Cracker Swamp Cattle Company, St. Johns County
Owned and operated by the Counts Family, Cracker Swamp Cattle Company has been in operation for six years, producing grass and timber and raising beef cattle and horses.
The ranch is home to wildlife, native grasses and woodlands. The beef cattle play a key role in recycling millions of pounds of by-product from local farms such as potatoes, cabbage, onions and other produce that would otherwise go to waste.
The ranch utilizes BMPs like split applications of fertilizer and has recently added no-till-drill into their practices to improve planting and reduce erosion. They use cross-fencing to give their pastures rest periods, which promotes healthy forage growth and reduces soil erosion. They also use designated heavy-use watering areas to keep water clean and accessible for livestock and wildlife.
Everything the Counts do on the ranch is to make it better and more sustainable so the next generation can continue to raise cattle and be profitable, which will allow them to keep it in agriculture the way God intended it to be.
