Celtic Cowhunter: Florida's Cow Culture in Poetry & Prose

by W. Bradley Phares

Rancher… Artist… Poet… Writer… Attorney… Any and all of these words combine to describe Brad Phares and are the reasons he’s something beyond your typical cattleman. Brad Phares is an 8th generation American rancher (7th generation in Florida) living in Okeechobee, Florida with his wife, Sam, and children Jacqueline and Jared where he channels his multi-faceted background into his oil paintings and writings to provide a perspective on ranch life unlike any other. Brad grew up working on his family’s ranch with all that time and experience becoming the source of inspiration for his early drawings, paintings and poetry. Upon graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture (animal sciences) and then from St. Thomas University School of Law with a Juris Doctor, rather than pursuing a career as an attorney, he chose instead to focus on his art and hopes that his representations of contemporary Florida ranch life, along with his writings, will serve to enlighten others as to the invaluable benefits that Florida ranches provide to the state’s ecosystem and economy.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2016

Reviews

[eric r. wilkerson]

Great book on a Florida Tradition.

Brad Phares does a great job of connecting the dots on European/American Cattle Traditions within Florida. Poignant poetry, full of feeling, and great storytelling interspersed throughout, compliment the overall context of the book.