Wesley Davis to Join Let's Talk Agriculture Panel on Dec 3

We're excited to announce Indian River County Property Appraiser Wesley Davis, CFA will be joining us for Let's Talk Agriculture on Wednesday, December 3 at Riverside Theatre.

Davis will join fellow panelists Tony Cho (ChoZen Center for Regenerative Living), County Commissioner Laura Moss and Louis Schacht (Schacht Groves) for a discussion on the future of agriculture and land use in Indian River County.

Moderated by Baerbel O'Haire, expect a lively discussion on how future land use decisions, regenerative practices, farm to table -- and more -- can keep farms operational and local markets thriving.

As both the Property Appraiser and a fourth-generation farmer with deep local ties, Davis provides a unique perspective on discussions about the future of land use in the county. His lived experience is grounded in a family history that began with his great-grandfather, who settled in the area around 1895, making a living through plume hunting, and later generations expanding into citrus and dairy.

Tony Cho

Co-Founder

ChoZen Center for Regenerative Living

Laura Moss

County Commissioner

District 5

Louis Schacht

Owner and Manager

Schacht Groves

Wesley Davis, CFA

Indian River County Property Appraiser

RSVP Here

5:00 -- Doors open, complimentary gourmet sandwiches and cash bar

5:30 -- Program begins

In a recent TCPalm article (read here -- subscription required), reporter Jack Randall examined the impact urban sprawl is expected to have on agricultural land in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin Counties.

Of note: Indian River County has seen the most growth in its agricultural exports since 2017 at +17% (-19% for St. Lucie County and +7% for Martin County).

These three counties stand to lose 3.4%, 7.4% and 2.2% of their farmland respectively if sprawl continues at its current pace.

The article contains detailed predictions for each county based on whether the rate of sprawl stays the same, increases or decreases.

An interactive map (online edition only) of citrus production in Florida by county shows a sharp decline since 2020. For example, Indian River County produced 2,485,000 oranges and grapefruits in the 2020-21 period, and 709,000 in the 2023-24 period.