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Famous Ranches and Stations

Deseret Ranches: How a Church-Owned Florida Ranch Became a Cattle Giant

Bought in 1950 as a church investment, the ranch east of Orlando grew into one of the largest cow-calf operations in the United States.

What is Deseret Ranches?

Deseret Ranches is the cattle and citrus operation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in central Florida. The Wikipedia article on Deseret Ranches says it spreads across Osceola, Orange and Brevard counties on almost 300,000 acres, about 50 miles southeast of Orlando International Airport.

It is run as a for-profit business and is not a normal part of the church's humanitarian efforts. The group of organizations under the name includes Deseret Ranches of Florida, Deseret Cattle and Citrus and several management companies.

When and why did the church buy the ranch?

Plans for the ranch began in 1949, and the church bought its first tract in 1950. Sources differ on the size of that first purchase, giving 45,000 acres in one place and 54,000 acres in another. Over 50 years the ranch grew to more than 312,000 acres, and in 1997 it was the world's largest beef ranch by Wikipedia's account, with land worth an estimated $858 million.

Church president Gordon B. Hinckley explained the logic in general terms, saying good farms held over a long period are a safe investment for church assets and an agricultural resource if people ever need to be fed.

How many cattle does Deseret run?

The herd is about 44,000 to 45,000 beef cattle. A 2016 account from the church's newsroom puts it at about 45,000 and describes a mostly cow-calf operation. In 2000, per Wikipedia, 16 million pounds of calves were moved, worth about $16 million, though the church does not disclose revenue, as the ranch's Wikipedia entry notes.

The church newsroom article on the ranch adds that Erik Jacobsen, who began as a cowboy in the mid-1980s, was general manager when it was written.

Citrus, timber and other income

The ranch grows more than 1,600 acres of citrus with about 200,000 trees, mostly Valencia juice oranges, and irrigates about 1,100 acres of farm ground with pivots. Timber includes pine, cypress, hardwood and palm, managed through natural regeneration.

Wikipedia's operations summary lists additional revenue from mining native shell beds used to pave Florida roads, hunting permits and sales of ornamental palm trees.

The Key to Deseret's Scale

Deseret shows what patient capital can do in cattle country. The record points to scale, long holding periods and a willingness to invest in water systems and wildlife management.

It also shows the tension that comes with that much land near a growing metro area.

  • Buy early and hold long: the church bought in 1950 and treated the land as a long-term asset.
  • Grow by assembly: the ranch grew from an initial tract of 45,000 to 54,000 acres to more than 312,000 acres.
  • Diversify around the herd: citrus, timber, shell beds, hunting and palms add income beyond calves.
  • Invest in water: retention work began in the early 1990s on the ranch's own initiative and was privately financed.
  • Costs and tension: in 2008 the ranch discussed selling part of its land for development near Orlando, and the rezoning was withdrawn before approval.

How does the ranch handle water and wildlife?

Storm-water retention ponds treat water before it reaches the St. Johns River. The 500-acre Jug Island Reservoir provides wading bird habitat and earned the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture's Environmental Leadership Award for Water Quality, according to the church newsroom.

More than 350 species live on the ranch, including almost 250 bird species, sandhill cranes, threatened wood storks, white-tailed deer, alligators and nesting bald eagles. The ranch created and manages one of the state's largest wood stork rookeries and keeps a full-time wildlife biologist on staff.

What is the North Ranch master plan?

A sector plan adopted in late 2015 covers about 133,000 acres of the North Ranch. That planning work reflects the ranch's position between Orlando and Melbourne, where growth pressure is real. The ranch also won control of some of its water from the St. Johns River Water Management District in 2011 and planned to sell some to Cocoa, Florida.

For more on Southern cattle country, visit the ranching section of farm.FM, or read a story about Florida cow-calf ranching.

Timeline

  1. 1949Earliest plans for the ranch are made
  2. 1950The church buys the first tract of land
  3. 1997Described as the world's largest beef ranch, with land valued at about $858 million
  4. 200016 million pounds of calves are moved, worth about $16 million
  5. 2008A proposed sale for development near Orlando is discussed, then withdrawn
  6. 2011The ranch wins control of some of its water from the water management district
  7. 2015North Ranch sector plan is adopted
  8. 2016Church newsroom reports a herd of about 45,000

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Deseret Ranches?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns it as a taxable, for-profit investment farm, not as part of its humanitarian work.

How big is Deseret Ranches?

Almost 300,000 acres across Osceola, Orange and Brevard counties in central Florida. One source puts it at more than 312,000 acres, so figures differ.

How many cattle does Deseret Ranches have?

About 44,000 to 45,000 beef cattle, mainly a cow-calf operation, according to Wikipedia and a 2016 church newsroom article.

When was Deseret Ranches founded?

Plans began in 1949 and the church bought the original land in 1950. The ranch now includes a separate section around Kenansville in Osceola County.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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