Deseret Ranches facts for kids
Deseret Ranches (
i/ˌdɛzəˈrɛt/) is a large ranch in Central Florida. It is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the LDS Church. This ranch includes several different businesses like Deseret Ranches of Florida and AgReserves.
The ranch is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Orlando International Airport. It is also about 19 kilometers (12 miles) west of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Deseret Ranches is known for being one of the most successful cow-calf ranches in the United States. This means they raise cattle from birth until they are ready to be sold.
Contents
Where is Deseret Ranches Located?
_P001.jpg)
The Deseret Ranch covers a huge area across three counties in central Florida: Osceola, Orange, and Brevard. It spans almost 300,000 acres (about 1,200 square kilometers) of land. That's a lot of space!
About 90 rancher families live and work on the ranch. They take care of around 44,000 beef cattle. The ranch operates as a business to make money. It is not part of the LDS Church's charity work. Gordon B. Hinckley, who used to be the church president, once said that good farms are a safe investment. He also mentioned they could be a food source if ever needed.
How Deseret Ranches Started
The idea for Deseret Ranches began in 1949. The first 45,000 acres (about 182 square kilometers) were bought in 1950. Over the years, the ranch grew much larger.
The church bought the first big piece of land in 1950. For more than 50 years, the ranch kept growing. By 1997, it was one of the largest beef ranches in the world! It covered more than 312,000 acres (about 1,260 square kilometers).
What Deseret Ranches Does Today
The LDS Church does not share how much money the ranch makes. However, we know that in 2000, the ranch sold 16 million pounds (about 7,300 metric tons) of calves. This brought in about $16 million in sales.
Besides raising cattle, Deseret Ranches has other ways to make money. They mine shell beds from the ground, which are used to pave roads in Florida. They also have orange groves, sell permits for hunting, and grow ornamental palm trees.
In 2011, the ranch gained control of some water from the St. Johns River Water Management District. They planned to sell some of this water to the city of Cocoa, Florida.
See also
- Henry D. Moyle
- Agriculture in Florida
