Working Cows - Regenerative Ranching to Maximize Profitability and Soil Health
feeds.blubrry.com
What is the key to becoming a more regenerative ranch? How do we increase the effectiveness of our management of the Land, Animals, Money, and People that have been entrusted to us? The Working Cows podcast exists to glorify God by providing farmers and ranchers a platform to discuss and share best practices for increasing soil health, profitability, stockmanship and leadership ability. Each week host, Clay Conry, will talk to leaders in the industry who have made the regenerative shift in their business so that their ranches are more profitable from an economic and ecologic perspective. They will discuss grazing, Holistic Management, herd health, low-stress stockmanship, leadership, and of course putting your cows to work for you.
Articles64
Emilie Hopson has spent years working in corporate HR. Now she has moved on to server ranchers with that expertise. She wants to help give ranchers the tools they need to grow thriving business that serve the ranchers, their families, their employees, and their communities. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Relevant Links: Agri-Culture
Gabe Wight had experience in fields where technology was deployed to help improve the effectiveness of the businesses in which he was involved. So he knew there was a way for technology to help his livestock business thrive as well. He developed Herd Advisor to help get his arms around the data he needed to help him make better decisions. Sponsors: Sunshine Bible Academy Ranch Right Relevant Links: Herd Advisor
Pat Miletich struggled to breathe. For someone competing at the highest levels of Mixed Martial Arts that was a significant limitation. He found out that through detoxification of his body he could breathe better. This lead him on a journey about the connection between soil health and human health. Now he is on a mission to help farmers and ranchers detoxify their soil. Sponsors: Ranch Right Kip Fladland Horsemanship Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: Soil Saviors (Code: WorkingCows10)
The problem with most AI platforms is that they are more concerned about keeping you engaged than they are about giving you accurate well researched information. Ian Murdock trained Save.Ag on quality information from research papers and other sources to make sure that it gives accurate and relevant information to serve ranchers. Sponsors: South Dakota Grassland Coalition Sunshine Bible Academy Kip Fladland Relevant Links: Save.Ag
It's easy to love the idea of being a day working cowboy. It is less clear hot to survive and thrive financially while doing that. Crockett Carothers has found a way to do both. It requires a different way of thinking about how you use your time. Crockett has managed to create the margin whereby he can make a living and have time to day work. Sponsors: Graze Magazine South Dakota Grassland Coalition Bird Tour Sunshine Bible Academy Ranch Right Relevant Links: Crockett Carothers on Facebook The Wealth Cowboy Show on YouTube
Raising food is honorable and resonates deeply with us as humans. Much of worship throughout time has involved food. On top of that food can heal many of the diseases caused by our broken food system. Justin and Jenni Bajema are doing what they can to fix this broken system where they are. We discuss the reasons this work matters and resonates so deeply. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Ep. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock Health Ep. 368 Ellen Bench – Homeopathic Livestock Health Relevant Links: Rebel Truth Podcast Rebel Pastures
Finding cattle that are adapted to your environment goes a long way to generating and protecting profit. Ken and Jenny Stewart have recently acquired a herd of Aubrac Cattle and given their breadth of experience they are very excited about their ability to adapt to a plethora of different environments. Sponsors: Indreland Ranch Create Coaches Ranch Right Graze Magazine Relevant Links: XL Ranch
There are many challenges with passing the ranch on to the next generation. It is difficult financially because many times people need to live on the equity they have built. It is also difficult financially because of the pressure that development puts on ranches to make room for urban expansion. The South Dakota Ag Land Trust has a solution that can help with both of these aspects. Bill Eastman and Karl Jensen join me today to discuss the logistics and considerations of putting your land into a conservation easement. Sponsors: Create Coaching (Applications Now Being Accepted) Indreland Ranch Sunshine Bible Academy South Dakota Grassland Coalition Bird Tour Relevant Links: South Dakota Ag Land Trust Partnership of Rangeland Trust Land Trust Alliance
Marc Walther joined me to discuss several of the products his company produces. Trey Schmidt has been testing these products on his ranch for some time, and he was able to offer his perspective on the effectiveness of the products. Relevant Link: Impact Fusion Brands
Morgan Mickel has been sharing his ranching story on YouTube for about four years. He joins me to discuss the logistics of running a large-scale western sheep operation. We discuss working with herders, lambing, using guardian dogs, and marketing. Sponsors: South Dakota Grassland Coalition Ranch Right Sunshine Bible Academy Indreland Ranch Relevant Links: Morgan Mickel on YouTube
