Environment & Legacy
Sustainability and Conservation
The Farmton landbase stretches over significant environmental resources such as Spruce Creek Swamp, Crane Swamp, Cow Creek and Sandy Drain as part of a connected system of uplands and wetlands.
Almost 75% of the Farmton Tract will be preserved forever.
Approximately 41,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands have been permanently protected through various conservation easements. The Farmton Mitigation Bank easements cover approximately 23,000 acres. The Farmton Local Plan easements cover an additional 18,000 acres. Both sets of easements include perpetual maintenance and annual monitoring.
Through careful stewardship, these lands provide connected wildlife corridors and habitat, regionally important wetland systems, aquifer recharge and compatible recreation.
Water Resources
Water availability, quality, and conservation are vital concerns at Farmton.
The water resources on the property are carefully managed for sustainable operations without impacts to the aquifer, wetlands or upland habitat.
Water resources on the property also help to provide responsibly sourced water to their constituencies.
Farmton Water Resources LLC and the City of Titusville provide water from a portion of the Farmton lands located in Brevard County to the citizens of Titusville through TIFA LLC, a joint venture. TIFA provides 2.75 million gallons a day of raw water from a well field designed for sustainable operations and protection of the ecosystem.
Farmton Services LLC provides irrigation water for agricultural operations through a 2 million gallon a day allocation and may provide water for future development up to 1 million gallons per day.
Outdoor Recreation
Residents of the region have long enjoyed the recreational opportunities on the Farmton property.
Deering Preserve at Deep Creek provides licensed public access for kayaking and canoeing on a waterway reminiscent of old Florida, with towering cypress at every turn that will eventually take adventurers to the St. Johns River. For more information about Deering Preserve at Deep Creek, visit Volusia County’s website here.
The private Farmton Hunt Club manages the majority of the hunting activities on the property in accordance with an approved wildlife management program and state game laws. Annual game studies are conducted and strict compliance with safety and other regulations is required.
Walking, hiking and bike riding are also popular within Farmton, particularly on the East Central Regional Rail Trail. As development begins in Deering Park over time, connections to the regional trail system within the community will be expanded and emphasized.
East Coast Regional Rail Trail
The East Central Regional Rail Trail runs through the Farmton property from the Osteen at SR 415 east along Maytown Road, underneath I-95, and then north to Edgewater, with a connection from Maytown Road south to Titusville.
The trails in Volusia County are part of much larger trail network, including the 250-mile Coast to Coast Connector, the five-county St. Johns River-to-Sea loop, and the East Coast Greenway, planned to connect 15 states with 3,000 miles of trails from Maine to the Keys.
Open to the public with various parking areas, the trail is paved and easily accessible, with views ranging from pine flatwoods, open marshes, cypress swamps, pastures and mature canopy forests.
For more information about the East Central Regional Rail Trail visit: Volusia County’s website or Rails to Trails Conservancy.
