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Highlands Today

Where's The Beef?

Gary Pinnell/Highlands Today

The next generation of Scarboroughs are Robert and his son, Parker, 10. Robert supplements his income by guiding quail hunters.

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: February 22, 2009

LAKE PLACID - Drive south on U.S. 27. Just three miles east of S.R. 70, the country begins to change. The Lake Wales Ridge drops dozens of feet in elevation, and the hilly land becomes flat.

There are fewer trees here, on the former swamp called Parker Island. There isn't as much sand underfoot. The soil is blacker, and has more nutrients. Locals call it muck. The Scarboroughs call it nutrient rich.

This is ranch country, where many of the 110,000 cows and calves are raised each year for their meat and leather.

The Scarborough family, and their ancestors, the Jacksons, were among Highlands County's first ranchers.

Jack Scarborough, 68, tells the story about how the first William Jackson - there were three - came to the area in the late 1800s, when it was just open range. There wasn't even a Highlands County until 1921; it was cut out of DeSoto County.

Scarborough's great-great-grandfather drove a herd here, and they were attacked by bears so often, Jackson hired two men to stay on the ranch, just to shoot bears.

"After about two weeks, my grandfather told me, his grandfather told them to come get the herd. They had shot so many bears, they couldn't pay the bounty," Scarborough said.

That's the family legend. Obviously, William Jackson - also called Jack - stayed. So did his son, Willie, and his son, W.J., who is Jack Scarborough's grandfather.

These days, their calves are sold on the Internet, and trucked to feed lots in Texas and Oklahoma. On Wednesday, Jack, his brother Bobby, Bobby's son Robert, and Robert's son Parker were gathered in their office, a modest block house about six miles south and three miles east of town. Two pickup trucks and a Mercedes sedan were parked out front.

It seems obvious to them that they will stay in business long enough for Parker Scarborough, 10, to become the sixth generation of Highlands County ranchers. This is despite the fact that the family has gotten out of the sod business and the caladium industry. Now, they're just raising cattle and oranges.

Around The State

A USDA report, issued this week, shows impressive five-year gains for the Florida agriculture industry, according to Commissioner Charles Bronson. The number of Florida farms and the value of Florida agricultural products sold rose substantially from 2002 to 2007.

"For decades, this economic engine has provided Florida with a dependable source of revenue and jobs," Bronson said. "While other sectors of the economy have been on shaky ground lately, agriculture has strengthened and become more productive. This report about Florida agriculture comes at a time when we all really need some positive economic news."

According to the USDA Census of Agriculture, the number of Florida farms increased by 7.7 percent, from 44,081 in 2002 to 47,463 in 2007. The value of agricultural products sold by Florida farmers hit $7.8 billion in 2007, the highest level in the state history.

"Even when confronted by drought, hurricanes, pests, disease, and stiff foreign competition, they continue to plant, harvest, rebuild and innovate," Bronson said.

Ninety percent of Florida's farms are family operations, while about 10 percent are corporate entities. About 32,000 Florida farms, or approximately 70 percent, have 50 acres or less.

About 766,000 jobs are attributable to agriculture, up from 648,000 in 2002. These sectors generate $100 billion for the economy, and contribute $2.98 billion of indirect taxes to local, county and state governments.

Locally

That was the good news. The bad news is that as Florida becomes more urban, more farm land disappears.

So it is with Highlands County. In the past five years alone, 100,000 acres has been converted from farms.

Two of Highlands County's experts don't believe those numbers. John Alleyne, director of extension services, suggests the Florida Agriculture Statistics Service has made a mistake. So does Raymond Royce, who represents Highlands County Citrus Growers Association.

"I'm not sure I would believe 10,000 acres," Royce said.

Jeff Guider, who compiles the numbers for Florida Agriculture Statistics Service, said they were gathered directly from famers and ranchers, who fill out their own surveys.

However, no one questions that Florida farms are in jeopardy. The average age of the Florida farmer is 57, meaning most are thinking about retirement. The cost of doing business continues to increase: $121,000 in 2007. The average farm profit was $47,790.

Farms have modernized - 56 percent have Internet access. About one-quarter of farms these days are owned and operated by women.

Dairies are disappearing at a faster rate. In Highlands County, there were 39 dairies in 2002, but only 10 by 2007. However, number of milk cows rose from 4,234 to 7,258.

The number of beef ranches also dropped, from 489 in 2002 to 337 in 2007, but the number of cattle remained the same at 63,000.

The Scarborough Ranch

Like most farmers and ranchers, the Scarboroughs have an independent streak. Tanned, weathered outdoorsmen with leathery, workman hands, Jack and Bobby rail at the threat of government regulation. If they go out of business, that will be why, Jack insinuated on Wednesday.

"We have to call to set a fire. We have to call to dig a ditch," Bobby said.

Robert objects to saying exactly how much land they own, but as men of the soil go, the Scarboroughs are prosperous. They own citrus groves in Hardee and DeSoto counties. They still own land in the caladium producing area of Lake Placid. They lease some of their land to a tenant who grows watermelons.

"There is the perception that we are wealthy," Jack said. "We are wealthy, in land. But the land is just a tool to us. Without the land, we can't raise our cattle."

They face another problem common to all farm families: both Jack and Bobby have sons and daughters, but only Robert is interested in farming. Between the two grandfathers, 14 grandchildren are among the 20-something heirs, who often want to sell the land so they can receive their inheritance.

They've seen farms disappear around them. The Dressell dairy and the Devane cattle ranch are gone - the latter will eventually be broken into five and 10-acre farmettes.

Robert, who doubles as a quail-hunting guide, is concerned that people won't know, and won't care if farms continue to disappear. "It doesn't affect them, and they don't care. They think food comes from Publix."

But his father cares. "We want to do what we can to stay here," said Bobby.

"It's a way of life," Jack said.

Fading Farms

If these numbers are to be believed, in five years, 20 percent of Highlands County's farms merged, were sold for housing developments, or went out of business. In 2007 - the latest statistics available - only 210 farms sold more than $100,000 in goods.

Year

2002

2007

%

Farms

1,035

832

-20

Acres

576,900

476,256

-17

Average

557

572

3

Crop Sales (Millions)

$236

$326

38

Government Payments

$11,230

$18,979

69

Source: 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture

Highlands Today senior reporter Gary Pinnell can be reached at 863-386-5828 or gpinnell@highlandstoday.com

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