Florida Crackers: The Cattlemen And Cowboys of Florida

the image of the United States of America in most of the world is defined by the American cowboy that's at the heart of the image of the United States the image of the American cowboy actually comes from a short ten year period of the great cattle drives out west the cowboy is Jude is the American hero like John Wayne what folks don't realize is of all states Florida was the first to have the horse in Florida was the first to have the cow Florida the first to have the American cowboy you know a lot of people don't realize that the first Cowboys in America were from Florida my family's been in agriculture in this country since 1635 every single generation I rode a horse in here when I was 10 years old it was 1937 and all this was open range people asked me when I'm on retire I've never had a job what I do is fun I was born in HIV I grew up on about in Lansing around here we had no telephones and we had no electricity and you know we Cal hunted it's a hard lifestyle not many people want it but ones I have it went trade it for the world can't learn it in a book can't learn on the internet you've got to get out and do it it's got to be in your blood it's got to be in your heart y'all gonna get rich it's not very prestigious long hard days everybody loves what they do we'd love to have a good time they're hard workers they're also a people lichte has a great respect for women and children a South Florida history and I swear the cowboy name and the cowboy heritage live we are people of the land our roots and our heels are in the dirt you cannot be in this business and gorgeous natural forces being good stewards of the land is what we do and have done for generations back in the older days your word and your integrity was so unique yes different world today we do hundreds of thousand dollars worth of business on a handshake that's all you need honesty integrity truth what's that worth I think we have an awful lot to be proud of wouldn't want to be anything but a cracker this is the way alive the dyin breed there's not that many left anymore this Israel not just seeing the movies when we pull down here Cal fell off in that steep ditch there I seen it from back there drowning and uh I didn't want it to drown but I give it a little time to get them kit let them towels get away from it because a momma will get you so I'd as soon as it was clear I jumped in the ditch and grabbed her highest uns are fit but it was a dead calf I've seen there was a couple times I see that he's getting weaker yeah I knew I had to get to it then yeah then I thought that mama Cal was gonna come down on top of me I thought she was gonna charge me that's why I slid back down in the ditch of all states Florida was the first to have the horse in Florida was the first to have the cow Florida's first to have the American cowboy in 1521 Ponce de Leon brought horses and cattle and landed them on lower Gulf coast of the state of Florida that was nineteen years before Coronado with the very first horses and cows to the American Southwest way back do you realize but that's 99 years before the Pilgrims landed in 1620 but what do they teach our children about the beginnings of America somehow Florida gets left out of the story when the pilgrims landed we already had men and women on horseback raising open range cattle here in the state of Florida we already had the American cowboy didn't you hear him all right barely the little fit and cow fans I guess Jordan seems like most everybody in this lifestyle ends up with a nickname his as we all like it but now he might not when he gets older but he likes it now and how started out being Putin Annie and it's going from Putin Annie just down the poop and his daddy is bear that's my youngest brother and got his sidekick today he had started school yet just preschool and putting work we try to throw them young by time 89 years old they order good decent help your dad got it safe one boys pretty good help - or fair - one we got quite a bit of help one boy you got a boy till you got a little bit of help two boys you got a half a boy and three you got trouble fun three boys you've got trouble where you got trouble we used to got at least three you know a lot of people don't realize that the first Cowboys in America were from Clark our family came to the East Coast in 1874 we brought first cattle in the first school teacher I wrote a horse in here when I was ten years old it was 1937 and all this was open rains my family has been in agriculture in this country since 1635 every single generation we had no telephones and we had no electricity and that's what we did you know we tell honey I got a cowboy hat on my head ever since I can remember I was born in a stable I grew up on about and ranching around here a lot of people they say I can't believe that there's cows in Florida all they've ever done is come right on the coast of all states Florida was the first to have the horse in Florida was the first to have the cow Florida's the first to have the American cowboy you what we're gonna do we're gonna going some oak road when we see some hogs and we turn the dogs on and they go down there just hang right here and he's gonna try to take the buggy right up to where to actually set did you see huh oh yeah that's good for over you don't touch that [ __ ] boy they gonna get away already that's what we call a good four hole right there I mean we don't know what God teaches got just now but he's old man he gets to Interpol easy Brenda we got a meeting back over there we need a man you don't see that our branch came to the East Coast in 1874 we brought first cattle with us when we came we're all graduated the school of hard knocks at that time it was only one occupation that could have been afforded as long as there's rough woods it's got a cow in it they're gonna have to have somebody like this to get it and there are many families who have been in the cattle industry and still are to this day my children were born and raised here on the right and if you expose them to horses and dogs and guns and cattle most of them like it a lot of people ASA I can't believe that there's cows in Florida all I've ever done is come right on the coast people ask me when I'm gonna retire but I've never had a job what I do is fun got to enjoy doing it or you wouldn't do it because what we deal with and do most people wouldn't be that's why I get our nude every day cause it's fun and he can't never tell what's gonna happen is always something different I was overwhelmed knocked out it was fabulous we'd go right through them Everglades and I mean not a fence in sight he told a history that most people don't know ever happened and it tells about a present that most people don't know is happening and to see this film and the history and the old families it was special it was just I think it was incredible well I tell you I know atrophy I'm just what I am I'm just - no you cowboy that's all it makes you feel like you could be a part of the movie it welcomes you ride in a lot of people a Sith Lord miss her I can't believe that there's cows Authority everybody thinks about Mickey Mouse and Orlando when they think about Florida but this show that there's a whole nother side to Florida that people don't realize and I think a lot of people will see that and go wow I've been to Florida but I came and went on a cruise I didn't realize I was in cattle country that they actually had this before Texas before the western cowboy it was great to see that story gets home I think people once they see if they're going to be wow I have no idea this was a scripted these were genuine people Palin their life story it was very poignant I mean to see the generations and and the the children carrying on from their fathers their grandfathers our great-grandfather's I was going to leave after high school I got a rodeo scholarship to go to in Texas but I had a hard time leaving this place when you hear those people talk about their culture and their life you can see the sincerity and the passion that they have for what they have and I feel like wow that touched me I think it's going to open up people's minds and to open up their eyes about losing a history and losing a culture if we're not very careful we are people of the land our roots and our heels are in the dirt the things that people had to say about the land and the things we need to do to save it that really had a big impact on me I think it's going to hit a lot of people right in the heart I believe this movie makes you sit down and think makes you think we need to work harder to preserve the green spaces that we have and to preserve the cultures that have made Florida in our country great it's just a great message for America people ask me when I'm all retired you got to have a job to retire from and I've never had a job what I do is food it's been a marvelous experience I thought the movie was was very well done I think it tells a story that needs to be told and needs to be heard I just really enjoyed it that I hope everyone gets a chance to see it and enjoy the way I did there was a lot to be said a lot was heard I think it's gonna reach a lot of people in a good way what I recommend is absolutely this needs to be told and there are millions of people I know will want to see this

Channel: Patrick Smith Online

Views: 176,298

Rating: 4.7485714 out of 5

Keywords: Florida Crackers, Florida Cracker, What is a Florida Cracker?

Id: TTMqrF4j7io

Length: 15min 49sec (949 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 16 2015