Great Mark Western
Throughout Florida’s history, cattle producers have understood a simple truth: the land doesn’t belong to us forever. We are simply its caretakers for a season.
That belief is the inspiration behind Florida Cattlemen’s Association President John Williamson’s theme for the coming year, “Keepers of His Land.” It is a reminder that stewardship takes many forms. Sometimes it is measured by healthy pastures or thriving wildlife habitat. Other times, it is found in the people who dedicate themselves to strengthening the future of Florida ranching by helping others succeed.
Great Mark Western is one of those operations.
For Great Mark Western, stewardship is measured not only by the land they manage, but by the success of the ranchers they serve. Every decision, from the genetics they develop to the partnerships they build, reflects a commitment to strengthening Florida’s cattle industry for generations to come.
Located in Leon and Jefferson counties, Great Mark Western has evolved from a premium beef brand into one of Florida’s leading seedstock programs. While the operation has changed significantly over the years, its purpose has remained remarkably consistent: producing cattle that create value throughout the entire beef supply chain, from the pasture to the consumer’s plate. What began as the vision of owner Jim Bardy continues today through the leadership of Kevin and Hunter Horne, who have expanded that mission while remaining true to its original purpose.
That perspective is what sets the operation apart.
Having experienced multiple segments of the beef industry, Great Mark Western understands that success begins long before cattle ever enter a feedyard. It begins with the commercial cattle producer. Every breeding decision, management practice, and investment is made with one objective in mind: helping Florida ranchers build more productive, profitable cow herds.
Today, Kevin oversees the ranching, timber, and hunting enterprises, while Hunter directs the cattle operation, marketing efforts, and genetic decisions. Together, they have continued building a program rooted not only in sound genetics but also in the belief that serving commercial producers is one of the greatest responsibilities they have as stewards of Florida’s cattle industry.
That commitment is evident in every animal they market.
Artificial insemination, embryo transfer, DNA technology, parentage verification, and extensive performance records all contribute to identifying superior cattle, but the operation refuses to let data replace practical experience. Every bull and female is first expected to prove themselves under the same environmental conditions faced by Florida’s commercial cattle producers.
“If they do not perform for us, we don’t sell them to our customers,” Hunter says.
It is a simple statement, but one that reflects the trust Great Mark Western works to build with every customer. The operation understands that each bull represents an investment in another ranch family’s future, and that responsibility is one they take seriously.
Just as every breeding decision reflects a commitment to the producer, every management decision reflects a commitment to the land.
“We realize that the land is the most valuable resource,” Hunter explains. “We work hard every day to make sure our forage resources and environment are properly stewarded so that they can be at peak production for our cowherds.” Across the ranch, rotational grazing, cross-fencing, solar-powered wells, and improved cattle handling facilities have strengthened both productivity and resource management. Those efforts earned Great Mark Western the Florida Farm Bureau CARES Award in 2024 and continue to guide the operation’s management of conservation lands and nearly 2,000 acres protected through conservation easements. For Great Mark Western, however, stewardship is not simply measured by conservation projects or production records.
“We believe the land must be productive and profitable in order to keep it in commercial agriculture production,” Hunter says.
That belief shapes the ranch’s outlook on the future of Florida agriculture. Profitable ranches remain working ranches. Working ranches preserve open space, support rural communities, and protect a way of life that has defined Florida for generations. For Great Mark Western, stewardship is about ensuring the next generation inherits not only healthy land, but an industry strong enough to support it. By helping commercial producers become more successful, the operation believes it is also helping ensure those ranches remain on the landscape for generations to come.
That same commitment to serving Florida producers inspired the creation of Florida Prime Brangus Genetics, a partnership between Great Mark Western and Fenco Farms built on years of collaboration and shared values. Long before the alliance became official, the two operations were exchanging ideas, comparing performance data, and learning from one another as they worked toward the same goal of producing practical, profit-driven genetics for commercial cattle producers.
When the opportunity arose to formally join forces, the decision was a natural one. Together, the two ranches combined their strengths, including large commercial cow herds where new genetics could be evaluated under real-world Florida conditions before ever reaching customers. Their shared commitment to performance records, DNA technology, fertility data, and feedlot evaluation provides commercial producers with cattle that have already proven themselves in the environments where they are expected to work.
Just as importantly, the partnership reflects a shared commitment to Florida’s cattle industry. Through the annual Florida Prime sale, producers can access elite genetics developed and tested in Florida without leaving the state. By working together rather than independently, Great Mark Western and Fenco Farms have created a resource that strengthens commercial operations across Florida and the Southeast, demonstrating that stewardship is often found in collaboration as much as competition.
Looking ahead, Great Mark Western remains focused on relationships every bit as much as results.
“We want to be more than a place that sells bulls,” Hunter says. “We want to be a trusted genetic partner where a handshake and our word still matter.”
That is what it means to be a Keeper of His Land.
Stewardship is not always measured by what we accomplish on our own ranches. Sometimes it is measured by the success we help create beyond our own fence lines. By investing in producers, embracing collaboration, and standing behind every animal they market, Great Mark Western reminds us that strengthening Florida’s ranching future begins with strengthening the people who will carry it forward. Because when ranchers succeed, working lands endure, and Florida’s ranching heritage continues for generations to come.
