For those of us who farm in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), the land is more than where we work. It is where many of us were raised, where our families built their lives, and what we hope to pass down to the next generation.

That is why protecting land and water is not a talking point for EAA farmers. It is a responsibility we live every day.

Recently, farmers across the Everglades Agricultural Area reached another major clean water milestone, achieving a 65% reduction in phosphorus in 2026. That is nearly three times the 25% reduction required under Florida’s Everglades Forever Act. For farmers who have spent decades investing in better practices, better technology and better outcomes, this is a result worth recognizing.

It also did not happen by accident.

Since the Everglades Forever Act was implemented in 1996, EAA farmers have been required to reduce phosphorus in water leaving their farms, which we have achieved through on-farm Best Management Practices, or BMPs. These practices are designed to protect water quality while allowing farmers to continue producing the fresh vegetables, rice, sugarcane and other crops that help feed Florida and the country.

Over the past three decades, EAA farmers have not only met that standard, we have consistently exceeded it. Farmers in the EAA have achieved an average 57% annual phosphorus reduction since the program began. In that time, our South Florida farms have helped prevent more than 5,111 metric tons of phosphorus from entering the Everglades.

Those numbers reflect years of work in the field.

On farms across the EAA, BMPs include practices like precision fertilizer application, soil testing, water management, sediment control, land laser leveling, ditch bank stabilization and water retention systems that help capture and reuse rainfall. These are practical, science-based tools that help farmers use resources more efficiently, reduce runoff and protect the land and water that make farming possible.

For people who do not farm, our practices may sound technical. For farmers, they are part of the daily routine. They influence where and how we apply nutrients, how we manage water, how we preserve soil, and how we prepare our land for the next crop and the next season.

The EAA is one of the most productive farming regions in the United States, especially during the winter months when much of the country cannot grow fresh vegetables. Farmers here grow sweet corn, lettuce, celery, green beans, radishes, rice, broccoli and many other crops that reach grocery stores, restaurants, schools and family tables across the country.

That level of food supply comes with a serious obligation. We know that what happens on our farms matters far beyond our own fields. It matters for our local communities, for the Everglades, for the families who depend on fresh food, and for the future of farming in South Florida.

Farming is always changing. Weather changes. Technology changes. Markets change. But the basic principle remains the same: if we take care of the land, the land can continue to take care of us.

For many EAA farmers, this work is personal. We are not just farming for today’s crop or this year’s harvest. We are farming with our children and grandchildren in mind. We want them to inherit healthy soil, clean water and a strong agricultural community that can continue feeding families for generations.

The latest clean water results show that farming and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand. They show that Best Management Practices have worked to help restore the Everglades.

As farmers, we are proud to grow food for our communities. We are just as proud to do it in a way that protects the land and water that make it all possible. Because for us, this land is not just our livelihood, it is our legacy.

Eric Hopkins is the Senior Vice President of Hundley Farms in Belle Glade.