Established in 1992, the Gadsden County Cattlemen’s Association continues to expand its membership to more and more people throughout the passing of years.
This year, however, their expansion was so significant that the association was presented with the “New Membership Growth State Champion” award by the Florida Cattlemen’s Association earlier this month during the Florida Cattlemen’s Association 2022 convention.
“The Gadsden County Cattlemen’s Association has a growing membership composed of cattle producers, forage growers and agribusiness landowners along with agricultural educational and research personnel,” wrote Douglas Croley, State Director of the Gadsden County Cattlemen’s Association, in a recent press release.
For 30 years, the Gadsden County Cattlemen’s association has worked with various local cattle operations, offered a wide range of programs including some that focus on water and soil as well as United States Department of Agriculture programs.
It also provides a gateway for university researchers to be able to conduct field research and become members of the association if they like.
The Gadsden County Cattlemen’s association also offers informative bi-monthly educational programs which are conducted with assistance from the Gadsden County Cooperative Extension Agency.
“[The award] means that we are doing very well in terms of membership growth,” explained Croley. “It means that the public is keenly interested in having a voice for meat producers and other agribusiness interests.”
For many of its members, being part of the association also gives them a say in legislation.
There are multiple cattle herds in Gadsden County and the beef industry continues to expand.
In recent studies, Florida ranked 13th in beef cows on January 1, 2020, amassing an inventory of 904,000.
It was 2.9 percent of the United States total.
A year before, in 2019, it had ranked 16th with a total of 810,000 and making up for 2.2 percent of the country’s grand total.
The Gadsden County Cattlemen’s Association is always welcoming new members who are interested in agriculture, forage production, water, environmental issues, and anything else that fits in the category.
Aspiring members are encouraged to reach out to the county extension office at (850) 875-7255.
Maybelline Somoza – Gadsden County News Service
