Protect The Harvest | Protect The Harvest Salutes Our February Friend of the Land

Protect The Harvest congratulates long-time cattle rancher, Huey P. Howard of Florida as our February Friend of the Land.

Cattle ranching has a 500-year history in Florida, but for Huey P. Howard, it was difficult to enter into the business back in 1953 as Immokalee was still segregated. No one wanted to sell him any land, so finally, a friend lent a hand and purchased the first 20 acres then transferred the title over to his name.

Mr. Howard is a self-taught cattle rancher and wanted his children to learn the business so they could have financial stability. His sons Huey L. Howard and Ivan both work in the business, improving and evolving it to include selective breeding and marketing. Howard admits to having a soft spot for speckled cows, so there is a bunch of them “just for me to look at,” Howard said.

In 2020, the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch highlighted their story and honored Mr. Howard for the first time during the Immokalee Cattle Drive and Jamboree. In 2021, the Collier County Farm Bureau recognized Huey P. Howard as the inaugural recipient of the CCFB Floyd Crews Legacy Award.