About Us
Raising & Ranching Angus Cattle for 6 Generations
The Platt family has raised cattle in Florida for six generations. The family is originally from North Carolina and moved to Melbourne, Florida, in the 1870s. The family raised cattle before the sprawling city landscape. The family decided to move to Madison, Florida, around 2004. The family was interested in Madison because the population growth in Brevard County was unsuitable for a cattle ranch. Additionally, South Florida has no colder climates to grow the necessary forages during the wintertime. However, Melbourne had advantages such as free-flowing wells and abundant water.
Once in Madison, the Platt family began to prepare the property for cattle. This included building fences, running water lines, installing water troughs, and drilling wells. The property was first used for hunting animals like ducks and deer, leaving the landscape untouched by pesticides and commercial fertilizers. The family began experimenting with planting different grass and forages and realized they could raise cattle only on grasses and forages by supplementing them with hay. However, ranchers and researchers said they would have to supplement cows with feed, cottonseed, and soy hull pellets since these were acceptable by a conventional grass-fed label.
The family began to submit their hay samples to the Southeastern Hay Contest (2006). They won 1st place in the Grass Baleage category with an RFQ (Relative Forage Quality) of 128 and in the Legume Baleage category with an RFQ value of 215.
Shortly after, the Platts began doing some research for a grass-fed beef company. The topic of research was how to finish cattle on grasses and forages. They took four steers and separated them from the rest of the herd. The cattle only got grass and forages, and were supplemented with hay and baleage when needed. The results were that the cattle still gained fat, and the meat had a 1:1 ratio of omega-3s and 6s (fatty acids). The Platts had now had enough proof to raise cattle on only grass and forage.
They separated from the company towards the end of the research process. A drought occurred, and the company wanted to turn off the water to the cows. Harold (Hotshot) Platt disagreed and wanted to pursue his own company, where he had control of the cattle. The family went to the USDA to receive an All Grass (Forage) Fed Beef label. However, the USDA wanted them to have a regular grass-fed label. The family was now raising cattle on 100% grass and forages and insisted they had the new label to set them apart from competitors. They received the label, and thus, Deep Roots Meat was created in 2009.
The business began to grow as Hotshot and Troy gained customers through multiple farmers markets, preorder drop-off locations, and health food stores. Along the way, the family also began winning awards for their outstanding stewardship of the land. Each year on the ranch, they could visibly see the land improving.
They experimented with different grasses and forages used to finish their cattle, and everything seemed to be running smoothly. Troy even began dabbling in expanding the operation to other types of livestock. However, tragedy struck when Hotshot was diagnosed with multiple myeloma bone cancer. He was in and out of the hospital receiving treatments, but nothing seemed to cure the disease. Harold “Hotshot” Platt passed away on August 31, 2013.
After Hotshot’s passing, Troy had to take a step back from expanding the operation and committed himself to continuing the cattle ranching legacy that he and his father had built together. He optimized the Madison Ranch to raise finisher cattle by fencing the hayfield there into smaller sections, adding more fields to the rotational grazing cycle. He also moved the cow/calf herd from Madison and combined it with the Greenville Ranch cow/calf herd. This made the ranches easier to manage since there was unfortunately one less manager. Troy also continued investing in the ranch’s forage program by establishing perennial peanut at the Madison Ranch for the cattle to graze during the summer. The perennial peanut planted all those years ago still comes back every year.
In 2023, Troy decided it was once again time for the operation to change. His oldest son, Tyler Platt, had started college at the University of Florida and planned to return to the family ranch. His youngest son, Tanner Platt, was still in high school and figuring out what path he wanted to take next. Troy wanted to grow the business for his sons and create more opportunities for the next generation.
He first started by adding pigs to the ranch. The pigs were used as heavy-duty land clearers to clean out the thick brush that had grown in certain wooded areas of the ranch. This practice helped open up the forest floor, allowing livestock and wildlife to thrive. Next came chickens. Troy built moveable chicken coops to house the chickens at night and protect them from predators. During the day, the doors could be opened to let the chickens free range across the pasture. Finally, sheep were added to the ranch. Since sheep require a similar diet to cattle, their integration into the ranch ecosystem was a natural fit.
Tyler graduated from the University of Florida in 2025 with a degree in Agricultural Operations Management. He planned to return home and help manage the operations of the ranch. After seeing how diversification was benefiting the ranch, Tyler decided to continue building on that progress. That same year, he added goats to the operation. The goats were unique because they preferred to eat the vegetation that the other livestock were not as fond of. Instead of dealing with briars and weeds mechanically, since the ranch does not use herbicides, the goats were able to help manage the unwanted vegetation naturally.
