Fields of expertise
Pasture Raised Wagyu
Our roots trace back to the era of cow hunters, rounding up wild cattle of Spanish lineage across Florida’s scrublands. By the 1930s, in line with many Florida ranchers, we started acquiring private land for a stable herd. It was then we introduced purebred Hereford and Brahman cattle to elevate the quality of Florida’s beef cattle. The 1960s and 1970s marked our provision of purebred Brahman, Hereford, and Braford-type bulls nationwide. The 1980s were dedicated to experimenting with the Beefmaster breed alongside its founder, Larry Lassiter. Transitioning into the 1990s, we shifted towards an Angus-dominant herd, mirroring industry trends. Presently, we cultivate commercial Angus cattle, enriched with authentic Wagyu genetics to produce our distinctive American Wagyu beef.
Agribusiness
Through direct ownership, leases, and partnerships, we manage several thousand acres of productive land throughout Florida, providing world class agricultural products to US and neighboring markets.
Farm-To-Family
Sod Farming Collaboration:
We partner with Bethel Sod to grow the highest quality grasses for Florida homeowners and golf courses. Through responsible fertilizer use and drainage practices we ensure minimal impacts to nearby waterways.
Coquina Mining
We partner with Stewart Mining Industries to responsibly mine coquina rock and washed sand; laying the foundation for Florida’s highway infrastructure and the beautiful white sand beaches that line our coast.
Agricultural Ventures
We partner with experienced farmers, practicing sustainable growing methods, to produce a variety of fresh, nutrient dense, vegetables for US and Canadian markets.
Our future lies in our past: connecting communities with the best of the farm, ranch, grove and orchard; just as our ancestor, Capt. Benjamin Hogg, did in the 1870’s.
About us
In the 1870’s Benjamin Alexander Hogg, a Scottish immigrant and schooner captain, established the first trading post on the Treasure Coast of Florida. Captain Hogg would become one of the five city alderman founding the city of Fort Pierce in 1901.
In the 1930’s, his grandsons, deputy Edgar Rollins Brown and sheriff Benjamin Alexander Brown of St. Lucie County, established Saint Lucie Ranch and the SL brand in Northern St Lucie County on Indrio Rd.
Edgar Rollins Brown believed in breeding superior cattle and horses, at the highest standards. To that end St Lucie Ranch bred the first Florida Quarter Horse Champion, the first NCHA Cutting Horse Champion and one time owned one of the greatest all time Quarter Horse Sires: King Bacchus. A commitment to the absolute best genetics and continuous improvement has seen the ranch pioneer hereford and braford cattle in the area in the 30’s and 40’s; as newer genetics became available, the ranch evolved and diversified.
Today, that spirit of continuous improvement and innovation thrives as St Lucie Ranch represents a diversified agribusiness with the focus on the absolute highest quality. The ranch has pasture raised Wagyu cattle with original Japanese genetics via researchers in Washington state, open hydroponic fruit growing operations, a fruit tree nursery, a research farm, and agribusiness partnerships with sod, row crop, in-ground citrus tree crops, mining, and other operations on more than 6,000 acres from Immokalee in Southwest Florida to Lee in North Florida.
In 1997, the 5th generation embarked to begin Direct to Consumer (DTC) Farm to Table Marketing of some of the ranches products, primarily citrus. Today, Indrio Brands, and it’s family of brands (Hale Groves, Pittman & Davis, Sun Harvest, Especially Selected, etc.) represents the largest DTC marketer of citrus gifts in the United States, shipping up to 2 million packages per year.
Whether commercial, or retail agriculture, a pioneering spirit and the pursuit of the highest quality has driven us to grow, raise and make the highest quality farm fresh foods possible. From regenerating the soil to superior genetics to best practice and even bleeding edge agtech, the future lies in the past: to directly connect consumers with the best of the farm, ranch, grove and orchard, just as Captain Hogg did in the 1870’s.
In the future, St Lucie Ranch will be open to visitors for the first time in nearly 100 years in order to better connect people to the best of our farms.
Timeline
Explore the journey of SL Brown Ranch through key milestones in our timeline in Florida.
Pioneer Family 1870’s
Benjamin Alexander Hogg, established first trading post on Treasure Coast, trading from Jacksonville to Cuba.
Brown Family Origins
The Brown family’s origins trace back to being Florida crackers, skilled at herding the state’s wild cattle of Spanish ancestry. Their expertise led them on extensive drives to the west coast, aiming for sale in Cuba and beyond, an endeavor vividly depicted in Patrick Smith’s iconic work, “A Land Remembered.”
Brown Ranch
1938
By 1938, with fencing regulations on the horizon, Florida ranchers, including Edgar Rollins Brown, foresaw the necessity of acquiring land to establish permanent ranches. Edgar secured 18,000 acres on the town’s outskirts at the remarkable price of one dollar per acre.
Brown Ranch 1950’s
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Ranch excelled in breeding top-tier commercial herds, a crossbreed of Hereford and Brahman, recognized nationally for their quality. Additionally, the Ranch became known for its sales of purebred bulls to other ranching operations.
The Present 2021
In 1997, the fifth generation embarked on a venture to send began sending Direct to Consumer (DTC) from Farm to Table marketing of some of the ranch’s products, primarily citrus.
Today, Indrio Brands and its family of brands (Hale Groves, Pittman & Davis, Sun Harvest, Especially Selected, e.t.c) all represents the largest DTC marketer of citrus gifts in the United States, shipping up to 2 million packages per year.
Get In Touch!
Phone: (772) 742-5665
Email: info@evergladesranch.com
Ranch: 13939 Indrio Road, Fort Pierce, Florida 34945
Office: 1650 90th Ave, Vero Beach, FL 32966
