Protect what we love.

Protecting Small Farms in Seminole County — Together.

No Seminole County small farm has to fight this alone.

BECOME A FRIEND

READ OUR STORY

Florida Farm Bureau

Katahdin Hair Sheep Int'l

Farmer Veteran Coalition

Save Rural Seminole

UF/IFAS Extension

Slow Food Orlando

Black Hammock Farm is the founding member of the Coalition.

HOW IT STARTED

My Name Is Kip HudaKoz. I'm a Marine, a husband, and a farmer

When I came home from the service, I wanted what most veterans want — quiet land, honest work, and something to build with my hands. My wife Heidi and I found that here, in the Black Hammock community of Oviedo. A piece of land that had been farmed for more than a hundred years, in an area where neighbors still know each other and the rural way of life still means something.

Today, we manage almost 17 acres across five properties. We raise 115 Katahdin sheep, along with pigs, chickens, and turkeys. We have invested over $150,000 in commercial-grade infrastructure. We are members of the Florida Farm Bureau, Katahdin Hair Sheep International, and the Farmer Veteran Coalition. We follow every rule the state of Florida sets for a working farm, because we built this to last.

And right now, we are fighting to keep it.

The same county Planning Department that approved this farm as compatible with rural agricultural use in 2020 denied our agricultural classification in 2025 — for the same operation, on the same land.

Seminole County Development Order 20-27000025

In 2025, the county denied our agricultural classification — the basic legal recognition that says "yes, this land is being used as a farm." Properties around us with far less agricultural activity hold that same classification without issue. We hired a land-use attorney. We filed our appeal. We've documented everything, and we are very close to winning.

But this fight isn't just about us. And winning our case won't stop the next denial from coming.

"What happens to a county when its small farms quietly disappear, one denial at a time?"

THE PATTERN

This isn't just our fight.

Something is changing in eastern Seminole County. The traffic is different. The lots are smaller. The fields that used to roll out past Walsh Street and Howard Avenue are getting filled in. Not all at once — never all at once — but a parcel at a time, a farm at a time, a denial at a time. Most of those changes happen quietly enough that the people who came here for the rural life don't notice until it's already gone. We notice. You probably do too.

2,887

Florida farms lost between 2017 and 2022

USDA Census of Agriculture

45,000

Acres of farmland lost in Florida every year

Florida Farm Bureau

82%

Of Seminole County voters chose to protect rural land in 2024

Seminole County Charter Amendment

Properties within ½ mile of our farm hold the same classification we were denied

Seminole County Property Appraiser

The Inconsistency Map

See the 33 properties around us that hold G-1 agricultural classification — and why we were singled out. Publishing Phase B.

PREVIEW THE MAP

Why a Coalition

Winning one case won't stop the next denial.

Two reasons we built the Coalition instead of just hiring another attorney: one lawyer can win a case, but one lawyer cannot stop a pattern. And the next operator facing this fight has no one to call.

What One Lawyer Can't Do

An attorney can defend a single case. They cannot warn the next farm before the denial arrives. They cannot organize neighbors. They cannot change a pattern that costs Florida 45,000 acres a year.

II.

Who's Next After Us.

Florida lost 2,887 farms in five years. Each one closed quietly, one family at a time. We will not be the last operator in Seminole County to face this fight. The Coalition exists for the farms still ahead.

III.

What a Coalition Changes

Together, we document patterns instead of isolated cases. We make sure no farm fights alone. We turn 82% public sentiment into 82% public action. We build the institution that outlasts any single case.

What You Might Be Thinking

We had the same questions. Here are the answers.

This is just one family's tax fight.

It started that way. It isn't anymore. The classification denials happening to our farm are part of a documented county-wide pattern — we have the comparable properties, the satellite imagery, and the contradicting county documents to prove it. The Coalition exists because what's happening to us is happening to others, and will keep happening unless we organize.

Why a coalition when one good lawyer could win the case?

One lawyer can win a case. One lawyer can't stop the next denial. The Coalition exists for what comes after our case — for the next farm, the next family, the next quiet erosion. We are using our fight to build the infrastructure that protects every small operator behind us.

I'm skeptical of any online ask for money.

We would be too. That's why we're publishing exactly where every dollar goes, line by line, with public updates as funds are spent. See the full $25,000 breakdown below. If anything we publish doesn't match what we deliver, you have every right to call us on it.

Our Allies

We are not alone in this. And neither are you.

It sounds like you want to know we are part of something larger. We are. Here are the organizations standing with the Coalition.

Florida Farm Bureau

Farmer Veteran Coalition

Katahdin Hair Sheep Int'l

Save Rural Seminole

Slow Food Orlando

Florida Farm Finder

Lake Meadow Naturals

UF/IFAS Extension

A Poultry, Inc.

