Ardis Hammock is an integral part of Frierson Family Farm and the Florida agricultural community. Located immediately adjacent to the southern boundary of Lake Okeechobee for well over 100 years, her family shares a deep legacy in South Florida and has a history of service to not only agriculture, but to their surrounding communities as well. Join us for a conversation that elaborates on that rich heritage including how they survived the devastation of the 1926 and 1928 hurricanes, rebuilt, and continue thriving today. Additionally, we discuss how Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding agricultural operations are constantly and wrongfully targeted for water quality problems when they're truly part of the solutions, and then we close out by looking at the importance of food production as a matter of national security.

It may come as quite a surprise to many while being common knowledge to others, Tallahassee owns a very interesting and rather sordid past. It has flirted with famed Americans and infamous Floridians throughout the years and this week's episode highlights two such examples filled with overlapping themes and commonly shared circumstances. Tune in and learn something you may not have known or rekindle a long forgotten nugget of knowledge that has long slipped your mind.

Dusty Holley is a man with many talents and a diverse knowledge base that allows him to be equally at home in a board room or sitting on a board in a set of cow pens. Aside from being the Director of Field Services for the Florida Cattlemen's Association, he's a great storyteller with extensive family roots in our state's cow culture. Dusty set aside some time from his busy schedule to share that family history, part of which relates directly to the infamous Barber-Mizell Feud, and a good deal of general Florida history gleaned through various family accounts. Trust me when I say you don't want to miss the historical accounts captured in this conversation.

Join us for a rebroadcast of this episode that takes a deeper historical look into the origins and development of the Florida rancher's favorite working partner, the cur dog or Florida cow dog. Suffice to say that when our ancestors sailed across the Atlantic to settle in North America, they brought not only livestock, but also a very essential tool for handling those animals.

After making it through a very successful art show and finding the time to solve our technical issues with our recording device, we're back with some fresh material for the show. Sam and I took time to select and read a few chapters from a book on obscure Florida history. We then had some lively discussion about observations we had on those selections and how here in Florida, even when you think something is changing it quite often really hasn't.

Going back to the early 1820's, the Davis family has a long legacy in Florida and our cowhunter culture. Billy Davis has worked cows far and wide across the state and is the president of the Florida Cracker Horse Association so you'd be hard-pressed to find folks in the cattle business who don't know him. He's equally notorious as a prankster and storyteller with a true passion for Old Florida and our ranching heritage. As if all that wasn't enough to solidify his reputation, he's become a sought after spur maker forging the quintessential tools of the trade from scratch. In short, you might say that Billy Davis is a beloved character out here in Florida's cow country; nothing short of a folk treasure for us all and you're sure to enjoy this week's episode.

We're off to the races with meetings and festival preparation here in January. This week is pretty simple; we reflect on some of those activities before serving up a handful of poems focused on Florida and our cooler, wetter winter.

Fritz Brewer has spent a lot of years horseback seeing everything from livestock on Florida's open prairies and marsh lands to those performing as athletes in rodeo arenas across our state and country. In this episode, we reflect on his many experiences and the change he's witnessed both in and out of the arena. You'll hear plenty of Florida history and an insider's look at pro-rodeo that you're sure to enjoy so kick back and enjoy the ride with us!

It's the beginning of a new year and Season 5 of Between The Beaches Podcast, but how's that "New year, New me" thing going for Florida? Not so well. We're still staring down the same major problems that have been plaguing our state for the past few decades and they're only getting worse. Certainly not all, but most of Florida's leadership seems to be intent on securing short term gain while turning a blind eye to the devastating long term implications for our future. Unrestrained growth and poor water quality are slowly killing our state's natural systems and the biggest question every citizen should be asking is "who's going to stand up for Florida?"

The communities around Lake Okeechobee know Billy Dean quite well after his 21 years on the air at WOKC with Glades Media Group, but not everyone knows the backstory of his early years and family legacy in Southwest Florida. In this episode, we look back at his agricultural roots, share stories about growing up in rural Florida and daily sporting pursuits, and then transition into a discussion about small-town life in Florida and the important community services and the personal touch that local radio provides. It's a nostalgic look at simpler times, and a candid look behind the scenes at broadcast media that everyone is sure to enjoy.