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Talk of the Bay
If you grow, incentive keeps electric bill low
By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published August 7, 2006
Florida farmers are getting a perk on their electric bills that the average consumer can't touch. A state law that went into effect last month exempts farmers from paying sales tax on agricultural production efforts. All farmers need to do is install a separate meter for electricity that is being used for a bona fide farming use. Though focused on farmers, the exemption is available for anyone from beekeepers to those who raise poultry and cattle to citrus and strawberry growers. Said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson: "We are grateful that the Legislature enacted this meaningful relief measure, which will assist our agriculture producers in helping them hold down their production costs." For consumers who want to hold down their cost of living in the face of skyrocketing electrical costs, a good idea might be planting a few hundred strawberry plants in the back yard.
[Last modified August 7, 2006, 06:01:53]
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