The Mini-FARMS Program is a partnership between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District). Mini-FARMS is a cost share program that assists agricultural operations of 100 acres or less to conserve water and protect water quality within the District’s 16 counties.
The program promotes agricultural water quality and water quantity best management practices (BMPs), and provides overall water resource benefits. The program provides an incentive for enrollment in the FDACS-adopted agricultural BMPs program, through a Notice of Intent (NOI). Under the Mini-FARMS Program guidelines, the District will reimburse growers 75 percent of their project costs up to $8,000 per project.
Program Guidelines
To be eligible to participate in the Mini-FARMS Program, the application must meet the following guidelines:
- The irrigated area/crop production area must be 100 acres or less.
- The property must be actively engaged in agriculture for the last two years.
- The property must be located within the boundaries of the District.
- The property must be enrolled in the applicable FDACS BMP program.
- The property must be in compliance with District regulatory requirements.
- The irrigation system must have been evaluated by a Mobile Irrigation Lab (MIL) within the last 18 months or must be scheduled for an evaluation within 18 months following project approval. Contact FDACS and/or District staff for MIL information or visit WaterMatters.org/Mobile.
- Applicants can be approved for up to two (2) projects per NOI and/or Water Use Permit
(WUP) area within the same District fiscal year not to exceed five (5) applications during the
Mini-FARMS program lifetime. The number of approved projects will be tracked by NOI
and/or WUP area by FARMS staff.