The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
ST. CLOUD, Florida — Both in formal publications and informal conversations, one of the largest cow-calf ranching operations in the country is known by a number of names — Deseret Ranches of Florida, Deseret Cattle and Citrus, or sometimes simply “Deseret” or “the Ranch.”
The varied names for the 300,000-acre property in central Florida are perhaps fitting, given its diversity of operations.
For the record, its official name is Deseret Ranches cattle ranch.
By any name, the ranch is the flagship cattle operation of AgReserves, a for-profit investment affiliate of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
And operations extend beyond beef cattle — from citrus to shells, from sod to solar, and from managing water to wildlife. That diversity extends to the mosaic of wetlands, woodlands, pastures and citrus groves that provide diversity of operations.
Joining diversity as an emphasis is sustainability, as the seven-decades-old Deseret Ranches continually seeks to improve its cattle herd, operations, natural resources and relationships with individuals both inside and outside the property fence line.
Five years ago, Deseret Ranches centered its sustainability effort on four “pillars” — environmental stewardship, animal health and welfare, community and worker impacts, and economic and operational efficiencies.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
