Between The Beaches Podcast

By Brad PharesSociety & Culture Documentary History

Between The Beaches Podcast episodes

October 30, 2025 [REBROADCAST] 117. Discovering Intrinsic Worth With Some Cowboy Poetry
NOTE: On the heels of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting and a lot of time on the road for numerous other obligations, we're taking a break to regroup this week. While we get reorganized, please enjoy this batch of cowboy poetry that originally published on the podcast a couple years ago.

Episode 117 serves up some cowboy poetry focused on finding the underlying, essential value in the world around us from both the male and female perspective. You'll hear some of Brad's own poetry as well as some poems from Wallace McRae and Barney Nelson that all serve to shift focus to things of intrinsic worth.
39 min
October 17, 2025 201. Agriculture's Importance For Florida And Beyond; with Sam Phares
This week we have a candid conversation about the current state of agriculture and its importance to our state and our nation. We discuss the Farmer of the Year program at the state level as well as its culmination at the Sunbelt Ag Expo. From there, we talk about the farmer's roundtable discussion that's part of the expo proceedings along with all the highs, lows, and in between of being an agricultural producer in America today.
1 hr 7 min
October 01, 2025 200. From Okeechobee to Oklahoma; with Tyson "Bud" Barnes of Cimarron Land Group
For Bud Barnes, these two places share a lot more in common than the first two letters of their names. On this week's episode, Bud shares stories of growing up in south Florida, working cows, hunting, fishing, and generally enjoying the backwoods of our state whether from horseback or the seat of an airboat. We discuss how rodeo carried him west where he met his wife and built a ranch and thriving business in Oklahoma. That he genuinely cares about people and the land is abundantly clear which is why forming Cimarron Land Group was a natural fit for him. Bud is able to channel his passion for cattle, spending time in the outdoors, and his years of experience with both into assisting people with finding the right land on which to build their legacies. Hope you enjoy this week's conversation and learn a little something useful along the way!
1 hr 1 min
September 17, 2025 199. Riders Of The Palmetto Prairie - Part 2; with Sam Phares
On this week's episode, we're concluding our two part coverage of Chapter 7 from Joe A. Akerman's classic book, Florida Cowman. Last week's episode covered the first part of the chapter and we conclude it this week by looking at topics such as Florida cow dogs, cracker cow ponies, wild cattle, Indian cowmen, and more. Join us and learn about cow hunting in the old days of Florida's frontier.
1 hr 2 min
September 03, 2025 198. Riders Of The Palmetto Prairie - Part 1; with Sam Phares
Florida Cowman is one of those books that should be in every person's collection of books about Florida. Authored by Joe A. Akerman, Jr in collaboration with the Florida Cattlemen's Association to commemorate our nation's bicentennial, it's a painstakingly researched and very enlightening account of Florida's cattle history. Knowing that many of our listeners aren't in the cattle business and are likely unfamiliar with the book or its contents, we wanted to cover Chapter 7 with its vivid accounts of cow hunting turn of the century Florida. The chapter is lengthy so we've broken it in half. We hope you enjoy Part 1 in this episode and join us again next week for the conclusion in Part 2.
1 hr 2 min
August 13, 2025 197. A Retrospective of Screwworm Eradication In Florida And It's Potential Resurgence
The New World Screwworm was one of the costliest and most horrific diseases that livestock producers have ever faced. Its deadliest and costliest period for Florida cattlemen peaked in 1956-1957 at which point Florida cattle producers had had enough of it. Join us this week as we look back at the grassroots effort Florida's beef producers generated which spurred into existence a multi-agency and joint governmental effort to eradicate this deadly pest from our state; a program that was widened in scope to extend across our nation and secure the safety of our nation's beef herds. It's a shining example of Florida cattlemen yet again being the tip of the spear in safeguarding American cattle ranching as we know it.
1 hr 45 min
July 23, 2025 196. Seminole Chief Cowkeeper And The Magic of The Alachua Basin
Payne's Prairie basin is a natural resource of not only state, but national importance and the lush grasses, flowering plants, and other vegetation that cover this basin act as a filter purifying water throughout the vast wetland which is a big reason why it has drawn humans and wildlife to it over the last 12,000 years. In this episode, we'll take a look at how various countries and cultures across the centuries impacted the area, but we'll especially focus on the Alachua Seminole, their Chief Cowkeeper, and their importance to not just the region but to Florida's cattle culture overall.
43 min
July 09, 2025 195. Elmo Johnston's Memories of Cowhuntin' And Cracker Livin'; with Jim Johnston
We're back from our summer break with a conversation you don't want to miss. True friends are worth their weight in gold and our guest this week is one such individual. Jim Johnston seldom meets a stranger and has plenty of stories to share in his own right, but in this conversation we cover some fantastic stories and memories passed down by his dad, the late Elmo Johnston, and you won't find a much better encapsulation of our Old Florida heritage. Our topics range from Elmo's early days cow hunting to his transition into the earliest days of the sod business in Florida. From there, we also talk some Chalo Nitka history and get a highly entertaining glimpse into the early days of the Gladesmen culture and more. Tune in and get comfortable for a ride into parts of Florida's past that are fading fast.
1 hr 10 min
June 19, 2025 194. Light Ranching, Heavy Fishing, and Summer Under The Florida Sun; with Sam Phares
As we roll further into June and the mercury climbs higher, Sam and I banter about the current state of the cattle business, recap some recent events in our life and around the state, and discuss many of the things that make summer in Florida a special time. We also touch on the Florida Cattlemen's Association Annual Convention and Allied Trade Show that kicks off next week. Tune in as we venture from the fence line to the coast line out here between the beaches.
55 min
June 04, 2025 193. Rhythms and Rhymes From The Range
Sit back and relax for the next half hour or so as we share some cowboy poetry focused on the cycles and rhythms of change and how perseverance and resilience will carry you through those transitions. It's a bit of a follow up to our last episode on the same topic, but the message is delivered as only cowboy poetry can do it.
38 min

About Between The Beaches Podcast

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Preserving and promoting Florida's rural landscape and ranching heritage by sharing forgotten and little known history along with interviews, stories, and cowboy poetry capturing the lifestyle of both…