Working Cows - Regenerative Ranching to Maximize Profitability and Soil Health

There are myriad reasons to stop making hay. Dr. Carson Roberts shared 10 of them in a recent article. He joins me to discuss those reasons, but we also discuss the practicalities of quitting hay making as well as a case study of the difference in makes in profitability. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Under...

Joel Salatin has an invitation to soybean farmers. He wants them to trade in the equipment for cattle and take advantage of present market conditions in both the cattle markets and the soybean markets that mean it is more profitable and fun to run cows. We also discuss the upcoming Rogue Food Conference in Rapid City, SD on February 6th and 7th and some of the reasons he and John Moody started the...

If we raise great grass-finished beef and get it processed with excellence, but we can't sell it we will have invested a lot of time and money in a product that doesn't generate revenue. Dr. Allen Williams is here to help us think deeply about how we actually sell grass-finished beef to our customers. We will talk about how to respond to questions regarding pricing as well as what cuts we should s...

If you read one author you can become a clone, if you read two authors you can become confused, if you read 100 authors you can become wise. Taylor Henry listened to many books as he planned his exit from one profession. We discuss what he sees as the commonalities among those books and how that has shaped how he thinks about the business of agriculture. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding...

BeefMaps.com is facilitating direct connections between ranchers and those looking to purchase beef. They have a variety of producers on the platform to meet the demand of a variety of consumers. RS June and Shanen Ebersole both have a unique set of skills that helps them to accomplish this task well. We discuss the challenges and the ground they have gained toward the goal on this episode of the...

Zach Osburn's farm has become a place that produces more than just healthy soil and profits. He is working to see life transformation among men in crisis on his farm. He does this through several different approaches. He shares some of the different pieces of this process today on the Working Cows Podcast. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book you...

Gabe Brown has traveled extensively within the United States and around the world. He sees a movement taking shape. People are passionate about healthy food that is grown in healthy soils. This movement reaches into communities, businesses, and governments. It has even reached into the castle of a king or two. He joins me to discuss the way this movement is impacting these different sectors and ho...

Many gurus and business consultants have sung the praises of highly diversified businesses with many streams of income. These businesses are not without their own unique challenges. Dallas Mount of Ranch Management Consultants is here to help us think differently about what success looks like. Sometimes it means identifying the one or two things we do really well and then doing a lot more of those...

Winter feed costs often go a long way in determining our profitability as ranchers. As a Canadian Rancher Blain Hjertaas has learned some valuable lessons in controlling winter feed costs. He joins me today to discuss the strategies that he has found that go a long way to helping drive profitability by reducing expenses related to winter feeding. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Hea...

The idea of purchasing land and animals at the same time seems unthinkable. However, if we are willing to think differently about our management of our key inventories, we can open up a whole new realm of possibilities. John Haskell and Wally Olson are familiar with many stories of people accomplishing lofty goals because they were willing to think outside the box. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Un...

Richard Tufton and Claire Mackenzie of the Six Inches of Soil Podcast generously shared with me a conversation they hosted between Gabe Brown and Dr. Temple Grandin. This is a fascinating conversation that covers Dr. Temple Grandin's perspective on regenerative agriculture and some of her solutions to the fragility in our food system. We get some great back and forth between Gabe and Dr. Grandin....

If we can develop animals that don't depend on inputs we can drive profitability. To do this we need to pay attention to more than just genetics. We need to also allow epigenetics to play a role in that selection process. Dr. Allen Williams was a university professor focused on genetics. His perspective has changed radically since those days. We discuss his understanding of what it takes to use th...

Rural America has been hollowed out by agricultural practices that divorce people from a connection to the land. This has had massive negative cascading and compounding effects. We don't know our neighbors. We don't depend on the land to make ends meet. Our rural communities shrivel up and we are dependent on people farther and farther from us for our necessities. JR Burdick has been on a journey...

Telling a story that takes into account the vast network of interconnected systems is difficult. This has been the journey Peter Byck has been on for nearly a decade. He started with the Carbon Cowboys and now he has released a new documentary series "Roots So Deep You Can See the Devil Down There." Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consu...

Growing up in ranching we are often not taught how to run a business that grows crops and raises livestock. This means that often times our marketing suffers. Art McElroy has been on a journey to learn to market livestock better. He has also sought to graze more efficiently and effectively. Now his son, Lee, has joined him in these efforts. Today we discuss the powerful difference the marriage of...

Ryan Griggs has been on a difficult journey from vegan to the tragic loss of some very close family members. Ultimately, his path led him to involvement helping on farms and a radical shift in his diet and his spiritual life. We discuss all that and more on this episode of the Working Cows podcast. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consul...

If we want be the kind of leader others want to follow we need learn to lead ourselves. Habits are a powerful tool to help us develop personal integrity which can help others want to follow us. Josh Kerpan has been on a journey of learning to lead himself with integrity and that has been a huge help in leading his business to the point that he was able to replace himself. Thanks to our Studio Spon...

You have done the work of successfully grass-finishing your animals. Now what? One often overlooked step is the processing phase. Great meat can be ruined during this crucial step. Dr. Allen Williams joins us today to discuss his tips to maintaining the quality of our grass-finished beef through the processing phase. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com...

Livestock integration is key to regenerating our food system, but is it possible in crops like produce? Jeb Cullipher is proving that it is. Not only is he proving that it is possible he is proving that it can result in the reduction of chemicals as well as increased profits. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor:...

One of the major determinants of ranch profitability is the amount of hay fed every year. One way to avoid feeding excess hay is to develop quality stockpiled forage for winter and dormant season grazing. Burke Teichert and Jeremy Sweeten have experience is very different contexts. This varied experience helps us get a very well-rounded perspective on how to develop graze quality stockpiled forage...

The market for products raised regeneratively is continuing to grow and mature. It may have even reached a tipping point. The consumers looking for these products are educated, tenacious, and willing to pay more for products that match their values and meet their demands. Kristine Root of Regenified joined me to discuss the ways this market has changed as well as how to market our products to thos...

Artificial Intelligence presents an opportunity for ranchers to outsource some of the tasks that they may not enjoy as much as others. Among them are data and analytics. Rooted Ag is on a mission to help farmers and ranchers track the things that matter and then analyze the data that they have collected. In time they hope to continue to expand the effectiveness of this platform as the AI is traine...

Diversity is a key to success in regenerative agriculture. However, most markets are not set up to receive diversity. This means we will have to develop our own markets to profit from the diversity we are bringing to our operation. Luke Jones, of Understanding Ag joins me to discuss the economics of introducing diversity.

Marketing is one of our biggest levers. If we are not intentional about marketing, we will leave a lot of money on the table. Ty deCordova and the team at LiveAg are on a mission to make that process easier for ranchers through creating an online platform for auctions as well as the XChange for livestock and equipment. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.co...

We often think that hay making and land regeneration are at odds. That doesn't have to be the case if we are intentional with our approach to hay making. John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten of Understanding Ag join me to discuss the ins and outs of regenerative hay making. We discuss the challenges to landscape regeneration presented by hay making as well as some practical tips for how to hay in a way th...