Between The Beaches Podcast

After dealing with some family business prompted a lot of deep thinking, we decided to switch up from our originally planned episode this week to share some of those thoughts in a brief monologue while also paying tribute to a family member. Sorry to be a little late getting it pushed out the door, but we hope y'all enjoy it and pass it along to others.

Seth Carswell has a passion for custom design, craftsmanship, and legacy. As Florida's only custom boot maker, Seth's artistry, traditional technique, and commitment to detail are evident in every stitch of his boots. As a 3rd generation Floridian, his family background lies in timber production and he spent much of his younger years involved in that business or on the water, before turning to his...

Tune in this week for a special rebroadcast in honor of Mr. Gordie Peer and prepare to be amazed at the incredible life he lived. Before settling down in Florida as a working cowboy, Gordie had been a rodeo specialty act performer, Hollywood stuntman, and so much more. Don't miss his amazing stories!

Since its inception in 1993, the Florida Cow Culture Preservation Committee has remained dedicated to preserving Florida's cow culture as well as its Cow Hunter and Cracker heritage. In addition to organizing and executing countless cattle drives and trail rides, the FCCPC works tirelessly to celebrate the unique and foundational role that cattle have played throughout Florida's history while acti...

Florida's role in the War Between the States is easily and often overlooked. She was third behind South Carolina and Mississippi to secede from the Union. While the battles fought on her soil never rose to the level of those farther north in the main theater of war, Florida's supply and defensive roles were critical to the Southern cause. As easily as these facts are forgotten, so too can brave an...

Florida is full of fascinating stories and people that can only be found when you get off the beaten path, leave the coastlines behind, and get out in the rural backcountry that makes our state so special. It's this "other land" where you'll find hidden gems like Sugar and Spice Farms, a multi-generational glades family who care deeply about Florida, farming, and their community. To that end, they...

Trains have long played a significant role in shaping the face of Florida dating back to when Henry Flagler laid the first tracks. Today, it feels like agriculture and much of our old Florida culture is tied to those tracks staring into the lights of a metaphorical runaway train of growth and development. In this episode, we look at some of the cultural events we've done in the first quarter of th...

This week we sit down with James Johnston to explore the rich Celtic herding heritage that helped shape Florida's foundation and still helps forge her future. We also cover the new knowledge Jamesie gained about Florida this week as he spent several days with us exploring what lies Between The Beaches from the ranch down to the lower Everglades. Additionally, he shares his background on his endeav...

This week's episode offers a glimpse back in time to turn of the century Florida living with all of its challenges and simple joys. Special thanks to Mr. Phil Redditt for sharing his family's story with us. Things weren't always easy, but there was always a strong sense of community and a respect for the land. These are our roots and what built Florida. Hope y'all enjoy the history.

In spite of hurricanes, high prices, and other challenges, these days everyone seems to be in love with the Sunshine State because they keep flocking in here like moths to the flame. But there's a big difference between lust or fake love and a deep, abiding love. On this week's episode, we feature essays by various conservationists from across Florida describing their love and appreciation for her...

A lot of our conversations and interviews on this podcast revolve around the elder generation sharing their history and heritage in Florida, but this week we're turning to the younger generation to get their outlook and thoughts on our beautiful state. Mary-Margaret Hardee is a 7th generation Floridian who's passionate about Florida agriculture and sharing the lesser known stories of the women inv...

NOTE:  While we didn't necessarily intend to start the year with a rebroadcast, we couldn't pass on the opportunity to share this insightful conversation with Mr. Jerry Lee "Ham" Brown from back in March 2023.  Ham probably knew and forgot more about horses than most people will ever learn and he shared some great stories in this episode of the podcast.  Ham passed away this past week so we felt i...

The Walker family were some of the earliest pioneers into the Lower Kissimmee River Valley and generations later they remain a foundational fixture in the Okeechobee community serving the needs of livestock producers in the area and across the state while also giving back to students via their support of youth programs like the Okeechobee Youth Livestock Show. In this week's episode, we sit down w...

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has a lengthy heritage with professional rodeo. The names of tribal members who've competed across the country at the highest levels is too exhaustive to list here, and some like Marty Johns and his family have both competed within the arena as well as provided the high quality livestock athletes that are an integral part of the sport. As the National Finals Rodeo kic...

Join us this week as we enjoy a candid discussion with Dr. Mark Kistler, center director and professor at the University of Florida's Indian River Research and Education Center. Dr. Kistler shares his extensive background, the long history of IRREC, and how they're taking extensive strategic planning steps to make sure the center continues to provide Florida agriculture with the scientific support...

Technically, this is a rebroadcast but it's as timely now as it was 3 years ago and we did a fair bit of editing to update our sponsors so it's running as a new episode. In this episode, we take a really deep dive into history to reveal a lot of facts that most folks overlook or ignore when it comes to Halloween. The origins of this celebration were anything but evil or satanic in their infancy as...

Most everyone we know seems to be carrying a heavy load right now and we're all suffering from election fatigue at this point so why not tune it all out for a brief time? Join us out on the ranch under wide skies as we take a minute to relax and enjoy these classic poems.

As we continue to work through the recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we're using Joe Akerman Jr's book "Florida Cowman" to travel back in time to the days of open range frontier life in Florida when cattle roamed open range and there were no warnings or forecasts for tropical systems. Additionally, we get a glimpse into how cattlemen built their herds and handled the ever-pr...

With a slight deviation from our normal formatting, this episode carries the Explicit warning for language that may not be suitable for all audiences as the initial emergency response crew from the Florida Cattlemen's Association gathers around camp to wind down after a long day in the field. We discuss the importance of assisting fellow cattlemen and farmers in the wake of devastating hurricanes,...

Travis Thompson cares deeply about Florida which lead him to creating allfla.org built on a foundation of grassroots conservationists showing up daily to protect Florida and her wild places. There can be no doubt that sportsmen and ranchers have more in common than those things which separate their identities and at that the top of that list is a desire to use good stewardship over our resources....

In Part One, we covered Florida's land boom of the 1920's and its subsequent crash. Here in Part Two, we'll be looking at some of the unexpected and unintended ramifications of urbanizing the southeast coast in Broward and Dade counties that manifested with the Flood of 1947 when 5 million acres of land from Lake Okeechobee down to Miami lay submerged for half the year and then we also examine how...

Florida has known more than its fair share of speculators, swindlers, suckers, con artists, and outright thieves all seeking to make their fortune with land. The boom we're currently experiencing has happened before, and we've actually covered it in prior episodes, but this week we're looking at it from a slightly different angle and in much greater detail. We begin with the Big Boom and bust of t...

The vast majority of people grossly underestimate the intricacies of growing produce to feed our nation as well as the significance of agriculture as a national security issue. On this week's episode, we spend time with 2023 Florida Farmer of the Year Wade Purvis having a conversation that provides in-depth insight into growing row crops in South Florida. We dig deep into the process of growing a...

In this episode, we're taking a look back at articles and stories that were featured in the Florida Cattleman Magazine many years ago. The heritage of our cattle culture has oftentimes been encapsulated in the pages of this magazine provided as a service to the membership of the Florida Cattlemen's Association and back issues are now archived within the University of Florida libraries available fo...

JB Ranch is situated in Collier County in the remote reaches of southwest Florida. The ranch is a stunning mosaic of hardwood hammocks, prairies, cypress domes, pine flat-woods, and more. It's steeped in history and the family has made dedicated efforts to protect a special piece of Florida while maintaining diverse yet sustainable agricultural operations. Liesa has been a staunch advocate for Flo...