Santa Rosa County Agriculture
Santa Rosa County has a rich agricultural history and the agricultural industry still makes a large economic impact in the county. Santa Rosa County leads all other counties in the adoption of conservation tillage with approximately 27,000 acres for the major row crops of cotton, peanuts, and soybeans. The farmers of the county also lead in cotton yields per acre and in 1993 were the U.S. leader in dryland cotton yield per acre. Santa Rosa County is second in total peanut acreage and production but usually has the top peanut crop quality. The soils in the county are very good with a leading 135,000 acres of Class I farmland.
The county’s population continues to become more and more removed from agriculture and the Santa Rosa County Farm Tour aims to help the citizens understand the value of agriculture and natural resources. Annually, approximately 200 citizens join on the tour and discover what the county’s agriculture and natural resources have to offer while being provided comfortable riding conditions in a charter bus and enjoying a catered lunch. The tour awards the Farm Family of the Year and recognizes others who have made major impacts to the Agricultural Industry in the county. Having begun in 1966, the Santa Rosa County Farm tour is the longest standing agriculture and natural resource tour in northwest Florida and one of the longest running of its kind in the region. The tour is planned by a committee of agriculture industry representatives, USDA personnel, and UF/IFAS Extension personnel.