The recent Florida Farm Bill (SB 290) was signed into law by Ron DeSantis on March 23, 2026, and takes effect July 1, 2026. Despite its name, it is not the federal Farm Bill passed by Congress. Instead, it is a broad state law affecting agriculture, rural land use, local government authority, and related issues.

Key provisions

1. Protects agricultural land from dense development

• Restricts local governments from encouraging or requiring high-density residential development on agricultural lands.
• Intended to preserve working farms and reduce suburban sprawl into rural areas.

2. Limits local regulation of gas-powered equipment

• Cities and counties generally cannot prohibit or heavily restrict the use or sale of gasoline-powered tools and equipment such as:
  • Lawn mowers
  • Leaf blowers
  • Chainsaws
  • Other landscaping equipment
• Supporters say this creates statewide consistency and prevents a patchwork of local rules.

3. Expands support for Florida farmers

• Makes permanent a statewide food-bank program that purchases Florida-grown agricultural products for distribution to food banks.
• Helps farmers while improving food security.

4. Addresses shortages of large-animal veterinarians

• Creates a loan repayment program for veterinarians specializing in:
  • Livestock
  • Equine (horses)
• Designed to improve veterinary access in rural Florida.

5. Limits certain commercial solicitation practices

• Includes provisions regulating aspects of commercial solicitation, intended to reduce nuisance or deceptive practices.

6. Changes some emergency agricultural loan provisions

• Revises eligibility for certain emergency recovery loan programs related to agriculture.

What it means for Florida property owners

For owners of agricultural or rural property, the bill generally:

• Strengthens protections for farmland.
• Makes it less likely that nearby agricultural areas will be converted into dense housing developments.
• Provides additional support for Florida’s agricultural economy.

Possible relevance to your property interests

Since you’ve been looking at larger rural properties in Central Florida for:

• chickens,
• fruit trees,
• solar installations,
• vegetable gardens,
• and long-term agricultural use,

this legislation is generally favorable. By discouraging dense residential development on agricultural land, it may help preserve the rural character of agricultural communities over time, although it does not change county zoning classifications or local development regulations by itself. Those continue to be governed by county comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances.

Overall, the bill is widely viewed as an effort to:

• preserve Florida agriculture,
• strengthen the state’s food supply,
• reduce regulatory burdens on farmers,
• and maintain rural land for agricultural use rather than intensive residential development.