Today, thousands of cattle graze Babcock pastures, including an experimental breed, the Senepols. This breed was established by crossing the West African Ndama with the British Red Poll. The Senepols thrive in a very hot climate and are excellent beef and milk producers. Those involved in alligator ranching work with the wetlands without draining them. Eggs are monitored and gathered from alligator nests in the wild and hatched on the ranch.
Alligator ranching provides meat and skins without upsetting the balance of nature.
Most of the money made from this effort has been used for alligator research and ranching studies to help protect the alligator and the swamps for the future. This program demonstrates to land owners that protecting both wetlands and alligator can be profitable. The Babcock family has proven that man and nature can indeed live in harmony. While Cypress trees were heavily harvested in Florida during the 1930s, many trees at Babcock have not been cut since that time, because the role of Cypress as part of the swamp filtration process was recognized. The Babcock family's emphasis on forestry and reforestation earned them a 'Tree Farmer of the Year' award in 1987 from the Florida Forestry Association.