Bull Hammock Ranch
Commissioner's Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award
Bull Hammock Ranch is operated by Wes Carlton, a fourth-generation cattle producer. The Carlton family has been in Florida since the 1870s and now owns and operates more than 30,000 acres of Florida ranchlands. Throughout the years, Bull Hammock Ranch has worked with agencies such as the National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the South Florida Water Management District (SWFMD) to make the ranch a showcase for water storage and environmental stewardship.
Bull Hammock Ranch has implemented a number of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the ranch. For example, the ranch rotates the grazing of its herds to allow for better distribution of manure and to reduce denuded areas. They supply fresh water for the cows to drink in alternative watering systems to keep the cows out of the ditches and other surface water found on the ranch. Workers determine the amount and type of nutrients needed by performing soil and tissue testing of forage and feed crops grown on site. They have planted forage varieties that can tolerate and adapt to wetter conditions.
The ranch currently contains a water farming area, formerly citrus, that is now being used to store and treat excess water that would normally be released to the C-23 Canal. The water farming area can treat and store approximately 240 acre feet of water. Bull Hammock Ranch offers unique storage and treatment opportunities because of the way the surface water management system has been designed.
In addition, Bull Hammock Ranch contains a 1,622-acre water storage area where the Carltons have the ability to store an average of 2,085 acre feet of water. The nutrient load reductions associated with this storage of water is estimate at 2,067 pounds of total phosphorus per year, and 2,485 pounds of total nitrogen per year. This allows the Carltons to continue with low-impact agricultural activities while helping to restore and rehydrate wetlands, improve water quality and enhance habitats that allow wildlife to flourish. The ranch is home to migratory and endangered birds, deer, turkey and other wildlife.
