Bill and Nancy Phares, Lazy JP Inc., Glades
Bill and Nancy Phares, along with their three boys, own and operate Lazy JP Inc. in Moore Haven, Florida. Nancy’s family has been cattle ranching for over 7 generations. The Phares’ family has been implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the farm for a decade. BMPs are a set of guidelines that advise producers on how to manage the water, nutrient, and pesticides they are using to reduce agriculture’s impact on the state’s natural resources. Lazy JP Inc. has installed filter strips near ditches to minimize the transport of pollutants and serve as an additional level of water quality treatment. The Phares’ family uses a prescribed grazing system that improves pasture longevity, allows more timely utilization of forage, conserves the surplus of forage, and increases stocking rates. They also implement nutrient, pest and wildlife habitat management.
The Phares’ family is actively involved in their local community. Nancy has previously served as President of the Florida Cattlewomen’s Association. Bill has served as a state director for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. Nancy and her son have also served on the Florida Beef Council. They attend church at Oakview Baptist Church in Okeechobee. When asked why they are a farmer who CARES, the Phares’ family responded, “a sustainable and thriving environment on our ranch is the cornerstone of our long term success in the cattle business. Our cattle are only as good as the land upon which they live and the grass that they graze.”