Kip Fladland has been helping people get the most out of their ranch horse for decades. Today we are going to talk about the process of developing a connection with your horse and how to take your horse to the next stage of their training. Sponsors: Indreland Ranch Create Coaches Graze Magazine South Dakota Grassland Coalition Relevant Link: Kip Fladland Horsemanship
Joel Salatin gave a great talk about how to undo the consolidation in our nation's food system. As part of that talk he read a chapter of his unreleased book "Food Emancipation." He also discussed at length the circumstances that led us to where we are with regard to food in this country and how we can chart a better path forward. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Relevant Links: Rogue Food Conference at Polyface (Code: Cows30 for $30 off) The Lunatic Farmer Blog Working Cows on Patreon
Tom Shea has found that unconventional mentorships are key to finding your way in Regenerative Agriculture. His relationships have continued to shape his path forward in finding a way to be profitable. This has led him to take unconventional approaches like grazing solar farms and using technology to increase his effectiveness. Sponsors: Create Coaches Ranch Right Graze Magazine Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: National Grazing Lands Coalition Bus Tour National Grazing Land Coalition
How do we hear from God? The Bible is the Word of God. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are where we can hear from God. But what about other channels? What about coincidences? What about other voices that claim to be from God? How do we test those? Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching has some questions as a result of some classes he has been taking at church. I try to answer those questions today. Sponsor: Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: Greener Pastures Ranching on Facebook
Jimmy Stewart and his wife have been on a journey to find cattle that can graze year-round, calve on their own, and raise a calf on the range. They are continuing to push the envelope to find consistent and even cattle that can provide a heterosis bump for the customers purchasing their bulls. Sponsors: Ranch Right Graze Magazine (Code: WORKINGCOWS) Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: Big Country Genetics
Dan Glenn of Deep Grass Graziers has been thinking deeply about what it means to be profitable in the ranching business. He has come up with a plan that could help more people be profitable when this current cattle cycle comes to an end. We discuss this plan as well as his upcoming innaugural bull sale where you can get your hands on his forage developed bulls and females. Sponsor: Ambrook Relevant Links: Deep Grass Graziers
When times are good in any sector of the economy it presents an opportunity to grow the business or diversify by investing outside of the sector in which we are most heavily invested. Chris Wiley has been a successful real estate investor for many years. He has done this while also holding down other positions sometimes across the continent from his properties. We discuss the how, when, and why of real estate investing with him today. We also discuss how to take a risk and some of the practical considerations to being a landlord. Sponsors: Ranch Right Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MfMtBTnG9v4?si=hiD2r6kpCxcmUkm6" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> One of My Favorite Episodes of the Theology Pugcast Another of My Favorite Theology Pugcast Episodes And Another
There is a day coming when food buyers will be able to scan an individual food item, not a barcode, and determine its nutrient density. Dan Kittredge is a part of the team working to develop this technology. Karl Palmberg is a farmer excited about the prospect of the technology and working to retool his farm to take advantage of it by growing the most nutrient dense beef possible. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Relevant Links: The BioNutrient Institute Sunlight and Rain Grass-Fed Beef
Teddy Gentry of the band Alabama was self-educated in the back of a tour bus about what it takes to make money in the cattle business. He learned about soil health, grazing, and genetics. This led to his development of the South Poll Grass Cattle breed. We discuss the breeds that make up this hearty and profitable composite as well as the process and the unique restrictions they have placed on the breed to protect its long-term success. Sponsor: Ambrook Relevant Links: South Poll Grass Cattle Association
Jay Young of Young Red Angus is a big picture thinker. He has been experimenting with grazing collars for a while now and he is excited about the potential they have to revolutionize his business. He is talking about being more profitable running on fewer acres with better soil health and less time invested. That hits every facet of ranching. We discuss his vision for what the future could look like on this episode. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Relevant Links: Young Red Angus 5th Annual Bull Sale Young Red Angus on YouTube Jay's Previous Episode: Ep. 287 Jay Young – Using Compost Extracts
South Dakota Representative John Shubeck is on a mission to help South Dakota be ready when Thomas Massie's PRIME Act passes. He joins me to discuss his bill as well as what other states and residents in other states can do to help with Thomas Massie's PRIME Act. Sponsor: Get Rogue Food Conference Recordings Relevant Links: John Shubeck Legislative Page Bill Page (Already Signed :facepalm: Congrats Rep. Shubeck!)
