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County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins met with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried in District 8 at Deering Estate to ensure synergy in efforts to protect the environment, support the agriculture industry and enhance quality of life for South Dade residents. The highlight of yesterday’s meeting was discussion on the conservation and restoration efforts of environmentally endangered lands in Miami-Dade, like the Deering Estate Flow-Way Project, near where today’s meeting took place.
Given significant projections of the growth of agrotech and South Dade’s unique environment and talented labor force, Commissioner Cohen Higgins also emphasized the strong potential of South Dade leading the areas of agrotech and agrotourism, with support from the State and local partners. She also brought concerns from local farmers to the attention of Agriculture Commissioner Fried, including agricultural land preservation, labor shortages, and the need for funding to combat pests that are destroying local crops. They also discussed the importance of the “Fresh From Florida” campaign to mitigate the negative effects of international competition.
“The challenges of this past year have hit our agriculture community especially hard — an economic and cultural impact felt by the 20,000 residents who rely upon the industry in Miami-Dade,” said Commissioner Cohen Higgins. “The future of our community relies on the good stewardship of our lands and the protection of our environmental resources; and I look forward to working with Commissioner Fried, as a strong ally in Tallahassee.”
Commissioner Fried agrees and is also focused on protecting the environment. “Florida is ground zero for climate change and sea level rise, and nowhere knows that better than Miami-Dade County. Restoring the water flow of the Everglades, one of the world’s greatest ecological treasures, is a goal that Commissioner Cohen Higgins and I share, along with protecting our water resources,” said Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. “Miami-Dade is also one of Florida’s largest agricultural areas, and I appreciate her advocating for seasonal and specialty crop growers, small and socially disadvantaged farmers, and Miami-Dade’s $21 billion agriculture industry.”
The meeting is a signal of the continuation of a strong partnership between the State and County to address the concerns of the District 8 agricultural community.
