Wayne Collier, Collier’s Rocking Bar W Ranch, Hardee
Wayne Collier owns and operates Collier’s Rocking Bar W Ranch in Hardee County. The farm has been in the Collier family for over 20 years now when Wayne purchased the farm from the family estate. He proudly produces beef cattle and citrus. Mr. Collier has been implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) for many decades. 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. Collier’s Rocking Bar W Ranch contains manmade ponds in an upland area on his property to reduce cattle use of natural wetland systems. Mr. Collier schedules irrigation application in his groves to minimize water losses due to evapotranspiration and wind drift. Mr. Collier also properly maintains and operates his micro jets to efficiently deliver precise amounts of water and other nutrients to the citrus root zone.
Mr. Collier is actively involved in his local community, serving as a member of the Hardee County Farm Bureau and is a past member of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. He also provides deer, hog, quail and turkey hunts throughout the year to outside hunters. Mr. Collier and his family are involved in their local Presbyterian Church, with Wayne serving as an elder in the Church. When asked why he believes it is important to protect our environment, Collier responded, “to keep Mother Nature alive and help wildlife as much as possible.”
