Between The Beaches Podcast

Brad Phares
  • 5.0 (170)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

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 historical and contemporary cowboys in the Sunshine State.

  1. 207. Battle In The Pines: The Fight For Florida At Olustee

    FEB 25

    207. Battle In The Pines: The Fight For Florida At Olustee

    Florida was the third state to secede from the Union and played a key role in supplying not only beef, but also other subsistence supplies, to the Confederate States Army. What turned out to be one of the bloodiest battles during the War Between The States occurred on February 20, 1864 in the pine flat woods near Ocean Pond east of Lake City. The Battle of Olustee was the largest battle fought in Florida and resulted in a Confederate victory when Union Forces under General Truman Seymour faced off against Confederate troops led by General Joseph Finegan. In this episode, we review a Florida Historical Society Quarterly article that considers what led General Seymour to proceed against orders with this ill-fated engagement.

    55 min
  2. 206. The Cracker Theme Song: Discussing Our New Podcast Music, Legislative Session, And Some Old Florida History; with Travis Thompson of All Florida

    FEB 6

    206. The Cracker Theme Song: Discussing Our New Podcast Music, Legislative Session, And Some Old Florida History; with Travis Thompson of All Florida

    Thanks to our daughter we've just discovered epic new theme music for the show. It's called "Watch Florida Grow (The Cracker Theme Song) and was recorded by the South Ocean String Band. This song speaks to the heart and soul of anyone who truly cares about Florida so we debut it in this episode and discuss the backstory behind it. We then go on a rambling discussion about conservation in general, the Great Florida Cattle Drive 2026, and some general cow culture history before diving into the 2026 Florida legislative session and some of the pending bills that are being misconstrued and highly misunderstood in an effort to help clear away some of that confusion. We bounce back and forth from lighthearted banter to serious discussions to keep things interesting. Be sure to listen for The Cracker Theme Song in its entirety at the end of the episode. You're gonna love it!

    1h 7m
  3. 205. Early Cowmen, Cattle Drives, and Life in the Wilds of Florida

    JAN 22

    205. Early Cowmen, Cattle Drives, and Life in the Wilds of Florida

    Leading up to the Great Florida Cattle Drive 2026, we're looking back at some of Florida's earliest settlers, the cattle drives they made, how they registered cattle ear marks and brands at the county courthouse, and some of the battles they fought for survival in Florida's unforgiving wild places. From the early 1800's through to the 1940's, we take you on a journey through time as seen through the eyes of those who lived it every day.

    1h 9m
  4. 204. Transitions: A Look At A New Year and Life's Changes Through The Lens Of Cowboy Poetry

    JAN 7

    204. Transitions: A Look At A New Year and Life's Changes Through The Lens Of Cowboy Poetry

    Welcome to Season 7 of Between The Beaches Podcast! To kick off the New Year, we're sharing some cowboy poetry focused on transitions of various types that we all face in our journey through this life. Our hope is that these sentiments bring you some reflections and clarity to propel you forward in a positive direction in 2026. Thanks to our sponsors and you, our dedicated listeners, for your continued support!

    40 min
  5. 203. What's In A Name: A Look At Florida's 67 Counties; with Sam Phares

    12/18/2025

    203. What's In A Name: A Look At Florida's 67 Counties; with Sam Phares

    In this episode, we cover some fun history by taking a look at the name origins for Florida's 67 counties. The names come from many sources including famous public figures, historic languages, prominent landmarks, and more. There are surprises here even for the seasoned Florida native so be sure to tune in and share it with your friends and family. Note:  We had multiple undiagnosed technical difficulties recording this episode.  After a second recording attempt of the second half that partially failed again, we salvaged one audio line to complete the episode.  With that said, please excuse the diminished audio quality of the second half as we had to settle for one mic recording both voices.

    44 min
  6. [SPECIAL REBROADCAST] 138. Perpetuating Florida's Cattle Industry and Heritage Through The Florida Cattlemen's Foundation; with Jim Handley, Executive VP Florida Cattlemen's Association

    12/02/2025

    [SPECIAL REBROADCAST] 138. Perpetuating Florida's Cattle Industry and Heritage Through The Florida Cattlemen's Foundation; with Jim Handley, Executive VP Florida Cattlemen's Association

    NOTE: This week in honor of Giving Tuesday we're re-airing our episode describing all the wonderful work done by our partners at the Florida Cattlemen's Foundation.  If you're considerig year-end giving and want to know that your contribution will used wisely, please visit www.floridacattlemen.org and select the tab for the Foundation where you'll be able to donate.  Alternatively, you can contact the FCA office to discuss alternative ways to give.  Jim Handley has since retired and passed the torch to Dusty Holley as the FCA executive VP, and the same great work for Florida's cattle business continues.  Please consider donating today and sharing with your friends and family.  FCA executive vice president Jim Handley joins us to share a wealth of information about the Florida Cattlemen's Foundation, including it's history, an in-depth look at the many projects they've helped fund and bring to fruition, as well as some general history regarding FCA and his role there. We dig deep in our conversation for what amounts to a very informative discussion that you're sure to enjoy so don't miss it!

    1h 6m
  7. 202. Out Of The Saddle And Behind The Mic: A Conversation with Mary-Margaret Hardee and Gina Tran

    11/12/2025

    202. Out Of The Saddle And Behind The Mic: A Conversation with Mary-Margaret Hardee and Gina Tran

    This week we're collaborating with the hosts from Herding Her Story. For those listeners who've never tuned into this podcast, their goal is to showcase women from across the agriculture industry to highlight their accomplishments, success stories, and unique perspectives. In this conversation, we dive into their individual background stories, how they came together to produce the podcast, and then we flip the script and have the hosts answering the questions rather than asking them. You'll learn a lot about these two vibrant ladies and how they're sharing the story of Florida agriculture in a new way.

    1h 15m
  8. [REBROADCAST] 117. Discovering Intrinsic Worth With Some Cowboy Poetry

    10/30/2025

    [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
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5
out of 5
170 Ratings

About

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 historical and contemporary cowboys in the Sunshine State.

Information

  • Creator
    Brad Phares
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2024 Brad Phares, All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Between The Beaches Podcast

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