Cattle ranching in Florida started nearly 500 years ago, most historians agree.
While the Carlton family’s history doesn’t go back quite that far, the family’s most recent six generations have been in the ranching business and the next generation is on the path to continuing the family’s way of life.
Roman III Ranches ranks 12th among cattle numbers, out of the approximate 5,000 cattle ranches in the state of Florida, according to the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.
For some perspective on just how large this industry is in Florida, there are 4 million acres of pastureland, and another million acres of grazed woodland, involved in cattle production in the state.
The total breeding herd value in Florida is more than $847 million and the annual calf “crop” value is more than $400 million. All told, Florida’s beef cattle herd is valued in excess of $1 billion, according the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
Beef cattle sales and sales of breeding stock generate more than $900 million annually in Florida.
Doyle Carlton III is not only the patriarch of the Carlton family, and Roman III Ranches, he’s also the chairman of the board at the Florida State Fair Authority.
Carlton, typically humble and soft spoken, is tight-lipped on financials of his family business but according to a story by The Herald-Advocate newspaper in Wauchula from 1987, his father had amassed 60,000 acres at that time, and the family still has cattle grazing on some of the property that was obtained more than 100 years ago.
This year marks the 60th year that the Carlton family has had stewardship over their Horse Creek Ranch in DeSoto County.
Turn of the Century
Carlton was born to Doyle Carlton Jr. and Mildred Carlton in 1947 in Tampa, but his family lived in Wauchula. A quick Google search brings up a number of stories, Wikipedia pages and more on the family and their long history in Florida, which dates back to the 1800s.
In fact, Carlton’s grandfather was elected governor of Florida in 1928.
“I’m the seventh generation in my family. My ancestors migrated down from the Carolinas, through Georgia and ended up in what is now called Hardee County,” Carlton says. “They were looking for the promised land. It wasn’t a biblical promised land but they were looking for a place that they could move their family, establish a better lifestyle and to create opportunities for the family.”
Carlton graduated from Hardee High School and later, graduated from Texas Christian University’s ranch management program.
After coming home from Texas, he met Debbie Hansel. They’ve recently celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary.
Debbie was no stranger to the ranching lifestyle. She comes from an old Florida pioneer ranching family, Parker Brothers.
Their two children also work in the family business. Their daughter, Millie Bolin, is office manager for the ranch and grove operations, while their son, Dale, manages Horse Creek Ranch’s day-to-day activities and has involvement in all things ranching, Carlton says.
Three of Carlton’s grandsons work on the ranch, one is still in junior high school, and his granddaughter and her husband also work on the ranch.
Talk about a family affair.
One of the hidden gems of the Tampa Bay area that you’ve undoubtedly driven past, or walked past to get to a concert or the Florida State Fair, is Cracker Country.
Established by Carlton’s parents in 1978, Cracker Country was created to preserve the pioneer history of Florida. One of the buildings you can tour there is the 1885 home of his Carlton’s great grandfather, Albert Carlton.
Busloads of children visit Cracker Country during the year, and it’s open to the public during the Florida State Fair. If you haven’t experienced it, you should.
Carlton lights up when he talks about his parents creating this space. “The kids really love it,” he says, joyfully.
The Carlton Code
When speaking to Carlton, it’s clear that honor means a lot to him but he’s also a modest man, concerned with sounding righteous or pompous.
“There’s so much of my father and grandfather, beyond legacy, that I respect and appreciate,” he says. “One of the most-noted mobsters, Al Capone, once told my granddad that if he would sign a certain legislation, for gambling, that his signature would be worth $100,000. My grandfather’s response was, ‘If it’s worth that much to you, just think of how much it’s worth to me. I think I’ll keep it.’ ”
Stewardship is a pivotal part of the Carlton way of life—from the ranch business, to the family’s views on community and preservation of land.
At Roman III Ranches, the cattle’s national value is a priority and the ranchers use techniques to reduce stress in the cattle. They do this by working quietly, in small crews.
“They take care of us, so we take care of them,” Carlton says.
In addition, a part of the Carlton’s ranch property is distinguished as WRP Conservation easement, meaning the land is never to be commercially developed.
The FAIR FACTOR
What’s also commonly overlooked is that the Florida State Fair, while it brings in rides to make your spin and food to give you heartburn, is actually a major fundraiser to help support and promote the state’s agricultural industry.
“There’s a tremendous amount of agriculture involved in the fair,” Carlton says. “We will have somewhere around 1,500 to 2,000 children exhibiting some type of livestock this year and there will be probably about 4,000 animals.”
In 2018, paid attendance to the fair was more than 300,000 unique visitors, generating more than $152 million in economic impact in Florida, according to an economic impact study done by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council in 2019. In 2019, the State Fair had about 500,000 unique visitors, according to Carlton.
When Carlton isn’t putting in time on the ranch, or involved with the business of the Florida State Fairgrounds, he’s spending time with his family and enjoying the great outdoors.
He loves to quail hunt at Horse Creek Ranch, which doubles as the Carlton family’s gathering spot for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. He and Dale host large groups of 25-30 people to spend the first weekend of hunting season at the ranch.
Carlton has taught Sunday school for 34 years. “Some of the children I’ve taught are grown up and bring their children now,” Carlton says. He also has coached football in Hardee County for 26 years.
Remembering the Past
With technology in our faces at all times and the world seemingly moving faster around us as the years pass by, ranching is a deep-rooted foundation of Florida and a symbolic of a way of life, perhaps forgotten by some.
Whether it’s watching the sun rise while herding cattle out in the Florida pastures or taking a walk through Cracker Country to remember where our ancestors started, the Carlton family hasn’t lost touch with those deep-rooted foundations.
“I am tremendously blessed by the grace of God, good planning by my ancestors and a continuing appreciation and love for the business we are in and the lifestyle that accompanies it,” Carlton says. “The fact that the generations after me love, and have the same passion for our business as my generation and the ones that proceeded me is a tremendous blessing. Prayerfully, that will be sustained.” ♦
