Cattle Ranching in Florida

Visit the photographer's studio website by clicking on the title above, click on 'gallery' then watch 'Florida Cowboys' and 'Cowboys #2' slide shows.

The actual address is  http://www.jimpetersphotography.com/

Excellent black and white photography I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  His photographs were selected for display in the state capital and each photo has a poem that goes with it. 

These ranches are in southwest Florida within about 50 mile radius of Sarasota. Outside of Disney, condominiums and beaches people don't know Florida as a cattle state.  Because of favorable weather year round the state has been a cow capital raising more cattle than any other state until recent years.

Because of Florida's distance from the market hardly any of the cattle are slaughtered here commercially. Generally, I've been told, Florida is used to breed and raise cattle then at the right weight they are shipped off to cattle yards in the midwest grain belt and auctioned. Once in cattle yards they are fattened with a lot of grain and a whole lot less exercise.  Dairy cattle are only produced for local dairies and hobby ranches.   I think it ironic that when I buy a hamburger at Steak and Shake the cow very possibly was raised in Florida, shipped to Kansas, then shipped back down here on a refrigerated truck all ground up. Its possible anyway.

Have anything to add or corrections to make let me know!