History

Though it may seem unapparent today in the mist of many tourist attractions and urban communities, Florida’s landscape was once a vast area for livestock pastures. In 1521 Ponce de Leon brought horses and cattle to Florida, making it the oldest cattle raising state in the country.

For many years the cattle industry has contributed to Florida both environmentally and economically. Multi-generational family ranches have cared for our land and created employment for many Florida residents over time. As Florida matured, tourism expanded and urbanization began to cover much of the green open land that had contributed to Florida’s unique environment for so long.

Florida’s cattle industry is one of the 15 largest in the United States. Centered around birthing and raising calves without much of the concerns that come with the beef processing part of the system, Florida’s cattlemen are dedicated to the preservation of Florida’s green ranch land. As a large industry within the state, cattle ranchers significantly support Florida’s interstate economy and provide jobs as well as beef. The cattle industry supports a vast network of associated businesses. These allies include (but are not limited to) feed companies, heavy machinery corporations and fertilizer manufacturers. This integrated web of economic organizations helps create jobs and business opportunities in Florida. Additionally, Florida’s cattlemen have been strong supporters of Florida’s youth and culture. From county fair displays to scholarship contests, Florida’s cattlemen have worked diligently to give back to the communities they serve.

However, as Florida continues to urbanize, real estate developers are quickly obtaining what is left of Florida’s pristine ranch land. In an industry with very low profit margins, it is often difficult for a family rancher to give up the chance at millions of dollars for the sale of their land. Thus, Florida’s cattle ranchers are quickly losing their place in Florida’s landscape.

Florida was originally a farm-rich state, but with continued migration and development, it is becoming more and more of an urbanized region with each passing year. In relation, the impact of Florida’s cattle ranchers on Florida’s environment and economy is not understood by the many of Florida’s citizens. These citizens are not necessarily against the cattlemen’s aims but are likely to maintain a neutral stance because they are unaware of the benefits of cattlemen to the state of Florida.

Today the FCA membership collaborates in order to create a greater understanding of the state’s diverse agriculture among Florida residents. Activities and county events are organized in the hopes of uncovering the often-overlooked fact that rural and urban Florida are interconnected and interdependent.

Florida Pioneered Cattle Raising

I say Florida, you say -----what? Sunshine ? Beach? Oranges? Theme parks? True , they're all here.
But hundreds of years ago, long before tourists or even cities, there was another Florida. When the Spaniard Ponce de Leon discovered it in 1513, Florida was mostly wide, green spaces. In 1521 when he returned, he brought cattle and horses. He knew he'd found pasture land.
Spanish explorers made Florida America's oldest cattle-raising state. No other part of our country had cattle until until the Pilgrims brought cattle in the early 1600's.

Tough Times on the Range

The early cattle-raising days were rough for Spanish settlers. The St. Augustine missionaries who raised beef also fought Indian raids and mosquitoes. Despite the cattle fever ticks, storms, swamps and snakes, before 1700 there were already dozens of ranches along the Panhandle and St. Johns River.
Most Florida settlers of the 1800s raised beef for food. By the Civil War, Confederate soldiers were depending on Florida cattle for meat, hides and tallow.

Cattle Ride the Rails

By the 1800s, railroads reached Central Florida and changed everything. Because trains could ship cattle, the beef industry grew. New towns sprang up around the ranches, and more people arrived from other states. There was work for blacksmiths, shopkeepers and cowboys in these settlements.
Florida's true roots took hold in agriculture. Today agriculture is still one of its biggest businesses. Florida's ranchers now raise the third largest number of cattle of any state east of the Mississippi. Their herds represent many centuries of dreams. They link the sweat and success of ancient Spaniards, hardy pioneers and today's modern cattle ranches.

" He's a real Florida Cracker! "

In Florida, it's a remark you hear often.

   Historians say that "cracker" originally meant a braggart. Today, people use it as a name for country folk or someone who was born here. But one popular story about the meaning of "cracker" goes back to the state's early cowboy days.
    Florida's old-time cowboys had a unique way of herding cattle. They used 10- to 12-foot-long whips made of braided leather. Snapping these whips in the air made a loud "crack" That sound brought stray cattle back into line fast and earned cowboys the nickname of "crackers." Many rode rugged, rather small horses known as "cracker ponies."
    Cracker cowboys also counted on herd dogs to move cattle along the trail. Their tough dogs could help get a cow out of a marsh or work a hundred steers into a tidy group. For those rough riders of Florida's first ranges, a good dog, a horse and whip were all the tools a true cracker needed.

Comments or Questions E-mail -- Florida Cattlemen Association
P.O. Box 421929 Kissimmee, FL 34742-1929 Tel: (407) 846-6221 Fax: 407-933-8209