Leroy Baldwin was born and raised in Marion County, where he turned an early interest in livestock production into a life-long passion for raising high-quality Angus beef cattle. Starting with 40 acres in 1955, Baldwin developed his operation into a 540-acre ranch with 500 head of purebred Angus. His ranch is a model for small-farm operations with its intensive forage production and cattle breeding programs. Always looking to improve production practices, he developed a strain of drought-resistant clover and perfected a method of using anhydrous ammonia in silage to increase the protein value. Baldwin has visited 28 countries to promote Florida livestock, therein helping to substantially expand international sales of Florida cattle and related products. Baldwin has also played a major role in expanding the prominence of the Florida International Agriculture Trade Council and its annual trade show.