Betrayed by the Badge: Florida Department of Agriculture Officials Who Crushed Small Citrus Farmers for Big Citrus
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to advocating for small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
The “why” is simple: money and power. FDACS, under Simpson, Putnam, and Fried, has consistently aligned with big citrus interests, which small farmers can’t afford
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), meant to protect and support all of Florida’s agricultural community, has a shameful history of turning its back on small citrus farmers. By 2025, FDACS officials have been implicated in policies and actions that have devastated small growers, favoring corporate giants while hiding behind the guise of “industry protection.” Let’s name the individuals involved, expose their actions, and reveal why they’ve sold out the little guy.
Wilton Simpson: The Commissioner Who Watched Small Farmers Burn
As Florida’s 13th Commissioner of Agriculture since 2022, Wilton Simpson has overseen FDACS during a period of unprecedented decline for small citrus farmers. Despite being a fifth-generation Floridian farmer himself, Simpson’s tenure has been marked by policies that cater to large growers. Under his leadership, FDACS enforced the 2008 citrus greening law that forced small nursery owner Gary Mahon to destroy 160,000 citrus plants not grown in greenhouses. Mahon won a $1.2 million judgment against FDACS in 2022, with his attorney Alexander Clem stating, “While the Florida Legislature and Department of Agriculture meant well by passing and enforcing this law, it had a catastrophic impact on citrus nursery growers.” Simpson, who took office shortly after, has done little to reform such policies, continuing to push regulations that small farmers can’t afford to meet, like greenhouse requirements, while big players like Alico Inc. pivot to $750 million land deals.
Adam Putnam: The Architect of Destruction
Adam Putnam, FDACS Commissioner from 2011 to 2019, was a key figure in the Citrus Canker Eradication Program (CCEP), which ran from 2000 to 2006 and destroyed healthy trees within 1,900 feet of infected ones. Putnam fiercely defended the program, even as it led to massive lawsuits. In Broward and Palm Beach Counties, 84,000 households won $52 million in 2018 for the destruction of 66,000 trees. Attorney Robert Gilbert didn’t hold back: “The Department of Agriculture and Commissioner Adam Putnam fought us at every turn.” Putnam’s refusal to compromise cost taxpayers millions—$19.2 million in Lee County (2020), $42.4 million in Orange County (2022), and $76.8 million in Miami-Dade County (2022)—totaling $191.6 million across these cases. His policies prioritized big growers, leaving small farmers and homeowners to suffer the fallout.
Nikki Fried: Empty Promises, Real Damage
Nikki Fried, Commissioner from 2019 to 2022, promised to support Florida citrus but failed small farmers when it mattered most. In 2020, she boasted about securing $8 million for citrus research and $19.2 million to settle Lee County canker claims, saying, “Florida Citrus production is a marathon, not a sprint, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stands committed to help strengthen and promote Florida-grown citrus.” But her focus on research benefited large growers who could afford experimental methods, not small farmers struggling to survive. The CCEP lawsuits she inherited continued to drain funds, with Orange County’s $42.4 million payout in 2022 happening on her watch. Fried’s tenure did little to address the systemic issues small farmers faced, like the $1,882 per-acre production costs that made breaking even (at 238 boxes per acre) nearly impossible against a 2020-2021 yield of 203 boxes per acre.
The Florida Department of Agriculture Officials Who Crushed Small Citrus Farmers For Money & Power
Why Did They Do It?
The “why” is simple: money and power. FDACS, under Simpson, Putnam, and Fried, has consistently aligned with big citrus interests like Tropicana and Alico, who have the capital to weather crises and influence policy. The $29 million in 2024-2025 research funding, backed by FDACS, went to costly solutions like Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS), which small farmers can’t afford, as noted by Brantley Schirard, Jr.: “You’ve got every little group that’s ever been put together focused on one thing because without an answer to greening, none of it matters.” Meanwhile, policies like the 2008 greening law and the CCEP were enforced with a one-size-fits-all approach, ignoring the financial realities of small operations. FDACS’s actions have contributed to a 90% production drop since 1998, with citrus acreage plummeting from 832,000 in 2000 to 275,000 in 2024, often replaced by housing developments.
Small farmers like Mahon and Wayne Simmons, who said, “Our livelihood is in the land,” are left to fend for themselves while FDACS officials play favorites. The Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation has stepped in to help, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the systemic betrayal by Simpson, Putnam, and Fried. Florida’s citrus legacy is rotting, and FDACS’s leadership is holding the knife.
Sources:
Florida's troubled citrus industry looks to the state for help | WUSF - wusf.org
Florida Faces $1.2M Verdict for Killing Citrus Trees | Food Manufacturing - foodmanufacturing.com
Florida homeowners caught up in the fight against citrus canker finally getting millions the state owes them - tampabay.com
Citrus Canker Online Supporting Documents - citruscankerdocs.com
The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted | WLRN - wlrn.org
Statement by Commissioner Nikki Fried on 2020-21 Citrus Forecast / 2020 Press Releases / Press Releases / News & Events / Home - Florida Department - fdacs.gov
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to helping small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
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