Q: What is FARMS?
A: The Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems, or FARMS program for short, is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and protect water quality in the springs. The program is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). Water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas in conjunction with water conservation BMPs. The program is a public/private partnership developed by the District and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) in 2003.
Q: What is a best management practice, or BMP, and what does that look like for FARMS?
A: Best management practices (BMPs) are methods that have been determined to be the most effective and practical means for improving water conservation and quality in agricultural discharges. Examples of commonly used BMPs for FARMS include surface water pump stations, water control structures, automatic irrigation controls, soil moisture sensors and weather stations.
Q: What are some of the benefits to the water resources through the FARMS program?
A: Implementing agricultural BMPs provides many water resource benefits, including reduction of groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer, improvement of ground and/or surface water quality impacted by groundwater withdrawals, applied nutrient reduction or retention, and improved natural system functions within wetlands and watersheds.
Q: How much water has been offset through the FARMS program?
A: From the inception of the FARMS program in 2003 through 2024, the total projected groundwater offset from the more than 256 approved FARMS projects is 32.6 million gallons of water per day at an overall average cost-benefit of $2.43 per thousand gallons of water offset.
Q: As a member of the agricultural community, how do you qualify for FARMS funding?
A: If you are a member of the agricultural community, and have a District water use permit, you can apply for FARMS funding. To qualify for funding, projects must be located in the District and include one or more of the following BMP strategies: utilize an alternative water supply or technology to reduce groundwater use, improve irrigation water quality and watershed ecology by reducing reliance on poorer quality groundwater, and reduce nutrient applications or increase nutrient retention. The FARMS program may reimburse a grower up to 50% of the total project costs. Some projects may qualify for up to 75% reimbursement of total project costs based on the water resource benefits and the project location.
Q: How can I learn more about the FARMS program?
A: To learn more about the FARMS program, you can visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/FARMSor contact the District at (941) 404-1452.
Carole Estes
FARMS Manager
Southwest Florida Water Management District
Carole Estes is the manager of the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) program. Carole earned her Bachelor of Science from Florida Institute of Technology and a Master of Science from the University of South Florida in Geology. She is also a Florida professional geologist and a registered geologist in Arizona and has 20 years of experience with the FARMS program. Carole manages the operational and fiscal activities of the FARMS program, which includes working with the agricultural community to implement water conservation and water quality best management practices.