Tyler also expanded the ranch’s media presence by posting more on social media, sharing the livestock and day-to-day life on the ranch. He also worked with Barn2Door to update the website and create an online store.
And here we are today, with Troy, Tyler, and the other Platts on the ranch working to continue the legacy laid by Hotshot and the generations of Platt cattle ranchers who came before them.
6th Generation of Platt Cattle Ranchers | Generational Regenerative Ranchers
Meet the Team
Cheri Platt
Troy Platt
Tracey Platt
Tricia Platt
Tyler Platt
Tanner Platt
Ace
In Memory of Harold "Hotshot" Platt
Harold "Hotshot" Platt was born in Melbourne, Florida, on December 19, 1946. He was a cattleman all his life. He lived in Palm Bay, Florida, where he raised his family. In 2004, he and his family: his wife (Cheri), children (Troy and Tricia), and his grandsons (Levi, Tyler, Wyatt, and Tanner) moved to Madison, Florida, where he continued to raise cattle.
He and his son, Troy, won multiple awards at the Southeastern Hay Contest. This led them to develop All Grass (Forage) Fed Beef, making beef a Healthy food. After, they founded the family business, Deep Roots Meat. The family was honored in 2011 by receiving the Florida Grazing Lands Stewardship Award. Hotshot passed away on August 31, 2013, in Gainesville, Florida.
On his family headstone, it is inscribed: "God made a Rancher of Deep Roots with the strength to throw a calf and the gentleness to love and encourage God's gifts, from the sounds of dogs running a deer to the beauty of the sun setting on grazing cattle." He would be Very Proud to know that his family has carried on where he left off, including being a part of the annual farm tour.
Awards
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On June 25, 2009, the Platt Family was awarded the County Alliance for Responsible Stewardship (CARES) Award for Outstanding Environmental Stewardship by improving the Environment.
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On September 21, 2010, Troy Platt was awarded the 2010 "Outstanding Madison County Young Farmer" Award given by Farm Credit of Northwest Florida.
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October 20, 2011 - The Florida Grazing Lands Coalition (FGLC) and the Florida Section of the Society for Range Management (SRM) awarded Deep Roots Meat, LLC, the third annual Grazing Lands Stewardship Award. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the ranching community in the areas of ranching and wildlife management.
Platt Family Legacy | Tales of Old Florida
Calvin Platt was a part second generation of Platt cattle ranchers in Florida. This is just one of the many stories of Calvin.
Platt Family History: Cattle on the Beach
There was a time when cattle grazed on what is now Merritt Island, long before the area saw the development we know today.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, settlers began homesteading on Merritt Island. Before much development took place, the land was used for open grazing, with as many as 2,000 cattle on the island. Most of these cattle were owned by ranchers who did not live their full time, and many of the cattle were originally brought to the island by boat.
As more settlers moved in, conflicts began to arise between the new homesteaders and the established cattlemen. With no fence laws in place at the time, cattle were allowed to roam freely, often wandering wherever they pleased.
Calvin Platt had purchased a thousand head of cattle from various Merritt Island cattlemen. As development expanded, the cattle eventually had to be moved back to the mainland. The cattle were moved back across the bridge the wooden Highway 520 bridge over the Indian River. The bridge was built in 1917 with the cattle crossing the bridge shortly after in 1918. With so many cattle crossing at once and so much weight concentrated on the bridge, Calvin was required to sign paperwork accepting responsibility for any damage that might occur to the bridge.
After crossing the river, the cattle were driven through the town of Cocoa. Everything was going smoothly until another photographer stopped to document the occasion. When the camera flash went off, it startled the herd and sent the cattle stampeding through town. One bunch dashed into the S. S. Travis Bank. Another lowered their heads and pushed into a dry-cleaning place, with the owners and employees racing to safety through the back door.
Sources
Miller, Mike. “Merritt Island, Florida.” Florida Back Roads Travel, updated 24 Dec. 2025, www.florida-backroads-travel.com/merritt-island-florida.html. Accessed 23 June 2026.
Smiley, Nixon. The Platts of Brevard. n.d.
Frank Judge Platt: 3rd Generation Platt Cattle Rancher in Florida
Source: “Frank Judge Platt.” YouTube, uploaded by Brevard County Historical Commission, 21 Sept. 2015.