Letters to the EditorPalm Beach Post
July 25, 2015
Op Ed Piece
Agricultural Reserve a misnomer with so few farms nowWhether you are for or against development, the Palm Beach County Agricultural Reserve doesn’t exist anymore. Long gone are most vegetable crops, farmland and all the flower farms. In the 1950s, Delray Beach was the “Gladiolus Capital of the World” and a major center for growing vegetables and flowers.
Do you realize that, today, no gladiolus or flowers are grown here, and only 1 percent of the vegetables grown in Palm Beach County are grown in the Agricultural Reserve?
Palm Beach County modeled its Agricultural Reserve after Maryland’s Montgomery County Ag Reserve, with one major difference: Palm Beach County allowed development. So the few remaining farmers are now forced to farm next to schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, a hospital, supermarkets, new roads and housing developments.
Like it or not, today’s Agricultural Reserve is a flourishing new residential community with 5,000 new homes and 5,000 more being built. Schools include Somerset Academy and the soon-to-be-built Happy Hollow Charter School.
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St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church is just one of the churches being built. The Delray Marketplace and Canyon Town Center, two major shopping centers, are new and thriving destinations.
Bethesda West Hospital, with a 400-bed capacity, was also approved and built on former farmland — to serve the emerging community in the Agricultural Reserve.
Commercial, industrial, institutional and residential developments; conservation areas; and county-owned property occupy 87 percent of the land in the reserve. The remaining farmers are unfairly restricted by the outdated policies in the Agricultural Reserve.
Forced to Farm is a political action committee to assist private property owners who have been unduly burdened by property restrictions. We advocate that Palm Beach County government treat the private property owners in the Agricultural Reserve equally to private property owners throughout the county.
The agriculture of the past has been lost to development in the Agricultural Reserve. Let’s adjust our policies to the 21st century and allow remaining parcels to serve our community.
SUZANNE MULVEHILL, DELRAY BEACH
Editor’s note: Suzanne Mulvehill, chairwoman of Forced to Farm, is a resident and landowner in the Agricultural Reserve.
So Suzanne, our Ag reserve is partially broken. We should just say "to hell with it" and let it ALL be plowed under for development because your family wants to sell out? BULLCHIT !! Nobody was crying when they were getting the tax advantages for Ag. If your family doesn't want to farm sell to someone who does. Greedy people with the mindset of Mulvehill and her family are the reason the Ag reserve has been as damaged as it is. Thank God that we the people forced our corrupt elected perps to put the brakes on and start honoring their promise to the people of Palm Beach County. We don't want to eat people chow from China. We recognize the irreplaceable value of crop lands and the food they supply.We the people cared so much that we put up 100,000 to ensure the land stayed productive crop land. For our and our children's future.Land owners like Mulvehill had it both ways for too long-Collect Ag tax breaks but then sell out and raise a one time crop of condos on what was supposed to be farmland. With county reps like Newell Mccarty Vana etc. in their back pockets it was easy. Until the people finally stood up and said NO !! Thank God.
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