Overview of Deseret Ranch - East Central Florida Corridor Task Force

Deseret Ranches Overview
Erik Jacobsen, General Manager
Deseret Ranches of Florida
St. Cloud, Florida
June 5, 2014
Geography
• 295,000 acres
• Brevard, Orange
and Osceola
Counties
• Borders the St.
Johns River
History
• 1950
– Property
purchased; mostly
cut-over timber
land
• 1950-1965:
– Improvements to
pastures and
infrastructure
• 1965-2014:
– Improvements in
operations
Cattle
• One of the
premier cow/calf
operations in U.S.
– 42,500 cows
– 35,000 calves
weaned yearly
• 14 operational
units
• 6.5 acres/cow
Cattle
• What’s unique?
–
–
–
–
Scale/efficiency
Genetics
Process controls
Employee
development
Citrus
• 1700 acres
– Mostly juice
varieties (Hamlin,
Valencia)
• Precision irrigated
• 20 million glasses
of orange juice
Other Operations
• Row crops
• Palm and timber
harvesting
• Sod production
• Shell mining
Stewardship
• Multiple use
philosophy
• Sustainable
management of
natural resources
• Comprehensive
wildlife
management
program
Stewardship
• Water resource
protection
– Donated
easements for
water storage
– Supported
regional planning
– Improved
irrigation
Future of the Region
• As a landowner, our
future is tied to the
region’s future
• Central Florida will
grow by millions
• We support longterm land, water and
transportation
planning
• We think in terms of
generations
Promoting Economic Development
• Working with
Osceola to create
new place for hightech jobs in the path
of growth
– 19,000-acre
Northeast District
– Close to OIA,
Medical City and
Innovation Way
Northeast District
• Designed to grow
jobs and reduce
auto dependence
– Centers-based
– 44,000 future
jobs
– Road and rail
planned
– Preserves the Econ
Swamp
North Ranch Sector Plan
• Working with
Osceola on sector
plan for 133,000
acres
– Requested in
Executive Order
– Creates framework
to avoid piecemeal
development
– Addresses land use,
water, environment
and transportation
North Ranch Sector Plan Area in Osceola
Future of the Region
• Deseret will work
with Brevard,
Orange, Osceola
and other
stakeholders to
connect region’s job
centers in a
responsible way
– North Ranch Sector
Plan represents 50%
of vacant and
developable land in
the study area
Future of the Region
• We want sound
future growth:
– Communities with
high quality of life
– Minimize auto
dependence
– Protect important
natural systems
– Continued farming
and ranching for
generations
Thank you
Current Draft Framework Map