In the last few weeks, we have received a number of private questions about the launch of TFS+ and TFS + Pro .

Here is a quick primer.

Will TFS have less content now?

We are not putting anything we have provided our readers since our 2013 launch behind a paywall.

Enhanced features including additional articles, early access to political articles, audio, video and photos about Florida History, Culture and Politics are all part of the + package. This allows us to remain ad-free everywhere.

The above photo of a Citrus crate from the 1930’s is among the types of classic photos we’re displaying on TFS +

Why is a paywall of any kind needed?

Since 2015, we’ve refused to accept political candidate or committee ads; we believed it could impact our objectivity. We have traditionally been a progressive site but very critical at times of Democrats. This demands we remain independent of any funding source that has a political agenda whether we agree with it or not.

We do not believe that outside political committees or activist groups that have legislative priorities should influence our writing or opinions by placing ads on the site or contributing financially.

In the past, we have rejected these ads and also forced writers who might have conflicts do either disclose those conflicts or recuse themselves from writing on the topic where they have a financial conflict-of-interest.

The bottom line is remaining ad-free & independent is difficult. We’ve done it for years and want remain ad free, so launching a voluntary sign-up paid service was the best option.

We’ve generated almost zero revenue since the site started and we’d like in the future to pay writers for their services.

All of this requires us to launch the + service

What does the + service give that the regular site doesn’t?

Additional articles, deeper-dives into topics and audiovisual content not available on the free site. We are making TFS+ audiovisual features including our current series on historic Florida postcards and citrus crate labels free for June.

We also will release some political content first on the paid site before releasing it to the general public. This early access window will generally be 6-12 hours.

In addition, we plan to launch new podcasts and video series via the + platform.

How much does TFS+ cost

It costs $3 monthly for the basic package, $5 monthly for the “pro” package which includes all additional materials.

How do I access TFS+

TFS+ is hosted by Patreon. You can access all of the + content here.