For more information on Small Farms, visit our website at: or contact your local County Extension Agent.

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1 Livestock 11:00 12:00 FAMACHA Training and general parasite control in small livestock 1:30 3:00 The Value of using Heritage Breeds in Livestock and Poultry ProducFon 4:30 5:30 Small Ruminant ProducFon for Value Added Products

2 The 2012 Educational Program Committee is pleased to share conference educational materials with you under the condition that they are used without alteration for educational and non-commercial use only. All materials are protected by copyright law. The authors kindly request their work is properly cited, including the date of publication. For more information on Small Farms, visit our website at: or contact your local County Extension Agent. For inquiries about this topic, please contact: Danielle Treadwell, Educational Program Chair. Phone: (352) Suggested Citation: Author Full Name. Title of Presentation or Handout University of Florida-IFAS and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University-CAFS Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference. July 27-29, Kissimmee, FL.

3 Heritage Cattle Programs Sarasota and Manatee Counties, FL

4 Jeff Scarbrough Director, Sustainable Agriculture Programming, Crowley Museum & Nature Center Ranch Manager, Wilderness Ranch

5 Myakka City, FL Sarasota and Manatee Counties

6 Crowley Center & Wilderness Ranch Wilderness Ranch Crowley

7 380 Acres Wilderness Ranch Manatee County, FL 220 Acres Improved pastures, Bahia Grass 80 Acres undisturbed, riverside Oak Hammock 180 Acres Piney Woods Pastures with mature oaks

8 190 Acres Crowley Center Sarasota County, FL 20 Acres improved pastures, Piney Woods grazing, Bahia Grass 170 Acres--6 Florida habitats including Tatum Sawgrass Marsh

9 Why Crackers?

10 Florida Drought Conditions

11 History of the Cracker Cow

12 Florida Cracker Cattle Assoc. Mature < 500 to from 950 to 1000 pounds. Descendents from cattle first brought to Florida in the 1500's by the Spanish. Relatives of Texas Longhorn and Criollo cattle of South America.

13 Historic Breeding Practices 1830 s Shorthorn, Angus and Hereford bulls crossed with Crackers s Brahman bulls, larger and sired larger progeny. Bred to Hereford and Angus bulls, excellent beef animals. In1960's few "pure" Florida Cracker cows were left.

14 Florida Cracker Cattle Association, Preservation of the Cracker 1970's and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Doyle Conner James Durrance contributed five heifers and a bull to start the Department of Agriculture Florida Cracker Cattle herd. Zeb Durrance and the Chaires family of Dixie County start herds at Lake Kissimmee State Park and Payne's Prairie. Withlacoochee State Forest herd formed from the surplus Department of Agriculture herd and Payne's Prairie herd.

15 Selective Breeding o Crackers selected to maintain historical size, coloration, spotting, and horn shapes of the cattle of the 1800's. o Pictures of Florida Cracker Cattle from 1908 as guides. o Brahman, Hereford and other breed traits were eliminated through the use of blood typing. o A process of selection of foundation cattle was established early on and the herd book is now closed.

16 South American Criollo Dairy Bull

17 Criollo Cows, New Mexico

18 13 Certified Cracker Cattle Herds, FL Herd Owner Location Description 1. Clark Bailey Jacksonville 30+ head of Payne s Prairie and Withlacoochee State Forest Origin 2. Elwyn Bass Okeechobee 50+ head of Cracker cattle, primarily of Durrance origin. 3. CeCe Clarke Florahome 30+ head some Barnes-influenced cattle, Paynes Prairie and others, some guineas. 4. Crescent J Ranch Kenansville 100+ head. Forever Florida Eco-Tourism program. 5. Jack Gillen Micanopy 40+ head of Paynes Prairie origin. 6. Fred Grady Arcadia 25+ cows descending from Barnes and other north Florida herds. 7. John Lipe Arcadia 50+ head of Cracker cattle of Paynes Prairie, Withlacoochee, Barnes, and others. 8. Tim Olson Aluchua 30+ head Paynes Prairie origin and other origins, including guineas. 9. Glynne Owen Myakka City 50+ head of Cracker cattle, of Paynes Prairie and Withlacoochee State Forest. 10. Dave Randall Greenville 30+ head of Cracker cattle, of Lake Kissimmee State Park and Paynes Prairie. 11. Allen Roberts St. Augustine 40+ head of Cracker cattle of primarily Barnes origin. 12. Jake Summers Wilma 60+ head of Ezell origin (continuing the efforts of Raymond Hamlin of Wilma, FL). 13. Iris Wall Indiantown About 30 head of Ezell and State of Florida breeding.

19 Why Cracker Breeding? Aid in preserving the breed Climate and weather patterns Interstate 4 acts a divider Subtropical area surrounding Everglades Economics

20 Breeding Program Goals Forages that grow under climate conditions and that cows will eat. Hermarthia or Limpo grass dying back so Bahia grass utilized. Rye grass not good winter forage because of drought. Available hay not high quality scarce and expensive.

21 $ Economics $ Beef cows sold at auction bring comparable pricing. Crackers and cracker crosses easy keepers, smaller body weight equals less inputs. Market drives the price of beef. Match herd size to market conditions and property size and constraints.

22 Objectives Reduce herd size Smaller animals Bahia grass as natural forage Native grasses as forage Maiden cane Blue stems Milk Pea Aschyonome

23 Next Steps for Success Retail direct to consumer marketing grass fed beef Foundation Breeding Stock Cracker & Crangus Partnership with Crowley Center

24 Management Intensive Grazing, (MIG) Works regardless of operation Fences in good condition Enough ground moisture must consider serious drought If overpopulate will need fertilizer or supplemental feeds 1 unit per acre no fertilizer 3 units per acre with fertilizer Costs of system Vs. previous costs

25 Breeding Program at Wilderness Ranch

26 Cracker Cattle Breeding Program Hereford Heifer Brama Bull Braford Heifer Angus Bull Black Baldy Heifer Cracker Bull Crangus Heifer Angus Bull Cracker Bull Market Crangus Market Crangus

27 Crangus Crosses Size, Conformation, Traits

28 Angus Bulls, Wilderness Ranch

29 Braford/Angus Cross Black Baldy Braford cow

30 Breeds Hereford Heifer Angus Heifer Brahma Bull Braford Cow, Angus sired black baldy calf

31 In Loving Memory of Joan Anne Mia Owens

32 Paddocks

33 Paddocks

34 Accomplishments MIG No fertilizer 9 years 1 unit per acre--production Utilizing rotational-intensive grazing Medium sized breed what is the weight, live weight, weight after dressed Top dollar at auction

35 Cracker Cattle Wilderness Ranch and Crowley graze crackers of Glynne Owen Herds. Wilderness Ranch grazes Angus, Breford, Crackers, and crosses.

36 Crackers as Land Crowley Center

37 Crowley Center Education Programs: Crowley Folk School Sustainable Agriculture Workshops

38 Address: Myakka Road, Sarasota, FL Telephone : (941) Fax: (941)