Riverbend Cattle Company Thrives on Sustainble, Old Florida Ranching
Riverbend Ranch sits on the shores of the Withlacoochee River, just outside historic Floral City, Florida. The ranch is on the site of a Pioneer Farm designated by the State of Florida and farmed for more than 100 years by a single family. After the Civil War, the land had been awarded to two brothers who fought as confederate soldiers. They went on to farm the land, which continued through the next generations, all the way until it was sold in 2015. The historic farm’s legacy lives on in the hands of now rancher, Megan Johnston.
A Florida native, Megan’s background was in the horse industry. The use of horses in ranching allowed her to meet some of the amazing folks in Florida’s beef industry, and to see all the care and hard work they put into raising their cattle. Knowing that she wanted a career with values she could take pride in, Megan purchased a herd of cows in 2015 and began raising beef to sell at Tampa markets.
Florida’s ranches typically operate at a cow/calf level, meaning their cows have a calf each year and raise it until weaning, at which point it is shipped to a state that can produce feed for the animal to continue growing on. However, after realizing the disconnect between many consumers and their food, Megan made the decision to model her operation differently. Instead of selling the calves at weaning, Megan grows them up here in Citrus county, and sells the beef directly to customers. This gives her the opportunity to connect with her customers, helping to bridge that gap from farm to fork and educate consumers about Florida’s beef industry and it’s rich history.
While raising beef is extremely complex, one of the biggest keys to Megan’s management is minimizing stress to the animals (in everything from environment, to animal handling, all the way through processing). In addition, all Riverbend beef is dry-aged for a minimum of 21 days, resulting in extremely tender, flavorful cuts.
To complement your Riverbend Ranch beef purchase, we blend preservative free, small batch seasonings and rubs you will love. In addition to producing top quality beef and seasonings, our beekeeper, David Roberts, produces local honey from hives on the back pastures of the ranch along the Withlacoochee River.
Riverbend also features local products from our neighbors such as cane syrup from the Rooks Family Ranch. Our mission is to carry on the rich Cracker Florida history by offering and supporting local families and their recipes, handed down for generations.
When quality matters as much as preserving a vanishing way of life, you have found the way to do both – Riverbend Cattle Company LLC.