One of the sweet spots in any system is when you can turn a "waste" product into a beneficial output. Wool, unfortunately, has become one such product. It isn't as high quality in wetter environments and certain breeds also struggle to produce high quality wool. Add to that the difficulty of those who know how to or want to shear sheep and you can see how this has led to a drying up of the wool market in many places. Israel Vasek has found a way to take these undervalued wool fleeces and turn them into a powerful, carbon rich, soil amendment. We are going to discuss that process with him today as well as the results of some of the studies using wool pellets as a soil amendment. Sponsors: Kaizen Solutions Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: Wooly Naturals
Whenever I hear the "Welcome Back to Ranch Hacks" opener I am immediately intrigued to see what Malcolm MacLean has done to repurpose something to optimize his effectiveness on the ranch. While we do discuss some of his Ranch Hacks today we actually spend a fair bit of our time discussing his Total Grazing program and the cowherd he has been developing to fit that system. Sponsors: Kaizen Solutions Sunshine Bible Academy Relevant Links: Ranch Hack on Facebook Ranch Hacks on YouTube Ranch Hacks on Instagram
It takes a unique mindset to continue to stay in touch with the traditional way of doing things. Scott Gore has been on this journey from a young age. His focus has been on rawhide braiding. We discuss how he got started, lessons he has learned, as well as how he would recommend getting started today. We also discuss what he is doing to help others develop a similar passion to what he has for rawhide braiding. Relevant LInks: Scott Gore Rawhide
How do you regenerate a landscape that your family hasn't managed for decades? This has been the journey that Jim Eitel has been on. We discuss his strategy and the usefulness of the good financial information provided by Ambrook in deciding what to do next. Sponsor: Ambrook Relevant Links: Eitel Valley Farms
Many are familiar with the three-legged stool of Holistic Management made up of Economic, Social, and Environmental legs. While conventional agriculture by and large does a great job of focusing on the environmental and economic legs we can tend to neglect the social leg. Even if we focus on caring for our people it is easy to neglect our community. Today we are joined by Desi King and Bill Milton of Winnett ACES an organization focused on revitalizing rural Montana through facilitating education in regenerative agriculture and making improvements to rural social and cultural infrastructure. Sponsors: Wineglass Ranch Relevant Links: WinnettAces.org South Dakota Grasslands Initiative Summit
Have you ever heard anyone say, "Noone wants to work these days?" Dallas Mount joins me to discuss how to find, hire, and keep good employees. We discuss when to hire and what to pay those people we do hire. Sponsors: Wineglass Ranch Arrow L Ranch Composite Bull Sale Relevant Links: RanchingforProfit.com
We hear many references to a "land of milk and honey." What is that? Why is it desirable? How can we make it a reality on our ranch? We answer these questions and more with Alejandro Carrillo on this episode. Alejandro Carrillo is an accomplished grazier and ranch manager who has had much success in creating a thriving and diverse ecosystem. Sponsors: Wineglass Ranch Arrow L Ranch Composite Bull Sale Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey Relevant Links: Desert Grasslands
We could potentially be leaving a lot of money on the table when we don't have control of our own monetary system. We know the banks often have the largest and fanciest buildings in town. What if we became our own banker. Nick Kosko is here to help us understand how the process works and who would benefit from taking this approach. Sponsors: Rogue Food Conference (Code: Cows30) Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey Relevant Links: CreateTailwind
The more off ramps we can build into our cattle marketing strategy the better. Having versatile cattle that are capable of working in multiple different enterprises gives us more opportunities. Mason Lautenschlager has been on a journey to develop a composite breed that can provide marketing flexibility along with maternal longevity for his customers. He joins me to discuss the process of developing this breed today. Sponsor: Wineglass Ranch Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey Relevant Links: Arrow L Ranch Composite Bull Sale
