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Longtime sugarcane and cattle industry rancher Joe Marlin Hilliard, a Fort Myers native and 2017 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee, died Aug. 26. He was 79.
Hilliard died surrounded by family and friends at his home in Naples, according to his official obituary. Born into a ranching family, Hilliard grew up on Hilliard Ranch in Hendry County. Following graduation from Clewiston High School in 1961, he began his career working on Hilliard Brothers Cattle Ranch, which his grandfather founded in 1906. Hilliard’s father and uncle took over ownership in the 1920s. Hilliard later expanded the family business, the obituary states, “enhancing the cattle operation with large investments in sugarcane, citrus and vegetable production.”
Hilliard also developed thousands of acres of native pine and palmetto woods into pasture by allowing farmers to clear and farm the land for two years, then planting improved grass, his Hall of Fame entry states. He also collaborated with the UF-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to teach South Florida farmers about the tropical soda apple weed.
Another career milestone was when Hilliard became one of the first producers to grow sugarcane on sandy soil. He created research projects with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Immokalee Research and Education Center to advance his knowledge in that area, and he helped form the South Florida Agricultural Council. “Hilliard revolutionized the industry by introducing mechanical harvesting to the area through the Sugarland Harvesting Cooperative, ultimately resulting in an industry-wide adoption of the practice,” the Hall of Fame entry states.
U.S. Sugar officials, in a statement, say Hilliard and his family had a “long and storied relationship with our company as independent growers, business partners and friends.”
“Joe Marlin was an innovator in Florida sugarcane farming, an entrepreneur, a rancher who greatly improved his family’s holdings, a shrewd business partner and a close personal friend,” U.S. Sugar President and CEO Robert Buker Jr. says in the statement. “(He) was an industry pioneer who made great strides for area agriculture — particularly in beef cattle ranching, sugarcane harvesting and citrus production. More importantly, he was a great friend who leaves an amazing legacy in Hilliard Ranch.”
Hilliard Brothers of Florida, based in Clewiston, Hendry County, remains a family operation, with Joe Marlin Hilliard's two sons, Joe Marlin II and Bryan, and his daughter, Mary Elizabeth, all directly involved in different aspects of the business.
Joe Marlin Hilliard supported several causes philanthropically, including multiple education programs and schools. Scholarships he’s funded include the Joe Marlin Hilliard Endowed Scholarship at the King Ranch Institute of Ranch Management at Texas A&M, Kingsville and the Joe Marlin and Barbara Hilliard Scholarship at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
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