Between The Beaches Podcast

It's been a wild October and with Halloween closing in on us this seemed like the perfect time to collaborate with our friend in Glasgow, Mr. Àdhamh Ó Broin, to cover some of our heritage and a poem featuring a ghost story. Join us this week for a special presentation of Robert Burns' classic Tam O' Shanter.

To purchase a chance (or numerous chances) to win an original Brad Phares oil painting benefiting the charitable organization, Dòrlach, as mentioned in this episode please follow the link here

Jeb Smith is a fifth generation farmer and current Florida Farm Bureau President. His family has deep roots in Hastings, Florida located in St. Johns County and a legacy of leadership locally and throughout Florida. In this episode, we discuss his family's legacy, early memories of St. Johns County, the challenges facing agriculture as our state's population swells, and his long history with Farm Bureau.

On a side note, I reversed roles and stepped in as a guest with Jeb on Farm Bureau's podcast, Rural Recharge, and we'll be sharing that segment in the future. Y'all be sure to look for it on November 3rd, and be sure to subscribe to their podcast!

This Labor Day weekend will find Okeechobee abuzz with both locals and our urban coastal neighbors eager to take in yet another rodeo experience in one of Florida's iconic arenas - one of the few remaining outdoor, uncovered, and privately owned venues. It's a piece of Florida history and a solid slice of Americana. The rodeo is the largest fundraiser for the non-profit Okeechobee County Cattlemen's Association and it affords the association the ability to give back primarily to the youth of the community, but to others as well. The rodeo is held biannually - once in spring with The Speckled Perch Festival and again in September as the Pete Clemons Memorial Labor Day Rodeo. This week as Hurricane Idalia bears down on the Big Bend and North Florida, I sit down at the Okeechobee Cattlemen's Arena with fellow OCCA officers/board members to discuss our memories of growing up around the rodeo, how it's shaped us as leaders, and how it helps our community on so many levels.

Our good friend Clint Raulerson joins us this week to reflect on his adventures and growth that stemmed from cowboying in Kansas along with his return to Florida and the new chapters that lie ahead. In the process, we cover the importance of sharing our heritage with the public at large and then close out the show with a few new pieces of cowboy poetry in memory of Bill O'Grady, a fellow cowboy and kind soul who sadly passed on in a tragic horse wreck while working cattle recently.

NOTE: With archery season underway here in Florida for Zone A, it seemed like a great time to revisit this episode that was full of lively conversation and plenty of great perspective about wild Florida. If you've heard it previously, we hope you enjoy it just as much or more the second time around, and if this is your first time hearing it we think you're going to find plenty of useful information in here.

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If you ever wanted to feel like you were part of deer camp, this is the episode for you! We gathered together between the morning and evening hunts with the crew behind FLCamo to discuss the development of their products, their philosophy on the outdoors, and to hear some good ol hunting stories from the past. Don't miss this fun and interesting conversation!

Garrett Stuart, or Captain Planet as he's better known to loyal followers both young and old, has a diverse background in science and conservation. That education coupled with his Lakota and Scots background combine to provide a truly unique perspective on how we live with and treat our natural world. Garrett believes strongly in the importance of balancing the lessons and wisdom from our past with a focus on the unknown which still lies ahead of us, therefore he works diligently to educate for a sustainable planet for future generations to come. In this episode, Garrett and I begin with a discussion of his background and move forward to our mutual frustrations with those who are in the frequent habit of selling out our state for their own short term gain. More specific to the present, Garrett is beginning a series of monthly prayer walks to raise awareness over House Bill 1191, already approved by the legislature and awaiting Governor DeSantis' signature, which would allow Phosphogypsum waste to be used in Florida road construction. Phosphogypsum is a byproduct of phosphate mining that emits radioactive Radon gas and has been banned for the past 30 years. Remember the 2021 Piney Point disaster whereby Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency? That catastrophic event involved the same type of waste so why would we want to risk using it in our roadways? The almighty dollar and special interests are killing our state right before our eyes if we continue to allow it. Tune into the podcast for all of this discussion and much more, get involved in the prayer walk to raise awareness on this issue, and get engaged in standing up for Florida before we lose her for good.