Agricultural Classifications

Does Your Property Qualify for an Agricultural Classification?

For your property to be classified as agricultural, you must show that your property is being used in good faith for commercial agricultural activities. Pursuant to the Florida Statutes 193.461, the following are general guidelines established for determining bona fide commercial agricultural use by property size and type of agricultural use. If your property meets the criteria, your property will be considered for classification as agricultural.

OKALOOSA COUNTY GUIDELINES FOR AGRICULTURAL CLASSIFICATION
Application must be made between January 1 and March 1

In determining whether the use of the land for agriculture purposes is bona fide, the following factors may be taken into consideration:
1. Whether the operation has been continuous.
2. Whether evidence establishes a bona fide effort by the property owner to sufficiently and adequately care for the land in a commercial agricultural manner.
3. Whether there has been any true effort to have property contribute to the agricultural economy of the county on either a short or long term basis, proportionate to the size of the property.
4. Must meet the minimum acreage and stocking rates for various agricultural operations in Okaloosa County.
5. Agricultural operations must file a ''Tangible Personal Property'' return on all equipment that is involved in the farming operation by April 1 of each year.
6. Minimum acres, specifies the smallest viable commercial unit size and stocking rate

PASTURE-LIVESTOCK	MINIMUM ACRES
10-cows, breeding age females or equivalent	20
30-goats, sheep or hogs breeding age females or equivalent	10
Horse Farm: 3 registered brood mares in production annually	10
Hay Production	10
Sod Farm	10
ROW CROPS
Corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, cotton & etc.	20
Vegetables & peanuts	10
TIMBER
Planted pines initial planting rate 450/ac	10
Christmas trees planting rate 900/ac	5
Tree Farm-Field Nursery planting rate 900/ac	5
Natural pines	10
Hardwood	10
SPECIALTY CROPS Grapes	5
Strawberries, blueberries & blackberries	2
Citrus, apples, pears, peaches & persimmons (Tree Spacing & number of trees per acre requirements)	5
Pecans	10
Fish Farms, bees & poultry	Individual Basis
Nursery	Individual Basis
Feed Lot	Individual Basis

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

1. Must be operated in such a manner as to reasonably expect to make a return on investment.
2. Livestock, bred and raised, must be for commercial agricultural. Stables must raise and sell horses. Riding and boarding are not regarded as bona fide commercial agricultural operations.
3. Actual use on January 1st , not the ''expected use''.
4. There should be no deed restrictions that would prohibit commercial agricultural use.
5. Zoning changes at the request of the owner will not be eligible for agricultural classification.

TIMBER

1. A management plan should be implemented and a copy of the plan should be in the Property Appraiser's file.
2. Timber operations that have been clear-cut should notify this office at the time of harvest. Acreage must be replanted by the end of third year.
3. Merchantability of the timber will be considered as well as other sufficient management plans implementing such measures as fire lanes, under brushing, reforesting, etc.

PASTURE

An indicated effort was made to maintain and care sufficiently and adequately for this type of land, i.e., fertilizing, liming, mowing, fencing, etc.

ROW CROPS

Crops must be marketed commercially. Production of crops for your own use does not qualify the parcel of land for agricultural classification, i.e., gardens.

NURSERY

1. Nurseries should have a state agricultural certificate and occupational license.
2. Only areas actually used for the nursery and service area shall be classified.

The Property Appraiser may deny the request for agricultural classification if lands are not being used for or have been diverted from agricultural use. In addition, the Board of County Commissioners may re-classify land to non- agricultural when there is contiguous urban or metropolitan development and the continued use of such land for agricultural purposes will act as a deterrent to the timely and orderly expansion of the community.

Please Note: The agricultural classification must be renewed each year. Applications for new agricultural classifications or changes in previous designations must be filed with the Property Appraiser's Office between January 1st and March 1st of each year.