Places Archive - Visit Venice FL

Blackbeard’s Table

Venice MainStreet — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 19:36:00 +0000

At Blackbeard’s Table, we are excited to offer our beef, pork and honey fresh from the ranch. We take pride in our products, pride in our animal care, and pride in our stewardship philosophy. Our inventory changes week to week. Please check our website for updates to our store!

We offer delivery to homes and businesses in Sarasota and Manatee Counties every Thursday. Please order by Wednesday noon for a Thursday delivery. Our products are also sold at Artisan Cheese Company in downtown Sarasota, Gamble Creek Farm Market in Parrish, Homestead Hydroponics in Myakka City and Hunsader Farms in Bradenton. We currently expanding our market, check our Facebook page for updates!

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Lost Girl Prairie

Venice MainStreet — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 21:01:00 +0000

Lost Girl Prairie Ranch is located in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The entire 1,300-acre ranch is protected under a conservation easement, ensuring it will never be developed. It is home to one of the largest marsh areas in the region, providing a vital habitat for wading birds, alligators, deer, eagles, and migratory ducks.

The ranch also features a resident cattle herd managed with cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence, GPS, and cellular collars on each cow. This system allows remote monitoring and management of the herd, including identifying health issues and directing movements. The ranch uses this technology for rotational grazing through marshlands and creating “virtual fences” anywhere on the property.

Innovative Leadership and Vision
Lost Girl Prairie is owned by Julie Morris, a respected Florida wildlife biologist and conservationist, her husband Jim Strickland, a rancher, and their daughters Ayla and Sabal. Together, they combine conservation with innovative ranching practices, ensuring the land remains both productive and ecologically balanced.

The Story Behind the Name
The ranch’s name, Lost Girl Prairie, is inspired by I Take This Land by Richard Powell. The book, set in Southwest Florida between 1895 and 1946, chronicles the region’s history of hurricanes, land booms, agriculture, and wildlife. It tells the story of Lost Girl Swamp, once a thriving natural habitat, which became a victim of plume hunting, alligator harvesting, and farming before being drained.

Two generations later, the ranch seeks to restore this landscape as a thriving natural area. Echoing the book’s poignant conclusion—where wildlife returns to the land—Lost Girl Prairie embodies the spirit of ecological restoration and stewardship.

Looking Ahead
Julie, Jim, Ayla, and Sabal are dedicated to the next chapter of Lost Girl Prairie’s legacy, ensuring its continued role as a sanctuary for wildlife and a model for sustainable ranching in Florida.

Read more in Sarasota Magazine article HERE

Locations:
Lost Gril Prairie Ranch- Myakka City
Lost Girl Prairie Outpost- 101 W Venice Ave Ste 17, Venice, FL 34285

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Strickland Ranch

Venice MainStreet — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 19:51:00 +0000

About Jim Strickland
James Arthur “Jim” Strickland, Sr., has six decades of ranching experience. Born into a family that has been ranching in Florida since the 1800s, Jim grew up working with his father along the west coast of Florida. When his father died in the 1970’s, Jim took over the family cattle operations at the age of 17, primarily leasing land for cattle. He and his family own Strickland Ranch and Lost Girl Prairie Ranch; he is also the managing partner of Big Red Cattle Company and Blackbeard’s Ranch.

His passion for agriculture and conservation began at a young age, as increasing development pushed his operations farther and farther inland. He serves as co-chair of the Florida Climate Smart Agriculture Work Group, which focuses on addressing climate change impacts via agricultural land conservation and furthering research on the ecosystem services provided by agricultural land. He is also vice-chair of the Florida Conservation Group, a science-based organization focused on protecting Florida’s ranchlands. In this capacity he serves as a spokesman on ranchland conservation and on the need for conservation funding to protect Florida.

Jim is a past President of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and past Chairman of the Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation. He has also served two terms as the Chairman of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Political Action Committee. He is active in the Farm Bureau on the county, state and federal levels and is a Florida State Committee Member of the USDA Farm Service Agency. He sits on the board of the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park. Jim also sits on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Environmental Stewardship Awards Selection Committee, which recognizes and awards the ranches demonstrating outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements across the nation

Jim’s has been widely recognized for his work in agriculture and conservation. He was honored as the 2019 Audubon Florida’s Sustainable Rancher of the Year and named as one of Florida Trends 500 Most Influential Business Leaders from 2018-2023. Under his leadership, Blackbeard’s Ranch was awarded the 2018 Florida Cattleman’s Association Environmental Stewardship Award, Florida Agricultural Commissioner’s 2018 Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award and was the national winner for the National Cattleman’s Beef Association’s 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award.

Jim’s son JJ is a United States Diplomat and Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army; JJ resides overseas with his wife Sara and Jim’s granddaughter Quinn. Jim lives in southwest Florida with his wife Julie and their two daughters, Ayla and Sabal. Jim looks forward to his daughters and granddaughter taking over the family ranching operations one day.