In episode 38 of the Rural Recharge podcast, Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith sits down with Dr. Nathan Palardy, a UF/IFAS assistant professor in the Food and Resource Economics department and Extension economist, to explore agricultural conservation easements in Florida. Listen to the episode to learn more about why conservation easements matter, how easements work and the programs available to help farmers and ranchers protect working lands.
Dr. Palardy works with state and local governments to develop strategies that manage development pressure while preserving agricultural land and rural heritage. He created Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs: A Quick Reference Guide to help farmers and ranchers in Florida navigate county, state and federal agricultural conservation easement programs.
Palardy grew up outside Watkinsville, GA, where he saw his once-rural county of open pastures and farmland gradually develop to support population growth in Athens and Atlanta.
“Watching this transition and witnessing it firsthand is a lot of what motivates me in my current work with farmers and ranchers here in Florida to help conserve agricultural land and working farmland,” Palardy said.
He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forest resources from the University of Georgia and his Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from Colorado State University.
Landowners interested in keeping their property in agriculture are encouraged to reach out to Palardy at [email protected] or to contact their local extension agent for more information and assistance.
Rural Recharge is a monthly podcast hosted by Florida Farm Bureau Federation President Jeb S. Smith. Designed to cut through the noise of misinformation thrown our way, it features real conversations on real issues faced by the farmers and ranchers who are growing what we eat, wear and use every day. Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon Music and YouTube.
