When people think of cattle ranching, it’s a little funny that they only think of western states like Texas, Nebraska or Kansas. We can thank the Western cowboy movies that spotlighted the ranching culture but focused primarily on those states to spin yarns about the ‘Wild American West’. And that’s why many Americans still don’t know that cattle ranching, and our iconic cowboy culture actually started right here, in Florida.
On our Florida Raised blog, we’ve shared some really interesting historical facts about the rich cattle rustling heritage of our home state. But what we haven’t talked too much about, is the families that got into the cattle ranching business early and hung in there to build large and very successful ranches that spanned generations. Run by each new generation that was born and raised themselves, on a busy Florida cattle ranch.
For these families, cattle ranching is more than a business that employs their immediate and extended family members. It is a culture and a community. It is a way of life that built one of the largest industry contributors to the success of Florida’s economy. It’s no surprise that 9 of the top American cattle and calf production ranches are located in Florida, according to the National Cattlemen’s Association, and we’d like to share some of their stories and history.
The Wynne Ranch (Okeechobee / St. Lucie)
This family ranch is the largest registered breeder for Brangus beef cattle. The ranch has over 6,000 acres of grazing, and they are internationally recognized for siring the best, biggest and most healthy bulls. Wynne Brangus bulls are black in color, and they have a pedigree that spans back to their first herd sire, WR Duke 228/F.
As ranchers are also land stewards, they are constantly monitoring the quality of the forage and grass that their cattle graze on. At the Wynne Ranch, that also means planting special types of grass, including Bahigrass, Stargrass and Hemarthria. Over 100 miles of fencing is in place to rotate herds between pastures, allowing the grass to naturally regenerate.
The Birdie Hogan Farm (Indian River County)
What could be better than all the wonderful benefits of farm life, located right beside the ocean? The Birdie Hogan Farm is located in Vero Beach Florida, and only 12 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. The ranch credits the location of the ocean and warm winds with helping to protect their agricultural production, and nurture healthy grazing land.
The Birdie Hogan Farm is still family owned and has been passed down through four generations since 1918. They believe in living in harmony with the environment and using both sustainable and humane methods while caring for their herd.
It all started in 1918 with T.E. Hogan, who arrived in Indian River County Florida, to start a tomato farm. From 1920 to 1940, tomatoes were the highest yield and most profitable crop for vegetable farmers. It was T.E. Hogan’s wife Birdie, who thought that planting a grove of citrus trees would be a good investment. And she hand planted grapefruit trees across a 100-acre section of the ranch, sustaining the family with a profitable bumper crop from the 1940’s to 2004.
After a particularly bad hurricane season in 2004 that did substantial damage to their fruit trees, Doyle Hogan (the grandson of T.E.) wanted to expand their cattle operation. About 50% of the citrus grove was removed and reconverted to pastureland, while the family continued to grow navel oranges and flame grapefruit.
In 2012 the family, led by fourth-generation Britain Hogan, augmented their citrus and cattle production with the addition of vegetables and leafy greens. The family produces grass-fed beef and a variety of delicious fresh produce, with a continued commitment to heritage methods and environmental sustainability.
The Corrigan Ranch (Indian River County)
The Corrigan Ranch was purchased and operated by the Corrigan family, who originated in Midland, Texas. Almost 70 years ago, the family purchased four very large land parcels in Florida and made the move to the state to start their ranching business.
Of the four parcels, three were sold during the 1990’s as land values continued to increase in the Vero Beach area. The family sold one parcel to a developer, but the other two were allocated for conservation lands, that are now part of the Sebastian River Preserve.
The homestead ranch was over 9,000 acres and it is still owned by the Corrigan family, in Indian River County. Pat Corrigan still lives at the ranch, and family members help run the daily operations. However recently, with increasing pressure from developers and lucrative offers, the ranch got annexed and has received approvals to offer a portion of it to business and residential developers.
While part of the ranch will be gone, the other half will be protected as green space for conservation or agriculture. And the family promises that there will ‘always be cattle’ on the Corrigan Ranch.
According to the AF / IFAS economic report (2017) the combined value of Florida beef and dairy cattle, and the industries supported by cattle production, generated $16.80 billion dollars. The industry also supported 118,000 allied jobs that year. The beef industry (including exports) are an important part of Florida economy, in addition to communities of ranchers who are part of the rich heritage of our state.
Florida Raised was created to bring local residents a new and fresh option at the grocery store. Whenever you buy a 1 lb. package of our grass-fed (hormone and antibiotic free) ground beef, you are making a quality choice that puts our local ranch families first. Feel (really) good about what you eat, with sustainable Florida Raised beef.