JCF Farm, Gilchrist County
Cynthia Ellis understands she is running her horse operation in a sensitive area and wants to protect the aquifer. She protects the land by implementing rotational grazing which prevents soil erosion and filters nutrients before entering the water. She also drags her pastures to improve soil fertility which prevents nutrient runoff.
Ms. Ellis also incorporates cross fencing in her operation so she can rotate where the horses are grazing. Before doing any fertilizing, she performs soil tests to allow her to know how much of each nutrient she needs to apply onto her pastures. She uses artificial insemination to breed her “world-class horses.” When she drags her pastures, she gives away the manure to community members to use for their own fertilization uses. She only spreads fertilizer every few years.
As a fifth generation Floridian, Ms. Ellis has a great love for the land. Implementing BMPs onto her operation has not only improved the quality of the land her horses call home, but also the land she and her community are proud of as well.
