting place for liberal journalists who’ve been let go as a result of their out-of-touch views drove industrial media enterprises to the bottom.
Carrying the water for excessive environmentalist teams through the years with narrow-minded, snobbish views not sells. Happily for Mr. Pittman, he’s at a spot the place these teams can stroke a examine extra on to his advocacy efforts.
It has been a minute, however Mr. Pittman as soon as once more devotes his time and vitality to assault farmers, assault our meals provide, and belittle these of us who work laborious day by day to make sure he has meals on his desk thrice a day (or extra).
I is probably not as refined as Mr. Pittman, however I do know one factor, and that’s the place your meals comes from and who grows it. I additionally perceive that secure, ample, inexpensive meals is vital to our life, our households, our financial system, and our home safety.
So, whereas I can simply get previous the mocking references to my title and mind, I’ll most actually attempt to (as soon as once more) educate Mr. Pittman on the significance and worth of farmers and proper a number of the egregious errors in his column.
Right here it goes.
First, meals doesn’t come from a grocery retailer.
With a view to get pleasure from a steak on a grill, a hamburger, or, in Mr. Pittman’s case, liver pâté on a toast level, the product should be processed.
A “slaughterhouse,” as distasteful because it sounds, is a necessary a part of the farming course of. It’s how the cow turns into the meat in your plate. Florida is likely one of the largest cattle-producingstates in America. For too lengthy, Florida producers have needed to ship livestock out of state for processing, growing transportation prices and creating provide chain inefficiencies.
A neighborhood processing facility means extra domestically produced meals, stronger meals safety, shorter provide chains, and higher market entry for Florida ranchers. That ought to matter to anybody who claims to care about sustainability.
The Florida Proper To Farm Act is aimed toward defending thatcritical step within the meals chain provide from short-sighted, NIMBY pettiness.
It’s not a whim of the Commissioner of Agriculture, however a system put in place by elected representatives to guard the pursuits of Floridians. And by the best way, simply because the processing plant can keep away from native zoning obstacles, it doesn’t relieve them of the numerous regulatory buildings that exist within the many different layers of presidency on the state and federal ranges.
The actual downside with elitists like Craig Pittman is that he and his paid sponsors would like you eat lab meat grown in a petri dish or cricket powder in a kale smoothie shake.
Save that nonsense for California.
Second, Mr. Pittman’s declare that the property is “out of compliance” with greatest administration practices is as skinny as his understanding of this subject. The “proof” he claims to have is a routine letter we despatched to the property to schedule a statutorily required Finest Administration Practices implementation verification website go to. That is one thing we do with the 1000’s of farmers yearly who’re enrolled in this system.
We efficiently accomplished a website go to lower than a month after the reminder letter was despatched. And the end result? The farm was in compliance with all greatest administration practices. Finish of story.
Third, Mr. Pittman claims that funding was withheld from Martin County as a result of the county had raised questions on this subject. Sadly, the info don’t assist Mr. Pittman’s paid hit piece. The Florida Division of Agriculture obtained 43 purposes for a newly established regional water undertaking grant program for native jurisdictions.
The highest 9 initiatives obtained funding, based mostly on advantage. The Martin County regional water undertaking didn’t obtain a grant as a result of its price per pound to take away vitamins was 2,400% larger than the funded initiatives. In actual numbers, their prices had been over $7,000 per pound versus the $307 per pound common for the winners. It doesn’t take something above a Homer Simpson mind to know why they didn’t obtain a grant.
Pittman additionally leaves out that our division has invested greater than $21 million in water high quality initiatives to assist Martin County. Since taking workplace, our workforce has centered on growing the variety of farms situated within the Indian River Lagoon Basin to join our Finest Administration Apply program, leading to a staggering 400% enhance. We are going to proceed to combat. We want extra native governments would do the identical.
Fourth, Mr. Pittman says that I’ve “by no means been somebody to prioritize the safety of the surroundings.” Whereas Mr. Pittman is entitled to his personal opinions, he’s not entitled to his personal info. I consider my actions and historical past show that I’ve finished extra for land conservation, water high quality enhancements, and Everglades restoration than those that criticize me by a keyboard.
Throughout my time within the Florida Senate and as Senate President, I championed historic investments and insurance policies to protect and restore our world-renowned pure sources. I sponsored the Everglades Restoration Act, I championed the Wildlife CorridorAct, and I helped make investments billions of {dollars} to revive the Everglades, our springs, and extra.
As Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, I’ve made the safety of our rural lands and their wealthy environmental advantages certainly one of my high priorities. Since 2022, we’ve investedmore than $700 million into the Rural and Household Lands Safety Program and grown the variety of acres completely preserved from 65,000 to just about 250,000. Over $56 million of this went on to protect land in Martin County.
Lots of people, like Mr. Pittman and his excessive environmentalist funders, speak concerning the want for vital investments in Florida’s surroundings, however I’ve really finished the work.
Whereas Mr. Pittman can get pleasure from his Past Meat vegan burgers, the remainder of us will proceed preventing for secure, healthful meals grown and produced proper right here in Florida.
