Discovering the Deseret Ranch
Many people may be surprised to learn that Central Florida is home to the largest working cattle ranch in the United States.
The myregion.org Naturally Central Florida Committee held their May 16 meeting at the Deseret Ranch, which occupies approximately 300,000 acres across portions of Brevard, Orange and Osceola Counties.
The Deseret Ranch is a vast environmental landscape that features pastures, citrus groves and natural wildlife habitats. It also includes 1,000 miles of canals, 250 miles of roads and 1,400 miles of fences.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased most of the ranch during the 1950's. The ranch is part of the church's agriculture investments and is a for-profit taxable operation. The word Deseret means honeybee and signifies industriousness and hard work. The ranch uses a "beehive" for a brand.
James Payne, a member of the myregion.org Board of Directors and the Property Manager for the ranch, led members of the committee on a bus tour of a small portion of the vast property. The headquarters for the ranch are located in the Southeast part of the land in Osceola County. It also includes a Visitor's Center, complete with a large stuffed alligator and maps and pictures that showcase the history of the ranch.
More than 75 employees and their families live in houses across the ranch. Among the amenities of the property is a small swimming hole, which provides relaxation and heat relief for everyone in the community as well as campgrounds and rodeo arena.
There are currently 44,000 cows, including replacement heifers and purebred cows, on the ranch. They are broken into 14 cattle units and spread the 300,000 acres. A foreman and a couple cowboys operate each unit. The cattle are rotated from pasture to pasture to maintain grazing quality. Each cattle unit consists of several pastures with a variety of water and food options. Many pine, cypress and hardwood trees dot portions of the property and provide coverage for the cows on warm Florida days.
While cattle operations are the primary focus of the ranch, portions of the property are used in other ways. As part of a wildlife management plan, 45 hunt clubs lease portions of the ranch and harvest animals, thereby maintaining optimal habitat conditions and herd size. Timber is also harvested to allow for regeneration while maintaining wildlife habitat. Other site leases include TV and radio towers.