What We're Building
Montura Ranches Equestrian & Agricultural Education Center
A long-term vision for a working ranch facility in Montura that protects livestock during hurricanes, teaches the next generation of ranchers and growers, gives our community a real equestrian home, and brings jobs and visitors to inland South Florida.
Why Montura
The right place, the right moment
Montura Ranches sits inland between both Florida coasts, in a community already zoned for agriculture and built on horse and ranch culture. Land is still affordable here, parcels are large, and our neighbors already know how to handle livestock.
Every hurricane season, coastal counties run out of safe places to evacuate large animals. A purpose-built inland facility serving Hendry, Glades, and surrounding counties solves a regional problem — not just a local one.
Honest about the work
Solving flooding is part of the plan
Montura floods. Any serious agricultural facility here has to be engineered for it — elevated pads, real drainage, backup power, reliable water, and all-weather access roads. That's not a weakness in this project; it's the strongest part of the case. A site that stays dry and operational in a storm is exactly what makes it valuable as a regional livestock shelter and emergency hub.
What it will do
Six missions, one facility
Hurricane Livestock Shelter
A safe inland destination for horses, cattle, goats, and small livestock when coastal counties run out of evacuation space.
Agricultural Education
Hands-on programs for small farms, homesteaders, 4-H, FFA, and homeschool families — animal husbandry, pasture care, and food production.
Equestrian Programs
Riding lessons, clinics, and community shows in an all-weather covered arena — built for residents, not just out-of-town competitors.
Rural Tourism
Trail rides, ag tourism days, and rodeo-style events that bring visitors and revenue to inland Hendry and Glades counties.
Youth Development
A real-world classroom for the next generation of ranchers, growers, and large-animal veterinarians.
Jobs & Economic Development
Construction, maintenance, instruction, vet services, and event staffing — meaningful local jobs anchored to agriculture.
Roadmap
A phased, realistic build
Each phase stands on its own, delivers community value, and builds the track record needed to unlock the next.
Phase 1
Livestock Registry & Emergency Plan
Build a county-recognized livestock registry, a hurricane response plan, and partnerships with Hendry & Glades County Emergency Management. Low cost, high credibility — proves we can execute before asking for capital.
Phase 2
Covered Livestock Shelter & Site Infrastructure
Engineered drainage, elevated pad, all-weather access road, water, backup power, and a large open-sided covered shelter. Doubles as a hurricane livestock haven and an everyday community ag facility.
Phase 3
Equestrian Arena & Ag Education Center
Covered riding arena, classrooms, working pens, and a large-animal veterinary response bay. Home for lessons, 4-H/FFA, homeschool ag, clinics, and small community shows.
Phase 4
Regional Evacuation Hub
Scale capacity to serve both Florida coasts during major storms, with formal mutual-aid agreements, on-site vet triage, feed and hay reserves, and trained volunteer teams.
How we'll pay for it
Grants, partnerships, and our own fundraising
No single grant builds something this big. The plan is to stack public and private funding across multiple categories while raising matching dollars locally — because the strongest grant applications come from communities that are already putting their own skin in the game.
- Federal agriculture, disaster, and rural development programs
- State of Florida agriculture, emergency management, and water programs
- Equestrian and livestock industry foundations
- Corporate agricultural and feed-industry partners
- Regional partners: Hendry County, Glades County, Florida Cattlemen's Association
We have to fundraise too
Local fundraising is not a backup plan — it's the foundation. Every dollar raised in Montura strengthens every grant application we submit. Donations, sponsorships, and volunteer hours all count.
This is a multi-year project. Year one starts now.
If you ride, ranch, raise animals, or just believe Montura deserves real agricultural infrastructure — we want you on the team.