Buck Mann Ranch LLC, Polk County
Sylvia “Peggy” Mann owns and operates Buck Mann Ranch LLC in Polk and Osceola County. The farm was established in the 1950s and has been in the Mann family for generations which Peggy’s late husband, Buck, inherited the land from his father. The ranch proudly produces corn silage and homegrown haylage, as well as managing dairy cattle. Buck Mann Ranch LLC is a family-run business with all members of the family having an active role in the prosperity of the farm. Buck Mann Ranch LLC has implemented BMPs since 2012. BMPs are a set of guidelines that advise producers on how to manage the water, nutrient, and pesticides they are using to reduce agriculture’s impact on the state’s natural resources. Some of the BMPs that have been implemented include solar pump installation and usage, rotational grazing, and soil samples. Rotational grazing is a system that improves pasture longevity, allows for more timely utilization of forage and increases the stocking rates without a negative impact on the land. Rotational grazing utilizes cross fencing or fencing of sensitive areas to allow for animal rotation and protection of waterbodies. By rotating the herd from pasture to pasture, it gives the grass enough time to grow tender leaves for cattle grazing and enhances efficiency to the pastures’ growth. It is practices like these that ensure their land will remain productive and viable for future generations. Mann is active in her local community as a member of the Wayfare Primitive Baptist Church where she serves as a church clerk. When asked what he enjoys most about farming, Mann responded, “The wide open spaces, the cattle, horses, wildlife and also the cowboys that are a very important part of ranching. Without all this there wouldn’t be a ranch.”
