2025 Guide to Seminole County Farms and Farmers Markets

Where can I buy locally grown food?

Cover of the 2025 Guide to Seminole County's Local Farms & farmers Markets brochure. Pictures: Goat eating hay and a plant nurserySeminole County, Florida, has a rich agricultural history rooted in citrus production, celery farming, and cattle ranching, which once defined its economy and cultural identity. These industries shaped the region’s development, leaving behind a legacy of thriving farms, historic landmarks, and traditions that continue to influence local agriculture today. Currently, Seminole County is home to over 320 farms that grow vegetables, cattle, strawberries, citrus, ornamental plants and many others. One of these farms may even right down the road from where you live!

Check out this resource for more details! 2025 Guide to Seminole County’s Local Farms & Farmers Markets.*

*We update the guide once a year for release in January. If you know any farms that would like to be included in next year’s guide, please send an email to Morgan Pinkerton, the Seminole County Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Agent (morgan0402@ufl.edu).

Why buy locally grown food?

There are lots of reason to buy local, especially when it comes to your food! If you want to know more about why you should buy local foods, visit this blog on the benefits of buying local.

How has Seminole County agriculture changed?

Agriculture is Florida’s second-largest industry, providing not just jobs and food, but also important environmental benefits like cleaning water, reducing floods, storing carbon, and supporting pollinators. In central Florida, farmlands offer recreation, entertainment, and help preserve Florida’s history and culture. Even though Seminole County is small, it has over 320 diverse and successful farms. However, the 2022 Census of Agriculture shows farmland in the county is shrinking. Since the last Census of Agriculture in 2017, farmland size has dropped by 52%, the number of farms by 21%, and the total value of farm production by 25%, now at $16,087,000. This decline is partly due to a population increase of nearly 50,000 people over the last decade, putting pressure on agricultural lands to be converted into urban areas.

At the same time, many people are disconnected from the food production process, with only about 1.3% of U.S. workers employed in agriculture. This lack of agricultural literacy impacts the sustainability and resilience of local food systems, as people may not fully understand the challenges farmers face or the value of preserving farmland. In Seminole County, urban and agricultural areas overlap, sharing resources like water and contributing to environmental challenges such as pollution and non-target impacts. However, this overlap also creates opportunities to build a stronger local food system by encouraging sustainable practices and protecting natural resources. These trends highlight the urgent need to protect Seminole County’s agricultural heritage while balancing growth and sustainability.

If you are interested in learning more about the 2022 Census of Agriculture, visit the USDA Census of Agriculture interactive map.

How can I learn more about local agriculture?

UF/IFAS Extension offers tons of classes and educational opportunities to learn more about our local agriculture. Beginning 2025, we are offering a new, monthly Farm to Fork series. Every month, we will cover a different topic related to food from farm to fork learning about agriculture, at-home gardening, cooking healthy food and more! Every month, part 1 will be via Zoom a one-hour webinar. The webinar is free to attend, but you must register in advanced on zoom. On Thursday after the webinar, we have Part 2, an in-person workshop, with hands on activities that pairs with the webinar. If you are interested in attending the Thursday Part 2, but can’t make it to the live webinar (Part 1), we will send a link to the recording in advanced of the in person class so that you can come prepared.

2025 Farm to Fork Series Learn more about your food and local agriculture with this monthly series! Webinars and in-person workshops held on select Tuesdays and Thursdays each month. Registration required.

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Posted: January 13, 2025


Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Farmers Market, Farms, Local Produce, SeminoleCountyAg


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