Slideshow of Pearce Cattle Company in Okeechobee, Florida

Hope Surles, a 16-year-old agvocate, has been visiting farms as part of the Florida Farms & Ranches Beef Tour. Here is a slideshow and her description of her visit to Pearce Cattle Company in Okeechobee, Florida.

“Meet Matt Pearce of Pearce Cattle Company in Okeechobee, Florida. Matt operates a multi-location ranch totaling 4,000 acres. Specializing in a cow/calf operation with a core herd of 900 brood cows along with buying and developing 500 replacement heifers each year that Pearce Cattle Company sells as bred heifers in the summer. Along with those two specialties, Matt also helps purchase and sell replacement cattle for local ranchers. Pearce Cattle Company promotes the “EAT BEEF” mission by social media, industry meetings, road signage and speaking events. Matt states that his operation is very family based. Matt has three children- Taylor-21, Chandler-18 and Aubrey-16, that are all active in the operation and grew up working on the family ranch. “We hire very little outside help. Most all of the work is done by my family, my brother and his family and my dad,” explains Matt. Pearce Cattle Company practices both Cow/Calf and Wildlife BMP’s on their ranches. Pearce Cattle Company uses fresh water troughs with floats to control water and provide clean water to cattle and livestock.This has been extremely beneficial and Matt has seen an improvement in animal health verses the cattle that were only on surface water. Pearce Cattle Co. has also installed a series of culverts on their ranches to store surface water in wet areas. This has enhanced the wildlife population and helped with water storage in dry times. Matt explained that he also has an aggressive exotic vegetation control program. Brazilian Pepper, Cogan’s Grass and Lantana are a few of the species that Matt controls through herbicide spraying. Located on Pearce Cattle Company are numerous ponds. Some ponds are stocked with Bluegill and Bass and used for recreation. Pearce Cattle Company is in its seventh generation with Matt’s children. Pearce Cattle Company is a cow/calf operation in both South Florida( Glades, Okeechobee, Polk, St. Lucie & Indian River Counties) and Perry, Georgia. Pearce Cattle Company also sends heifers to Mobile, Alabama to breed during the winter and spring and bring back to Florida to sell as bred heifers. Matt also sells Angus, Brangus, Brahman and Charolais bulls to other ranches in Florida. During the spring, Matt also purchases lightweight(250#) calves and precondition them and sell as weaned calves in the summer.

“Thank you Pearce Cattle Company for your dedication and commitment to improving Florida’s beef and to raising quality grade cattle.”