Florida Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson to Address Agriculture Law Enforcement in Florida Panhandle
By: Ashbi Alexander, Sovereign Media
MARIANNA, FL — Florida farmers, ranchers, horse owners, and landowners now have a chance to get answers directly from the top. Florida Department of Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and his staff will host a public Ag Law Enforcement Update on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM Central Time at the Jackson County Agriculture Offices' Peanut Hall, 2741 Penn Ave., Marianna, Florida.
The event, organized by the Jackson County Ag Coalition and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, comes as significant changes are taking shape along Florida's northern borders. Construction is currently underway on two new Agricultural Inspection Stations in Jackson County — one on Highway 231 at the Alabama border, and another on Highway 2 at the Georgia border. Alongside the new facilities, Agricultural Law Enforcement Officers have already been hired and are actively patrolling the Panhandle.
With that increased presence has come a wave of questions from the agricultural community about what these officers do, how the inspection stations will operate, and what is required of agricultural trucks and trailers entering Florida. This meeting is designed to answer those questions head-on.
Commissioner Simpson and his team will deliver a formal presentation on agricultural law enforcement across the Panhandle, followed by an open question-and-answer session — giving operators the information they need to be fully prepared for inspections.
About the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE)
OALE enforces laws governing businesses regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Its three core missions are: protecting Florida's $200 billion agricultural industry from harmful pests and diseases; inspecting highway shipments of agricultural, horticultural, aquaculture, and livestock products; and enforcing laws against fraud, theft, and unfair practices to protect consumers and retailers alike.
When the two new Jackson County stations open, OALE will operate 25 agricultural interdiction stations across 21 highways entering the state — safeguarding Florida's food supply and standing watch against plant and animal threats that could devastate the state's agricultural economy.
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Need for information?
Contact the UF/IFAS Extension Office:
(850) 482-9620 from 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM weekdays.
Cover Image via Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website