Join host David Flores and Subject Matter Expert Homero Vera (Editor/Publisher of El Mesteño Magazine) as they dig into the story of Rancho Los Braziles, a place in north-central Brooks County that has been in continuous operation for nearly 150 years. In this episode, you will learn about:

• The Founding: The journey of Don José Anastacio Barrera, who crossed the river from Cd. Mier, Tamaulipas, to the Republic of Texas to establish the ranch on May 7, 1878, after buying 1,100 acres for 250 pesos.
• The Legacy: How the Barrera family, who trace their roots to the founding of Mier in 1753, endured a severe drought in the 1890s through hospitality and familia, eventually going from sheep and goats back to raising cattle.
• The Brand: The two theories behind the ranch's unique fierro (brand) shaped like the sole of a shoe (suela de un zapato): a nod to Anastacio's sons, Placido and Manuel, who were legendary trackers (rastreadores), or a reference to the leaf of the native Brazil tree that gives the ranch its name.
• South Texas Grit: The story of the ranch's longevity, from its humble land deal to being honored by the Texas Department of Agriculture in 1987 for 100 years of service.

Recipe Segment: Leche Quemada Dulce

Book Segment: The Woman Who Lost Her Soul: And Other Stories by Jovita Gonzalez, published in 2006 by Arte Público Press