Brought to you by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, and Florida Beef Council
There aren’t many surrounding areas in Tampa today where you can drive down a stretch of green and see wildlife instead of developments. Pasco County is still one of those counties, but maybe not for long.
Florida has a long history of ranching in America. With this rich history comes the ranchers’ innate desire to educate the public on their careers and lifestyles in hopes of continuing to protect this vital way of life.
One of these ranchers is Pasco’s own, Larry Barthle, a third-generation cattle rancher and owner of GRAND BAR Ranch. J. A. Barthle, Larry’s grandfather, started the business in the 1930s. Once an owner of a general store in San Antonio, Florida, J. A. added his two sons to the company, Larry’s father, Joseph, and his uncle, Albert. While the ranch has changed names and acreage over the decades, the family’s love of the land has remained pure.
Sustainability is important to everyone in the agriculture industry. “Sustainability has several meanings to me. People in agriculture, especially ranchers, take care of their property. The better condition our property is in, the better condition our livestock will be. Ranchers use rotational grazing to let plants rest and have regrowth,” explains Barthle. This boosts the health of the ecosystem, and it encourages carbon sequestration.*
Barthle lights up when he talks about wildlife and its coexistence with his cattle on their land, a clear point of pride and joy for him and his family. He explains that ranchers’ properties are year-round homes for all types of wildlife who use the property to rest and recharge.
“Ranchers are stewards of the land. Nesting birds, either aquatic or upland, utilize our land for hatching and raising babies. When a rancher protects a gopher tortoise, there are a lot of other species utilizing each burrow. When a rancher protects an eagle nest in a tall pine tree, he is protecting an integral part of the ecosystem. When development comes to an area where does the wildlife go?” emphasizes Barthle. Ranches all over the U.S. provide necessary habitat to wildlife species like birds, deer, butterflies, and more.**
One way that Grand Bar Ranch connects with the public is through its commercial quail hunting operation. Non-ranchers get an opportunity to breathe fresh air and walk through Palmetto patches and open prairies to look for quail. “They enjoy seeing Florida nature. They enjoy driving by cattle who are having their calves in the winter. There is always something new to see on each trip,” says Barthle proudly.
Larry Barthle and his family love to educate all visitors with a hands-on approach. They proudly display and explain both their agricultural operations and wildlife and emphasize the interconnectedness of the two. From school-aged children’s field trips to a Florida Governor, the Barthle family will give each individual the true Pasco County experience.
Today, GRAND BAR, formed in 2019, is owned by Larry, his wife, Lynn, and their three children’s families (sons Ben and Chris, and daughter Kayla). The ranch name comes from the family being GRAND or great-GRANDchildren of J.A. BARthle.
“We have protected our property for future generations. We have been efficient in everything we do, promoting and protecting species only found on private property, whether it be protecting rare and protected species, or continuing to develop new areas to encourage more species to procreate,” says Barthle.
Although Barthle and his family have many special and unique qualities about their ranch, they share one thing with their fellow ranchers in Florida and across America: a deep love for their land and a commitment to keeping it beautiful and healthy for future generations to enjoy.
*Johnson, R.L., et al. 2020. Evaluating Ecosystem Services: Value and return on investment of conversation easements held by the California Rangeland Trust. California Rangeland Trust. Brunson, MW and L. Huntsinger. 2008. Ranching as a Conservation Strategy: Can Old Ranchers Save the New West? Rangeland Ecology & Management 61(2): 137-147.)
**Barry, Sheila. 2021. Beef Cattle Grazing More Help than Harm for Endangered Plants and Animals.
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