Short take: Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is shocked — shocked — that the House flatlined funding for his department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
He also was gobsmacked over what he called a “political assault” on Fresh From Florida.
“Gutting the Fresh From Florida program will hurt Florida’s small farms the most, their ability to raise awareness for the high quality of their locally grown products and compete against lesser quality products from foreign countries,” Putnam said in a statement.
And “zeroing out conservation funding is a giant step backward for keeping Florida special,” Putnam told POLITICO Florida. “The Rural and Family Lands Protection program is the best return on investment for future generations.
“Our wildlife and open spaces can’t be just another chip on the political poker table,” he added.
You might want to fold ’em, Commish.
Take a gander at this spreadsheet, which suggests that all the House is doing is returning funding to pre-Speaker Steve Crisafulli days.
Crisafulli has touted his “proud legacy as the head of his family’s local agribusiness.”
Maybe Putnam has some more research to do.
