ST. CLOUD, Fla. — It’s been nearly 500 years since the first cattle arrived on Florida’s shores, making it the oldest cattle raising-state.
The Kempfer family in St. Cloud knows a thing or two about cattle.
- Billy Kempfer carrying on family's cattle-raising tradition
- Kempfer says it's about keeping Florida’s heritage alive
- Great Florida Cattle Drive happening in December 2021
- Get more Osceola County coverage
Producing beef is Billy Kempfer’s business.
“(It’s) what I’ve done since I was old enough to straddle a horse at 6 years old,” Kempfer said.
His family has been raising cattle for 120 years.
From time to time, Kempfer will sit down and go through old pictures, now in digital form. It’s a stroll down memory lane, as well as a history lesson.
“(That’s) my great grandfather, that’s my grandmother,” he detailed while showing photos. “I don’t know what time period this is, but my dad was born in 1912, and I don’t know that there is a date, but that’s possibly my dad there.”
But cattle dates way longer than that. In 1521, Ponce de Leon came to Florida with a herd of seven, setting the groundwork for the country’s beef industry.
Kempfer said the animals are much bigger now than they were then.
Six generations later, he’s mastered the art of crossbreeding.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are crossing a Brahman to an Angus or a Shorthorn, or if you’re crossing a Hereford, or if you're crossing an Angus to a Hereford,” Kempfer said. “When you cross the two breeds, you get an accelerated performance.”
The Kempfer family has earned a number of awards.
“And they entered our cattle in the Texas beef challenge,” Kempfer noted.
But for Kempfer, it’s not about the recognition — it’s about keeping Florida’s heritage alive as a family tradition.
“You know I hope the families can all get along, and continue this as an entire operation because if it gets divided… ” Kempfer said. “Any time you divide something, the chances of failing are much greater.”
In December 2021, there will be a celebration to honor 500 years of cattle in Florida. Visit its website get more information on the “Great Florida Cattle Drive.”