Wilton Simpson

There have been about 1,500 wildfires in the first three months of 2026, and the state is on track to surpass the last two years' records. The busiest part of the fire season is April, May and June.

The Florida Senate dropped “veggie disparagement" language from a sweeping agriculture bill after concerns it could suppress criticism of the industry.

The News Service of Florida asked Simpson five questions, ranging from immigration enforcement to removing ultraprocessed foods from school meals. Here's what he had to say.

The state allocated $38 million to the Farmers Feeding Florida program. The new statewide initiative helps food banks distribute surplus and discounted farm products to families in need.

Wilton Simpson said the majority of farmworkers in the state have legal visas. He also called for nationalization of property insurance because of threats from an increasing number of disasters.

The hemp plant can produce Delta 8 and 10, cannabinoids that have similar intoxicating effects to THC in marijuana.

The measure, introduced in the state Senate, includes numerous issues related to the state Department of Agriculture. Many local governments have ended fluoridation in recent months.

The federal farm bill was last updated in 2018. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson wants state lawmakers to allocate around $50 million to help farmers impacted by the hurricanes.

The proposal to add golf courses and pickleball courts to Florida state parks drew harsh response from Republican lawmakers and subscribers to WUSF's Wake Up Call morning newsletter.

Wilton Simpson told a Tallahassee business group, "Imagine one week of no food in the grocery stores ... You’d have total chaos in this country."

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is seeking $300 million for a program designed to keep swaths of rural land from commercial and residential development, triple the amount vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this year.

The vetoes included $100 million for Conservation And Rural Land Protection easements. "Agriculture was harmed today," Republican Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said.