On this week's episode, Clint Raulerson stops by to reflect on a year away from his beloved cypress home range and settling into the shortgrass country of Kansas. We also discuss Nextgen Cattle Company and share some of his newer cowboy poetry. It's always great to visit with an old friend and I'm sure y'all will enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

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As one of the earliest pioneer families to settle in the lower Kissimmee River Valley, the Boney family has a tremendous cattle herding history in the area.  Boosty Boney is a virtual walking encyclopedia of ranching history relative to the region so join us as he and Elton Boney share a treasure trove of old Florida ranching stories and eye-opening historical context about subjects such as grazing cattle along the Kissimmee River and out on the Lake Okeechobee marsh, history of Lykes Brothers, the Brighton Seminole Reservation, origins of the Chalo Nitka Ranch Rodeo, and so much more.

A Queen's invasion of a neighboring province to steal a prize bull.... the 17 year old hero known as a "Protector of Cattle" who single-handedly stands in defense... the epic battle in Ireland which results.  Given the fact that it's St. Patrick's Day, we decided to delve deep into our heritage to examine some of the ancestral Irish lore that is woven into the fabric of who were are as ranchers today here in Florida.  We hope you enjoy this summary of an epic piece of Gaelic literature as you celebrate your heritage today!

At 90 years young, Mr. Gordie Peer was still digging holes and setting fence posts on the day I went to visit him. Gordie has lived a life full of experiences most folks would only dream of knowing. After enlisting in the Marine Corp straight out of high school, he went on to become a versatile rodeo cowboy & performer mastering tricks with whip and lariat which lead to an incredible career through the peak of Hollywood's golden age of western movies where he worked alongside such greats as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger) before moving to Florida where he worked around the state as a dayworker, at the Okeechobee Livestock Market, volunteered with the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office, and devoted countless hours to teaching the public about the cowboy lifestyle. Don't miss his wit and wisdom in this fascinating conversation.2

At her core, Betty Osceola is an educator, and for many years now she's been using that talent to defend not just her Miccosukee homelands in the Everglades, but also beautiful Florida in its entirety. In this wide-ranging conversation, we get a historical overview of the Miccosukee Tribe, Betty's firsthand observations of the ongoing adverse impacts within the glades ecosystem, and close out with a recap of her recently completed Lake Okeechobee Prayer Walk. It's a captivating listen you don't want to miss.

A seanchaí (Irish) or seanchaidh (Scots Gaelic) is a traditional storyteller/historian in Gaelic culture, and it's a tradition that's found its way across the Atlantic and forward to present times. Jeanette Peeples is a perfect example of this tradition and has been instrumental in helping me realize that it's a calling for me as well. On today's episode, we sit down with Jeanette to learn about her love for her multi-generational Florida ranching heritage and her passion for uncovering more of that history through genealogy.

Catch Between The Beaches Podcast host, Brad Phares, on the opposite side of the microphone this week as we feature his appearance on the Off-Farm Income Podcast with Matt Brechwald where they discuss a wide array of topics relative to Florida ranching and sharing that story through podcasting.

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 35 with an updated intro discussing the most recent advancements for the pilot project of aquatic vegetation removal.

We begin with a look back at this duck season and conservation followed by reflections on a disastrous freeze in Feb 1958 and how it demonstrates my argument that every day is Groundhog Day in the Sunshine State. Lastly, we close out with some cowboy poetry revolving around our current cold weather.

Like most dairymen, the Butler family were versatile men of vision who saw their start in the business as they migrated to Hollywood, Florida followed by a mass exodus forced by widespread growth and development in Broward County. Join us for an episode where we discuss simpler times in Florida, elaborate on current challenges, and close out with a positive forecast for the years ahead.

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