Rural Heritage

The state’s interior counties are still home to some of the best of what makes Florida, Florida: From rivers and springs in the north to miles of fragrant rows of citrus in the rural center. But no pastoral stretch of Florida is immune from growth pressures, which may become more intense in the interior as sea rise aggravates the coast. We look at how some of Florida’s long-time citrus families are working to preserve the state’s signature crops. We report on how the global demand for phosphate is impacting the smallest county in the state. And we build a timeline of growth management laws that have worked to protect Floridians from the negative impacts of growth, now weakened. Will incoming Governor Ron DeSantis step up?