Providing reliable, fact-based information to citizens about our government and community.
Dear friends,
If you live in Martin County, chances are you care deeply about our water.
You should. It’s part of what makes this place special.
You’ve probably heard it said that agriculture is destroying our rivers, harming water quality, and damaging the environment.
Let’s be clear: that is not true.
It’s a serious accusation. And like most serious accusations, it deserves a closer look based on facts, not assumptions.
Let’s talk about what’s actually happening on the ground.
Farming Today Isn’t Farming 50 Years Ago
Modern agriculture looks very different than it did a generation ago.
Photo Credit: Martin County Digital History
Today’s farmers operate under layers of regulation, oversight, and science-based practices designed specifically to protect water and natural resources. In Florida, those practices are called Best Management Practices, or BMPs.
BMPs are not optional in the way people often think. Once adopted, they are enforceable and regularly updated based on the latest research. They are developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in coordination with scientists, water management districts, and environmental experts.
These are real, measurable actions. Not just good intentions.
So What Are BMPs, Really?
In simple terms, BMPs are a playbook for farming responsibly.
They cover things like:
How and when fertilizer is applied
How irrigation is managed to avoid waste
How soil is protected from runoff
How water leaving a property is controlled and treated
For example, many farms now use precision agriculture, applying nutrients only where and when crops need them. Not more. Not less.
That is better for the environment and better for the farmer’s bottom line.
Water Management Isn’t an Afterthought
In Florida, water is everything. Farmers know that better than anyone.
Most agricultural lands in our region are part of highly engineered water management systems. These systems include canals, berms, control structures, and retention areas that are designed to hold, move, and treat water before it ever leaves a property.
In many cases, water leaving agricultural land is cleaner than when it arrived.
That surprises people. But it’s true.
Farmers are required to manage both the quantity and quality of water. That includes capturing rainfall, reducing runoff, and minimizing nutrients entering downstream systems.
Stewardship Is Personal
Here’s something that often gets lost in the conversation.
As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters (link here), most farms in Martin County are family owned - about 84 percent of them are run by families, many of whom have been on their land for generations.
These are not absentee owners. They live here and raise their kids here. They drink the same water and fish the same waterways as you do.
Stewardship isn’t a buzzword to them. It’s a responsibility they carry every single day.
Are There Challenges? Yes.
No system is perfect and Florida’s water issues are complex.
They involve population growth, aging infrastructure, septic systems, stormwater runoff from urban areas, legacy nutrients in the system, and regional water management decisions that go far beyond any single land use.
Agriculture is part of the conversation but it’s not the whole story.
Reducing it to that oversimplifies the problem and distracts from real solutions.
Why This Matters
If we want to protect our water, we need honest conversations based on facts.
That means understanding what modern farming actually looks like today. It means recognizing the role of science, regulation, and continuous improvement. And it means working together across communities, not pointing fingers.
At One Martin, our goal is simple.
Bring people together. Share information. Build understanding.
Because when we do that, we make better decisions for everyone who calls this place home.
Respectfully,
Rick Hartman and the One Martin Board of Directors
