In the State of Florida, we have a lot to be proud of when it comes to agricultural innovation. After all, we are the state where America’s beef industry started in the 1500’s with the first Spanish explorers settling the region and bringing quality herd stock to Florida that would flourish in our tropical climate.
During the Civil War, all eyes were on Florida and the rich resources of wild free roaming beef cattle, which both the North and the South clamored to get their hands on. Today, Florida is 7th in overall beef production in America, but our state is known for cattle husbandry and healthy calves; other states rely on Florida to replenish their herds with hardy breeds.
Aside from producing world class quality beef, Florida is also known for innovating some important inventions and research that have helped the American beef industry evolve. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of those innovations that were made in Florida and share some of the important agricultural leadership that originated from our state, which benefited national and international beef production methods.
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock – University of Florida
This new program funded and operated with partnerships from the University of Florida, seeks to share the agricultural knowledge that we have gained through hundreds of years of livestock production, to benefit developing countries and address malnutrition on a global scale.
The ‘Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock’ is applied research in action, and it is one of 20 global labs led by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The program is also funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The overall goals and objectives of the Feed the Future Innovation Labs is to improve livestock productivity and optimize animal-source global food consumption, by applying new technologies to address food scarcity for vulnerable communities worldwide.
Not only do the Feed the Future Innovation Labs bring technology and contemporary agricultural methods to developing nations, but it provides education about reducing the environmental impact of livestock and crop agriculture to promote sustainability, while improving food security and nutrition for communities.
The countries that have benefited from the Feed the Future Innovation Labs projects include:
Burkina Faso
Niger
Ethiopia
Uganda
Kenya
Rwanda
Nepal
Cambodia
Different facets of this program share the research and knowledge about beef cattle, and other livestock including goats, chickens and dairy cows, as well as proven vegetable and fruit horticultural methods for boosting crop yields in hot climates.
If you would like to learn more about the impact the University of Florida and sponsors are having on a global scale, in terms of agricultural education in developing nations, visit the publications page for the Feed the Future Innovation Labs. As a resident of Florida, we think you will be very proud to see what our state is doing to promote agricultural education and address global hunger.
Innovating a New Breed of Cattle in Florida: The Ona White Angus
Some of the greatest inventions and innovations happen by accident. That was the case when the University of Florida (UF) Range Cattle Research and Education Center (RCREC) created a herd of White Angus cattle.
Established in Florida in 1941, the role of the RCREC was to continuously research beef cattle, genetics, husbandry and determine the genetic qualities that make Florida Cracker Cattle and other heritage breeds resilient in the subtropical climate. And to understand how to improve natural forage, and how pasture lands are used for grass fed beef grazing.
The RCREC did not intend to create a new breed by artificial genetic modification. The study was led by UF Genetics Professor F.M. Peacock, to determine the successful productivity traits of purebred Black Angus, Charolais and Brahman cattle and compare the characteristics with cross bred versions of the same cattle breeds.
The same herd was moved to another study that evaluated reproduction performance, and the RCREC used Simbrah bulls. The heifers from the mating program with Simbrah’s were saved, and their genetics were introduced as a new fourth breed in the University of Florida study.
When these cattle were mated (for yet another study) to Black Angus and Black Brangus bulls, researchers at the University of Florida noticed that a high number of pure white calves were being born into the sample herd. But it was 12 years of breeding and research before the University of Florida acknowledged that they had developed a new breed of beef cattle; they called it the Ona White Angus.
Why is this innovation so exciting for the cattle industry? In hot tropical climates, the Black Angus breed has one distinct disadvantage: the color of the animal’s coat. As we know, darker colors attract more heat and thermal retention, which can predispose Black Angus cattle to temperature fatigue.
In the Ona White Angus breed, the same hardy characteristics of the Black Angus are present (including the superior quality of meat). However, the white pelt of the animal allows for it to be less prone to heat fatigue in hot climates.
Genetic data was retained by the University of Florida, including some embryo’s for future study and breed research. However, the herd of Ona White Angus cattle raised by the agricultural program (which included 68 mature cows, 13 yearlings and 7 bulls) were sold to one single anonymous buyer in the State of Oklahoma, in September of 2015.
Today in Florida, there are just under 900,000 beef cattle that help generate millions of direct and indirect industry jobs for our local economy. While we may not be the largest beef producing state anymore, the knowledge and applied agricultural science continues to make Florida a leader in food production.
If you know of other agricultural innovations specific to the beef industry that you would like to share, send us an email or leave a comment and link below. #FloridaRaised