Heritage Hen Farm

Florida Cattlemen's Assn

Seminole County 4-H

featured ally

Save Rural Seminole

"They protect the land. We protect the operators working it. Both fights are the same fight." Together, we stand for an eastern Seminole County where rural character is more than a line on a map — it's a living working landscape.

Visit saveruralseminole.org

JOIN US

Five ways to belong.

Pick one. Or pick more than one. You don't have to give money to be part of this.

Friend

"Friend of the Coalition" badge. Coalition newsletter. Welcome from Kip & Heidi.

BECOME A FRIEND

Advocate

Take one grassroots action — sign a petition, share, attend a meeting.

Advocate badge. Named on Advocates Wall (opt-in). Coalition action briefings.

Steward

Three actions, recruit two Friends, or any donation.

Steward badge. Window decal. Quarterly Coalition calls.

Defender

$250+ donation, attend a hearing, or submit a case.

Defender badge. Annual gathering invitation. Early data access.

Founder

Year 1 supporter with verified Defender activity.

Permanent Founder badge. Founders Wall (opt-in). Strategy briefings.

Where Your Donation Goes

Right now, $25,000. Here is exactly where it goes.

What would it take to make sure no Seminole County farm has to fight this alone? Right now, $25,000 in legal defense and Coalition launch funds. Every dollar is accounted for.

The $25,000 Breakdown

$12,000

Legal Defense

Attorney fees, expert witnesses, hearing preparation, and Value Adjustment Board filings.

$5,000

Operational Continuity

Feed, hay, veterinary care, and supplies to keep 115 animals healthy through the fight.

$4,000

Coalition Launch

The website, organizing materials, and outreach to bring other affected farms into the conversation.

$2,500

Infrastructure Completion

Finishing the shelters and stalls that the legal fight has paused.

$1,500

Reserve Fund

A buffer for unexpected costs so we don't return in 90 days asking again.

Total Goal

$25,000

Stand With Us

Your donation funds the legal defense and Coalition launch. Updates published on this page as funds are spent.

Donations processed through GoFundMe. Not currently tax-deductible — 501(c)(4) in development.

DONATE VIA GOFUNDME

the founders

They believed first.

These seven gave before there was a Coalition to give to. The Coalition exists because they started it.

Brian R.

Founder · #001

Jennifer M.

Founder · #002

Eric T.

Founder · #003

Pending

Founder · #004

Pending

Founder · #005

Pending

Founder · #006

Pending

Founder · #007

Your Name

Year 1 Spots Open

COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions people ask.

What is the Black Hammock Farm Coalitions?

+ The Black Hammock Coalition is a Seminole County, Florida small agriculture preservation movement. We protect the operators behind the rural way of life — by making it easier to belong, easier to defend, and harder to lose. Founded in 2026 by Kip and Heidi Hudakoz of Black Hammock Farm, the Coalition is open to every Seminole County small farm facing classification, zoning, or operational pressure.

Is the Coalition only for Black Hammock Farm?

No. Black Hammock Farm is the founding member because our case launched the Coalition, but the Coalition exists for every small farm in Seminole County. We are actively recruiting additional operator cases for inclusion. If you operate a small farm and are facing similar pressure, contact us.

What Does it Cost to Join?

Becoming a Friend of the Coalition is free. Higher tiers (Advocate, Steward, Defender, Founder) are earned through grassroots action — not paid for. You can donate, but donation is one path among several. Showing up to a county hearing, sharing the Coalition with neighbors, or submitting a case all count.

Where does my donations go?

Every dollar is itemized on this page (see the $25,000 breakdown above). Legal defense, operational continuity, Coalition launch costs, infrastructure completion, and a small reserve. We publish updates on each line item as funds are spent. If anything we publish doesn't match what we deliver, you have every right to call us on it.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Not currently. The GoFundMe campaign is not tax-deductible. We are establishing a 501(c)(4) or fiscal sponsorship arrangement so that future donations can be deductible. If tax-deductibility is required for your gift, please contact us directly — we can route gifts through an existing fiscal sponsor.

What happens to surplus funds if you win quickly?

Surplus funds go directly into the Coalition's reserve fund to defend the next farm. Your donation helps either way — if we win our case fast, your gift defends the next operator in line. The Coalition is the long game; no money is wasted because the fight is bigger than any single case.

How is the Coalition different from Save Rural Seminole or Florida Farm Bureau?

Save Rural Seminole protects the land — the Econ River, the forests, the wildlife corridors. Florida Farm Bureau operates at the statewide policy level. The Coalition focuses on the operators — the individual farmers and families running small agricultural operations in Seminole County. All three fights are the same fight; we are complementary, not competitive.

How do I know this isn't political?

82% of Seminole County voters approved the rural boundary supermajority amendment in November 2024. That is not a partisan margin. The Coalition's mission is rooted in a community-wide consensus that small farms and rural character are worth protecting — across every political identity. We name no parties, endorse no candidates, and welcome every neighbor who cares about this place.