Moreno Ranches is a unique business, with one eye towards a historical past in both Cuba and the United States, and one eye towards a bright future in Brahman cattle, especially with an eye towards youth. Juniors are the future of the cattle business, and this is nowhere more true than in the Brahman cattle industry. We need our Juniors, and we want to support our Juniors. This short blog post will review some Moreno Ranches history and our vision of how to support Juniors.
Moreno Ranches: History and Traditions in the Brahman Cattle Business
The Moreno family roots begin in early Spain and their genealogy can be traced as far back as 1100 A.D. During the 1800s, like many restless European settlers, the Moreno family placed their hopes and dreams on Cuba. Enamored with the culture and tradition of their new homeland, they were quickly able to cultivate a passion for the agriculture industry. The family invested hard work into sugar cane and tobacco plantations, as well as honey bee farms, and began thriving cattle operations at Moreno Ranches. Three generations of cattlemen and women rose from this Cuban paradise. The Moreno family had always respected and admired the American agriculture industry. Inspired by the American Dream and the opportunities they knew would result from their value of discipline, ambition, and hard work, they set their eyes and hearts on the United States. In 1992, the family moved their enterprise to the neighboring United States, settling in Miami. In Florida, the Moreno family found a growing, family-driven industry that shared many of their own core values and beliefs regarding cattle management using the latest technologies.
An Eye Towards the Future of the Brahman Cattle Business
Much has changed since Old Cuba for the Moreno family. Today, the Moreno family has a grand vision for the future of the American cattle industry that stems from the basic work ethic, traditions, and disciplines of their first Cuban generations. Currently, Moreno Ranches runs registered Brahman seedstock and cow/calf operations in Highlands County, Florida. The ranch is home to the only full-service genetics center in the Southeast, which specializes in in-vitro fertilization, embryo transfers, and artificial insemination. Moreno Ranches and its divisions are accredited by the American Brahman Breeders Association and the American Embryo Transfer Association. Recently, Moreno Ranches has seen an importance to really invest in the youth in this industry. When it comes to junior showmen, there are few as dedicated as Moreno Ranches. They feel that junior exhibitors are truly the future of the Brahman breed and are committed to assisting them in any way possible. The ranch has three programs in place to help juniors to be successful in the breed including a scholarship program, a breed back program and a sell back program. Here are some of our supportive programs. The Breed Back Program If a junior exhibitor buys a Brahman heifer from Moreno Ranches, they are committed to assist the junior in breeding the heifer when she is of age. Heifers can be brought back to the ranch and they will A.I. or naturally breed the heifer to one of their herd sires at no cost to the junior. To qualify for this program, the cattle must be insured. The Sell Back Program This program gives juniors an opportunity to sell their Brahman heifer when she is 2-3 years old in Moreno Ranches’ annual production sale. In order to qualify for this program, Braman heifers must be bred or have a calf at side at the time of the sale. The sale management team must approve consignment prior to the sale and Moreno Ranches is responsible for all marketing. Junior Scholarship Program The Moreno Ranches Junior Scholarship Program is designed to help America’s youth to continue their education by enrolling in undergraduate courses of studies at an accredited two or four year college, university or vocational-technical school. This is a great program for the juniors to earn money for college just by excelling in shows and the more shows they are in, the bigger the scholarships that are available. This is a perfect example of Moreno Ranches giving back to the youth and encouraging them to excel in this industry. The Heartland Classic In December of 2013, Moreno Ranches hosted their first Heartland Classic show at their ranch in Venus. Kelvin Moreno said they wanted to create a Brahman cattle show that would help provide an opportunity for the youth to practice and have an outlet other than the annual county fair. The Classic was quite a success for the first year with a full barn hosting 51 junior showman and 76 head of cattle. This show will be repeated December 5-6, 2014. Enter online today, HERE. For more information on Moreno Ranches, please call us at 305-218-1238.
