The Goat Grazing Podcast

If you started a goat grazing company with your romantic partner, would it help or hurt your relationship? Where would you go for information if you were just getting started? How would you ensure that you didn’t overextend yourselves by getting too big too soon? Justin Simarro and Amanda Budde, with The Goat Grazing Company in California, join Max Wade to talk about how starting a goat-grazing bu...

What would you do if your farm was losing money year after year? Would you have the courage to bet your entire farm as collateral as you put well over a million dollars into building a solar farm? How would you utilize that solar farm to teach the public about the potential of agrivoltaics? Byron Kominek, of the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center and Jack's Solar Garden, joined Max Wade on T...

Would your relationship survive the trials of starting a goat grazing operation? Could you run a grazing business without purchasing a single goat? How would you find government jobs over 100 miles away from your base of operations?  The power couple behind Restoration Grazing, Rex Rutledge, and Susan Elder, came on the podcast and talked about how they created a grazing company together despite n...

Have you heard of Angora Goats? How would you build a business around colored mohair? Is social media a good way to promote your business? Rachel Abraham, from Red Falcon Ranch and Shop Caprine, joined Max Wade to discuss how her and her family got into raising colored Angora goats to harvest their mohair, how they decided on making socks and throws, and how soical media has been pivotal in promot...

What would you do if sheepherding a flock of sheep for a Diné family ignited a lifelong passion in you? Do you wish more people were in tune with where their food comes from and had the knowledge to process an animal themselves? In this episode, Nic Moss, with Bunchgrass Grazing, shares his journey from nomadic shepherd to general contractor, and back again to being a shepherd, but this time as a...

If the fate of your family farm was in your hands, what would you do to save it from bankruptcy? Where would you go to learn more about the opportunities within the solar grazing industry? Chad Raines, owner and operator of Key Farms, joined Max Wade on The Goat Grazing Podcast and talked about his journey into becoming a solar sheep grazer. He detailed how sheep were the tool that allowed him to...

Have you thought about becoming a goat grazer but are too afraid to take the leap and quit your job? Do you get tired of always setting up electric net fencing? Stephanie Bowers with The Glorious Goat Ranch, joined Max Wade to discuss how Nofence gave her the power to manage her herds of goats virtually, eliminating much of the need for electric net fencing, all while working full time for UW Madi...

Do you dream of hiking deep into the back country with your family, but can't convince them to carry the packs it would take to make it a comfortable trip? Have you wondered what it would be like to survive entirely off of goat milk on a multi-day hike deep into the mountains? Are goats as lovable as dogs? Marc Warnke, owner and operator of Pack Goats , joins Max Wade on The Goat Grazing Podca...

Do you struggle to keep grazing jobs out ahead of you? What would you do if a solar farm was put up near your house? Have you wished there was a better way to manage your herd? Beau Stafford with Wiscovery Farms joins Max to discuss his journey into solar grazing and what led him to get Nofence electric net collars, which have transformed the way he operates his business and allow him to sleep at...

Are you tired of setting up polywire and portable electric net fencing? Do you have dreams of managing your herd from anywhere on the planet? Lindsey Weber, US Marketing Manager at Nofence, joins Max on The Goat Grazing Podcast to answer all the most commonly asked questions and explain how this cutting-edge technology can allow grazers to avoid portable electric net fencing and give them freedom...

Would you get into goat grazing if it meant that you could quit your job and run your own business? Can your animals eat so called "toxic" plants like Kochia and Cheatgrass? Do you know the power of getting your brand out there on social media? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, Zakary Copeland with Idaho Goat Grazers, talks about his journey of becoming a full time goat grazer...

Would you take in unwanted goats to build your grazing herd? What issues would you run into if your grazing business was in Australia? Is there a way you can have others raise your baby goats?  In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, Denny Woods with Central Coast Goats explains how he continues to build his grazing herd with feral goats, how snakes cause multiple goat losses per year, and ho...

What is the main difference between a good guardian dog and a bad one? How can you get your livestock guardian dog to stay closer to your animals? Are genetics or training more important? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, Rebecca Miller uses her wealth of knowledge and experience to answers these questions and many others about livestock guardian dogs. Where to find her: Instagram: @tru...

What value added avenues are there for those who own goats and sheep? Are there ways to transport goats without a truck and trailer? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, learn about the unique and exciting strategies Scout implements to make the most of her livestock as well as what inspired her to transport her goats and sheep using a bus instead of a truck and trailer. Find her @ Instagr...

What should you do if your pet goats are costing you too much money? What goat breed can withstand Arizona heat? Are there even grazing opportunities in a place where temperatures climb well over 100 degrees on a regular basis? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, listen and learn about how Reece, with Rocking AR Goats, got into goat grazing after his wife said the goats were going to eat...

Would you travel across the world to pursue your dreams? How would you pick the ideal state for goat grazing? What about Nofence adds so much versatility to a goat grazing operation? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, Stephen Paul with Raleigh Goats answers all these questions. From how he made the leap to leave Australia for the US to start his goat grazing business, to the tools and su...

Have you ever dreamed of being your own boss or of spending most of your time with animals? What if there was a business that would allow you to do just that?   Meet Dusty Hess, co-owner and operator of The G.O.A.T Grazers, a prescribed grazing company focused on vegetation control in East Tennessee. In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, learn how he decided that goat grazing fit his dream...

What lengths would you go to learn the knowledge needed to teach the next generation of shepherds? How could sheep hides allow your grazing business to stay afloat? Are there any benefits to having a mixed herd of goats and sheep? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, Cole Bush from Shepherdess Land and Livestock details her travels overseas to learn from shepherds so that she can be the ve...

How would you herd goats on a remote job where you can't take your trailers? Is there a way that goat grazing can help mitigate allergies? What goat and sheep breeds are the best suited for the job? Listen to this episode of the Goat Grazing Podcast to learn how Amanita Berto, with Horned Locust Goat Scaping, and New Mexico Film Animals, operates an off-grid grazing operation using horses, dogs, a...

In this episode of windshield time, Max shares some unfortunate news about one of the foundational government jobs that allows his goat grazing business to survive, and explains the importance of having backup jobs lined up to mitigate the risk of instances like this.

What are the benefits of solar grazing? How can agrovoltaics allow farmers to benefit from solar power farms? How can solar farms benefit from hiring graziers? What are some challenges that come with solar grazing? In this episode, listen to Jess Gray as she answers all these questions. As a solar grazier and a member of the American Solar Grazing Association, she is uniquely qualified to shine li...

In this episode of Windshield time, Max talks about how he is still able to graze in New Mexico despite the majority of the weeds being toxic.

What lengths would you go to to help prevent future devastation if your city in California suffered from the worst wildfire in its history? Would you buy hundreds of goats and start your own goat grazing company? Would you become a certified type one fire fighter to gain the proper knowledge to best help your customers? In this episode of The Goat Grazing Podcast, listen and learn why Michael Leic...

In this episode of windshield time, Max shares why he will no longer do overnight grazing on July 5th. Not grazing on July 4th is already one of the rules of his operation because the goats do not respond well to fireworks, but recent events taught him why he should extend that rule to July 5th.

What would it take to convince you to leave a job in corporate America and become a full-time goat grazier? How does keeping goats in a trailer at night work? If you have no land to keep goats, is there any way to start a goat grazing business? In this episode of the Goat Grazing Podcast, Jennifer Zietler with Let's Goat Buffalo, answers these questions. She explains what inspired her to pursu...