Jesse Scheckner
A 754-acre cattle operation in Hendry County will be preserved through a state-run program that prevents future development of the agricultural land.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Florida’s purchase of Howard Cattle Corp., which spans portions of the unincorporated Immokalee and Felda areas, for $4,145,000.
The purchase is part of the 23-year-old Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which protects valuable farmlands and natural resources through easements that prevent urban development of the land while allowing agricultural operations to continue.
During the 2024 Session, Simpson successfully worked to secure $100 million for the program and the same sum yearly through SB 1638. Palm Coast Republican Sen. Travis Hutson and Sarasota Republican Rep. James Buchanan sponsored the legislation. Lawmakers approved it unanimously.
In a statement Thursday, Simpson called the Howard Cattle Corp. purchase “another critical step” for the program.
“By permanently preserving Howard Cattle Corporation’s land from future development, we’re not only supporting Florida agriculture but also protecting natural landscapes that sustain our wildlife and water resources,” he said.
A three-generation family business, Howard Cattle Corp. runs a beef cattle and horse breeding operation north of Spirit-of-the-Wild Wildlife Management Area and east of Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest. The property, situated within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, contains a variety of sensitive wetlands and wildlife, including the Florida Panther, pines, cabbage palms and oaks.
The company was founded in the 1960s by Huey P. Howard, a Mississippi-to-Florida transplant now two years shy of 90. He saved up money for years to buy an initial 20 acres through a White intermediary. Howard, who is Black, also faced difficulties purchasing cattle. He told Coastal Breeze News last year that he believes the obstacles Black people faced at the time are a major reason why so few are part of the industry today.
For the most part, however, people treated him then, and still treat him today, with decency.
“The people I’ve worked with have all been good people,” he told the outlet. “We’ve got some prejudiced people in the world, and as long as we live, we’re going to have some prejudiced people. But I don’t have a problem. In fact, I’m tickled to death to be so friendly with people and that they’re so friendly with me.”
Created in 2001, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program through 2023 has acquired conservation easements for more than 110,000 acres of working agricultural land. The program received 258 applications last year, resulting in 256 new ranked projects totaling 392,394 acres.
