Rural Heritage April/May 2026

Florida Cracker cattle, as well as numerous other breeds that developed in the Americas, are called “Criollo” cattle, meaning “of Iberian origin, but of the New World,” according to The Livestock Conservancy, a national nonprofit that works to conserve rare breeds of agricultural livestock. The group lists Florida Cracker cattle as “Threatened” on its Conservation Priority List, an annual gauge of endangeredness for more than 170 breeds. Florida Cracker cattle are known to be a breed that is very tolerant of heat and humidity, resistant to parasites and diseases, and efficient on low-quality forages in the Deep South. As would be expected of cattle adapted to the heat, Florida Cracker cattle are smaller, with cows ranging in size from 600 to 800 pounds. and bulls about 800-1,200 pounds. “As far as cattle, they’re smaller and easier to work with,” adds Scott Crossman, a Williston, Fla., rancher who has what might be the largest Florida Cracker cattle herd in the nation. “I like that each one has its own unique color pattern, and their horns (found both on the males and females) give them some character.” The uniqueness of Florida Cracker cattle is also appreciated by consumers. Crossman sells his beef exclusively to Klaw, a Miami steakhouse. Time Out Magazine ranked the restaurant’s Florida Cracker steaks as the second-best steaks in the world (topped only by one served by a restaurant in Agadir, Morocco, and the only American entry in the top ten). Crossman says his goal was never to produce exclusive cuts of beef, rather simply promote the breed. “We wanted to preserve the unique generic characteristics of the Florida Cracker cattle and create a market for that,” he explains. Promoting the cattle and the breed is also the thinking behind the Great Florida Cattle Drive, a popular event held in the state every five years. For nearly a week in January, several hundred cowboys, cowgirls, ranchers and ranch hands drive 300 head of cattle more than 50 miles through the prairies, pastures and paths of central Florida from Yeehaw Junction to Okeechobee. The 2026 drive was the fifth since 1995. “Our main goal is promoting the Cracker cowboy and the Cracker heritage, as well as to point out that we have a lot of cattle left in Florida between the beaches. We’ve got this wide-open space and wildlife corridors that we need to protect or we’re going to lose our heritage,” Hunt, who led this year’s drive, says.

He says portions of this year’s drive were livestreamed to more than 12,000 fourth-grade students throughout Florida. “We’re touching a lot of people with the drives, so we’re getting the word out. Our goal was to put a spotlight on the cowboys and ranchers as the original conservationists. If we don’t focus on preserving some of this land and these cattle, we’re going to be dependent on other countries for our food,” Hunt adds. “We’ve just got to keep doing that and, hopefully, we’ll keep our heritage moving forward.” Les O’Dell is communications manager for The Livestock Conservancy.

April/May 2026

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