Cattle and ranching · operation or companytop ten landowner
Lykes Bros Inc
the region's largest landowner, a tier of one
- Founded
- 1900
- Evidence class
- publicly verified operating
- Acres (module, 2025 roll)
- 337,036
- Place
- Brighton Ranch, Glades and Highlands counties; headquarters Tampa
- District
- The Glades
- Status as of 12 September 2026
- Operating; cattle, citrus, sugarcane, forestry, hunting leases and water storage on a ranch the company states at 339,000 acres.
- Connections
- 11 edges, 11 distinct neighbours · betweenness 0.115 (rank 13 of 243) · location and lineage only 0.040 (rank 14) · outside share 0.45
- Confidence
- High · sources: [LYKH] [LYKL] [LYKA] [LYKC] [FTLO] [MOD] [WLYK] [TFCL] [AUDL] (register)
Two Lykes brothers open a Cuba cattle office in 1900 and the seven sons of Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes incorporate Lykes Brothers in 1910; the family company diversifies into shipping, meat and gas and holds more than 610,000 acres in Florida and Texas [LYKH][WLYK][LYKL]. The module's owner table carries Lykes Bros at 337,036 acres inside the six core counties, and the region's largest proportional gap on a logarithmic scale falls immediately below it: Lykes stands alone [MOD]. Its ranch hosts the Nicodemus Slough and Brighton Valley water projects and carries Audubon and state stewardship recognition [LYKN][LYKB][AUDL][TFCL].
Holdings and units: Brighton Ranch, Lake Placid citrus groves, sugarcane, forestry, hunting leases, water storage projects
Connections
Location and lineage
- unit or member ofCitrus World, Florida's Natural Growersgrower member; fruit sold primarily by contract to Florida's Naturalongoing
- holdsJohn GoseLykes Bros citrus executive in Highlands County2000s
- founded byHowell Tyson Lykeshis sons open the Cuba cattle office in 1900 and incorporate in 19101900
- grew intoLykes Steamship Companythe shipping side grown from the family cattle trade1906
- tied venture or seatLykes Meat Groupthe packing outlet, sold to Smithfield Foods1913 to 1996
- tied venture or seatLake Placidthe family's first grove and its Highlands citrus base1940s to present
- builtNicodemus Slough water projectwater storage on 15,858 acres of ranch land in Glades County2014
- builtBrighton Valley water projectthe 8,143 acre stormwater project on the ranch2020
Programs, permits and leases
- under program, permit or lease ofFlorida Farm Bureau and the county farm bureausThis Farm CARES designation2018
Support
- supported byLykes Fisheating Creek easementsthe easements cover about 6,864 then about 10,464 acres of the ranch2022 to 2023
- supported byLykes Lake Placid grove easementthe 135 acre former grove passes under federal easement, a cow calf operation continuing2025