Commissioner Wilton Simpson is a Voice for Florida Farmers
In partnership with: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Ensuring the success of Florida’s farmers is more than just a job for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. For the fifth-generation Floridian, it’s a deeply personal mission. Simpson was born in Lakeland and adopted at age five. His family, who lived in Plant City, raised cattle and hogs, grew vegetables and strawberries, and canned much of their food. In 1977, the family moved to Trilby, where they started an egg farm and also worked with cattle, hay and citrus.
As a teenager attending Pasco High School, Simpson labored daily on the farm and began managing the 64,000-bird egg operation. His father sold the farm in 1996, but five years later, Simpson bought it back and expanded it to more than
1 million birds.
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Voicing a Vote
In his teens, Simpson became aware of the significance of politics.
“The first election that I could vote in was in 1984 for Ronald Reagan,” he recalls. “I saw the importance, even back then, of supporting our small business community – our job creators – so that communities and families have the opportunity to prosper.”
In 2012, Simpson ran for State Senate and was elected, holding that office until 2022. During that time, he helped cut $10 billion in taxes and eliminated $10 billion in debt. From 2020 to 2022, he served as Senate President, tackling the epic difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also helped preserve Florida farmland by securing funds for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and worked to reform the child welfare system, an issue close to his heart.
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Champion of Agriculture
Today, Simpson and his wife, Kathy, live in Dade City with their two grown children and their families nearby, including his granddaughters, Addy and Emy.
For decades, he has supported community causes ranging from the Simpson Breast Health Center at AdventHealth Zephyrhills to 4-H and FFA beef and swine projects.
As the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Simpson sees farming as “the quiet and often overlooked giant of our economy.”
Florida agriculture, he points out, is extremely diversified, with more than 300 commodities meeting consumer demand and creating year-round jobs.
To ensure a long and prosperous future for Florida farmers, Simpson prioritizes defining agriculture as a national security issue and evaluating regulation of the industry through that lens.
“I will do everything within my power to support, promote and defend Florida’s agriculture industry,” he says. “Because when farmers succeed, we all succeed.”
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