MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Manatee County Fair begins Friday with the theme: Keeping Agriculture Alive.

It’s meant to celebrate the vital role farmers and ranchers have in the community and for the future. That’s something Wes Reagan knows well.

“I’m fourth generation," Reagan said. "My great granddaddy came here in ‘32."

Reagan grew up in the ranching lifestyle and is continuing the legacy with his company, Reagan Ranch LLC, on his 470 acres of land in Bradenton.

But the nation’s ranching and farming industry is facing challenges. According to the USDA, farmland has decreased by 7% from 2017 to 2023.

He said it’s taken an all hands-on deck to keep his business going. And to overcome some issues, he had to get creative.

“So, besides the cattle side, we do have a harvesting company because cattle prices got real low for a long time," he said. "Consistently low. And for us to be able to keep the business going, we decided to diversify a little bit."

In recent years, the agriculture industry has been impacted by severe weather, too. He said last year’s hurricanes were another setback for ranchers and farmers.

Research studies by the University of Florida validate that. The studies estimated that the production losses for hurricanes Helene and Milton for the industry ranging from $230 million to $805 million.

“We lost a bunch of fences, but we lost one cow," he said. "It’s always horrible when that happens. But, I mean, so many more people were affected so much worse."

But he hopes he can show how important ranching and farming still are. One way is through the Manatee County Cattlemen’s Association, which will be at the county fair. He serves as vice president.

“Our goal is to give back to kids," Reagan said. "So, we do a bunch of fundraisers, and it’s literally offered for families in need in the agriculture community. And then for kids, we do scholarships every year."

The legacy that his family has created means something to him.

“I was blessed with working with my dad," he said. "He was blessed working with his father, and so on and so on. And it’s nothing. Nothing like it. We get to wake up every day and love what we do. So, it’s kind of a … they say that whole term, the way of life. And it’s a great life to have. It’s hard. It is hard. But it’s worth every bit of it."

Reagan said he hopes he can continue keeping this way of life alive – both for the community and for his family.

The Manatee County Fair is scheduled for Jan. 16 until Jan. 26.