RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS

My guest on this episode of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS is none other than Bud Force, co-director and cinematographer of COWBOYS.  Bud, along with his co-director John Langmore, spent two years filming on eight of the largest ranches in the country. The result is story is steeped in authenticity that explores the rewards and hardships of a celebrated but misunderstood way of life.

This episode of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS, I interview third generation general manager, Shay Myers, where we discuss the innovative practices implemented by family run Froerer Farms and its Owhyee brand of onions. A third generation produce business based in Nyssa, Oregon, Froerer Farms actively involves several generations from eight different core families related by blood or marriage. Froerer Farms is a model of a well-run, vertically integrated, produce grower and packer.

On this edition of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS, Tiffany and Lem discuss leases, water law, fencing law issues, the Texas Agritourism Act, and how to find the right attorney for the issue you are facing.

Chris Nolt, the author of Financial Strategies for Selling a Farm or Ranch, provides an excellent overview of the issues involved in completing the successful sale of a ranch or farm, and of the tax traps that many unprepared property sellers fall into.

RANCHCAST with Lem Lewis showcases the vital contributions that America’s ranchers and farmers make to our nation’s economy and food supply.

On this edition of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS my guest is the author of Cattle Kingdom, Christopher Knowlton, a former FORTUNE magazine writer and London bureau chief.

In his book, based on the style of meticulous reporting and research that you’d expect from a Fortune magazine writer, Chris chronicles the lasting impact on our nation today of the open range cattle era that arose in the wake of the Civil War and lasted until about 1892.

After living and working in Spain, where he noticed the climate and trees were similar to parts of Texas, Jim Henry wondered why no one in his native Texas was growing olives commercially. He thought Texas could be host to a thriving olive oil business and he set out to prove it.

It took Jim decades to prove his concept a success, and along the way, he encountered more than his share of obstacles.

Ahead of the national premiere of Farmers for America, Lem Lewis interviews filmmaker Graham Meriwether about the documentary that aims to celebrate and inspire the next generation of American farmers and ranchers.

There is so much to boast about for those of us blessed to live in Texas. Garrison Brothers’ Texas straight bourbon whiskey is like icing on the cake.

Made from pure Texas-grown organic cereal grains, combined with our nutrient-rich rainwater, Garrison Brothers bourbons are among the very best to be found anywhere in the world.

On this edition of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS, our host and certified whiskey sommelier Lem Lewis travels to Hye to visit with founder and proprietor Dan Garrison.

In perfect Texas entrepreneurial style, Dan comes from the “better to ask forgiveness than permission” school of business. Although just about no one believed it possible to distil quality bourbon anywhere in America other than Kentucky or Tennessee, Dan proved his skeptics wrong.

Dan bought his first still in 2006, before he even had a legal right to operate one, and shipped his first bottles in 2011. They’ve been a sell-out hit ever since.

If you love fine bourbon whiskey, or even if you never touch alcohol, you’ll enjoying drinking in Dan’s Texas swagger and his philosophy of business.

He and his family are part of a growing segment of rural producers who are demonstrating creative, alternative ways to living and working the ranching life.

Photo: Lem Lewis, The Ranch Broker (L); and Dan Garrison, Garrison Brothers
Interview Conducted: May 2017
Length: 28 minutes 28 seconds
@ 2017 The Ranch Broker. All Rights Reserved.

There’s just something about Texans, especially entrepreneurs, that you won’t find in any other state.

Dan Garrison, proprietor of Garrison Brothers Distillery, tells RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS that his fellow Texans are as distinctive, proud, and unique as his award-winning bourbons.

“Anyone who lives in Texas for more than three months adopts that Texas pride,” Dan says.

We’ve selected 99 Reasons We Love Ranching™. Reason #50: Garrison Brothers Bourbon. Why do you love ranching?

My guest on this episode, Dr. Matt Wagner, is someone who I know enjoys the outdoors as much as I do.

Dr. Wagner is the definitive expert on wildlife conservation, range land management, and the Texas laws and policies governing them. I could invite him on every episode of this show and I know that I’d never grow tired of hearing what he has to say.

Dr. Wagner spent 28 years with the Wildlife Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, most recently as Deputy Director. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Biology Department at Texas State University, where he teaches Wildlife Law and Policy. He also works under contract as a project administer with the Wildlife Management Institute, which has supported game management, biological diversity, and ecology since its founding in 1911.

As if that is not enough, Dr. Wagner has extensive experience working with and advising private landowners such as me. And Dr. Wagner is a believer in the important role that privately owned land plays in the well-being of wildlife and wildlife habitat.

On this edition of RANCHCAST with LEM LEWIS, Dr. Wagner and I will discuss two big issues impacting wildlife conservation in Texas.  One is the the loss of connection between people and the rural lifestyle, and two, the distribution and allocation of water.

Because Dr. Wagner is so knowledgeable, he and I also explore the impact of exotic wildlife and the efforts to manage them. We talk about statewide land stewardship programs and we even review efforts to privatized white tailed deer. And finally Dr. Wagner and I discuss the subject of chronic wasting disease in Texas.

If you own a ranch, are thinking about buying a ranch, or simply love the ranching lifestyle, you're going to want to hear what Dr. Matt Wagner has to say.

Photo: Dr. Matt Wagner
Interview Conducted: November 2016
Length: 47:29
@ 2017 The Ranch Broker. All Rights Reserved.