Fort Pierce - Friday October 7, 2022: Florida Cattle Ranchers are still totaling their losses from Hurricane Ian. The winds and water knocked down fences, cattle got lost, and some have reportedly died.
Worst of all, the heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding of cattle grazing lands leaving cattle stranded and hungry.
Alex Johns, a founding member of the Florida Cattle Ranchers Association, says the storm impacted about 40% of the cattle population in Florida. He’s been surveying the damage.
“A lot of cattle are mixed up. Heard stories of dead cattle. I haven’t seen them but some people are missing cattle," said Johns. "And there’s a lot of trees down. The water’s washed a lot of the fences out a lot of the roads, the rural roads are still washed out, so folks are having a tough time to get around. As the water keeps receding we find more damage.”
Johns owns and operates the First American Ranch and serves as the National Resource Director for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. He says the immediate needs are fence supplies and feed for hungry cattle after the flooding ruined a lot of feed-crops.
“We’re here in the Arcadia livestock market and this area right here, Peace River, Charlie Creek flooded. It come out of the banks about two miles on either side. So, a lot of the cattle they swam out and got concentrated on the hills. And a lot of the people around here are trying to get them some nutrition, get some hay and feed to them.”
The Indiantown Chamber of Commerce has organized a relief fund for ranchers. They’ve agreed to donate 10% of the profits from the annual Indiantown rodeo to ranchers who’ve suffered losses. Justin White, a Chamber member and rancher himself, made the proposal.
“I asked our board if we could give 10% of whatever we raise on our rodeo to go to these rural communities that are like Indiantown, and cattle people that make up Indiantown, and try to help our neighbors that were affected by the storm.”
The rodeo is next week October 14th and 15th. All donated funds will go to the Florida Cattleman' Association's Disaster Relief Fund.
Donations can also be made on the Florida Cattleman Association's website at: www.floridacattlemen.org.
