Proposed county budget would gut funding for agriculture
By Christina Veiga
cveiga@MiamiHerald.com
There’s a long way between County Hall and the avocado groves of Redland, the rows of tomatoes in Homestead and the plant nurseries of deep South Miami-Dade.
But more than miles seem to separate county government from the county’s $2.7 billion agriculture industry, growers say.
The budget proposed last week by Mayor Carlos Gimenez guts or completely eliminates services to farmers, nursery growers and others in South Dade.
Agriculture folks say the dramatic reductions reflect how out-of-touch County Hall is when it comes to farming in Miami-Dade.
“If they truly understood the value and the asset that this is, I think they might show a little more respect for it,” said Debbie Brady, a spokeswoman for the Dade County Farm Bureau.
Under the proposed budget, the county would eliminate the Agricultural Manager’s Office, which serves as a liaison between growers and the government. Also gutted: the county’s funding for the cooperative extension office, a partnership with the University of Florida which provides research and education for farmers, and programs for youth and families.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/22/2326762/proposed-county-budget-would-gut.html
Published in The Miami Herald, Sunday July 24, 2011.
Redland Rambles 