What if we told you that on the list of endangered species in Florida, that cattle ranchers may become high on that list? As you drive through all the beautiful counties in our states and through historic cattle production areas, you see vast acres (sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands) that make it almost impossible to fathom that one day, those ranches we rely on may be gone.
When you have an abundance of open space, like we do in many areas of the United States, it can be hard to think of a time in the future, where we may not have the land, we need to grow the food that our citizens need. All we have to do is take a look at many countries in Europe, where urban sprawl has eliminated much of the agricultural land over the past fifty years. Countries that are now forced to rely on imports, also have extremely high cost of living, thanks in part to the added expense of food sourced from other foreign providers.
At Florida Raised, we wanted to become an active part of supporting our local Florida cattle ranchers for this reason. Internationally, Florida is known as a vacation destination and port for cruise ships and travelers around the world. But domestically, did you know that Florida has been (and remains) a major agricultural producer in America? But it is that strong demand for resorts, golf courses and residential communities and condominiums that is creating a real threat to the future of farming in Florida.
How Many Cattle Ranches Are There in Florida?
The 2017 data released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer services reported that Florida had 47,000 commercial farms and ranches. These multigenerational family owned businesses span 9.45 million acres, producing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, including cucumbers, sugarcane, tomatoes, oranges and grapefruit. We are also ranked 4th in the United States for the production of peanuts.
There are currently 15,000 cattle ranches in Florida, and our state is ranked 13th in the United States for beef production. Many other states famous for their beef (including Texas and Montana), rely on Florida ranchers to provide resilient and healthy calves to boost their herds. The most recent agricultural survey published January 1, 2018 revealed that the top three counties for cattle production were Okeechobee, Highlands and Osceola. In 2018, there were 886,000 head of cattle which had declined 22,000 animals since 2017. There were about 20,000 fewer calves born in the State of Florida too, from 2017 to 2018.
Most of the cattle and beef we produce here in Florida, is exported. Canada is the leading buyer of Florida beef and agricultural products; in 2017 we exported $747 million dollars worth of food to our northern neighbors. The next largest foreign buyer of our agricultural goods is Mexico, who imported $250 million dollars worth in 2017.
Source: Fresh From Florida
Ranches for Sale as Cattlemen Cash-Out Due to Increased Land Values
There is nothing easy about running a cattle ranch, and in spite of the size of the herds and operations, it can be a very challenging business with tight profit margins. There are many threats and obstacles that Florida cattle ranchers face, and as the cost of raising cattle continues to climb, it is getting harder for small and medium sized ranches to survive.
A quick Google search of “cattle ranch for sale + Florida” will demonstrate the sobering reality. In some cases, multigenerational farms are cashing out in certain areas, and buckling to the pressure of increased costs of business, lower profit margins, and the ever-increasing value that they can realize by selling portions of their land to residential or commercial developers.
As the average age of Florida cattle ranchers continues to edge toward retirement, and as cultural and lifestyle needs change and the next generation of family members declines to take up the hard and often frustrating business of ranching, we’re creating a problem that we’ll fully regret if we do not start to support our Florida cattle ranchers domestically, within our own state. Once that land is gone to urban and commercial development, we won’t be able to get it back. Which makes education and awareness more important now than ever before, for the future of our agricultural industry.
Sounding the Alarm: The State of America’s Farmlands
One of the important resources we’d like to share as we work to help create awareness and support for our local Florida beef industry, is an insightful new report published in 2018 titled “Farms Under Threat: The State of America's Farmland”. Teachers and the public can download this free resource and learn why ranchers are asking for our support, by choosing local Florida fresh products at the grocery store.
The report states that between 1992 and 2012, almost 31 million acres of agricultural land were lost to development. As we discussed, this loss of farmland is irreversible, as commercially developed land loses valuable topsoil and nutrient density. It cannot be rehabilitated once it is gone. And just to visualize how much land that is, the report indicates that it is similar to the size of the entire State of New York, in a ten-year period. Currently, only 17% of America’s total land space is suitable for agricultural use, both for crops and pasture raised cattle.
What can you do to help? When you are shopping in the grocery store, buy brands that have the ‘Fresh from Florida’ label on them. Only products that are produced in Florida can bear that seal, and it assures consumers that they are choosing healthy foods that are locally raised. Florida Raised is proud to bear that seal, and to be part of the movement to supporting our local ranchers and our Florida beef industry.