There are many people saying out loud and in public that they would like to see global beef production greatly curtailed or even ended. Organizations like the World Economic Forum talk about ending the idea of private property. Then they elect Larry Fink of BlackRock, a company that is actively buying up private property. How do we engage in the fight to protect this way of life and the property necessary to continue in it. Shad Sullivan joins us to help us understand what is happening and how we can get involved to push back against those who would oppose our freedom to continue in this way of life. Sponsors: Rogue Food Conference (Code: Shad30) Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey
My family joined me at the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts Annual Meeting to share their thoughts on their favorite (and least favorite) parts of ranching the way we do. We discuss the importance of recognizing the importance of having differing specific on our team. We also discuss the importance of allowing our employees to rest and the lessons we can learn from "The Head of Ranch Security." This was such a special opportunity to have my whole family on stage with me. Sponsors: Arrow L Ranch Composite Bull Sale Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey Relevant Links: North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts
Shawn Freeland has been on quite a journey to get started as a first generation rancher. We discuss the role of grazing and paying attention to soil health in helping that journey succeed. We talk about getting started by buying 10 cows on a whim to pursuing a high input approach to putting his cows to work for him. Sponsors: Rogue Food Conference (Code: Cows30) Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey Relevant Links: Dry Creek Ranch
It is very easy to get the cart before the horse and spend all our time picking colors and fonts and never think about a message that will connect with our ideal customer. Matt Stone is here to help us avoid this trap. He talks us through our marketing strategy, our message, and finally how we should think about our branding. Sponsors: Kaizen Solutions Arrow L Ranch Composite Bull Sale Take the Survey: Working Cows 2026 Listener Survey Relevant Links: Dakota Growth Matt's Previous Episode: Ep. 431 Matt Stone – How to Find Your Ideal Customer
How do we pass on the faith to the next generation? God has entrusted us with tools that are simple. You might say ordinary. They are ordinary in that anyone can do them. They are extraordinary in that when we are faithful to deploy them God gives the increase to our efforts and more is accomplished through them than we could accomplish through any of our best laid plans. In this episode I share with you a sermon I recently preached at a men's breakfast at Bethel Church in Frontier, Saskatchewan. Happy New Year! May God add His blessings to your endeavors in 2026!
The first thing we need to understand is what profit is. Then we need to know what profit is for. Once we have that vision in place we can maintain our motivation over the long hall for sustainable growth. Josh Kerpan joins us once again to talk about the steps to developing that vision as well as a new program he has launched to help people remain accountable to take action on the vision for our business. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RogueFoodConference.com (Use Code Cows30 $30 off your ticket) Relevant Links: Burnout to Breakthrough: The Freedom Blueprint Kaizen Solutions - 100x Breakthrough
The fundamental reality of our lives is a spiritual one. According to Ephesians we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. As I have come to realize the role these battles were playing in my own life and how to fight in these battles my life has changed for the better. On this episode I share with you a talk I recently gave at Bethel Church's Fall Meetings in Frontier, Saskatchewan. Merry Christmas! Thanks so much for tuning in throughout 2025. May God bring you Grace and Peace in 2026.
There is a lot that goes into someone making a decision to make a purchase. How do we understand the driving factors that move people toward purchase decision and make sure that we are prepared to meet them with a product when they are ready? We answer these questions and more in this conversation with Shane Barber of Barber industries. We answer these questions by discussing the lessons Shane has learned in selling his Storage Drinker. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RogueFoodConference.com (Use Code Cows30 $30 off your ticket) Contact Shane: (605)381-2525 Relevant Links: Science of Persuasion
It's not hard to come up with a list of blessings that spring from a life lived in agricultural pursuits. Dr. Allen Williams and Kyle Richardville of Understanding Ag join me today to think a little more deeply about the why behind these blessings. We look at God's Two Great Books the book of His Word and the book of His Creation to see if we can discern His hand in blessing us as we partner with Him in the stewardship of creation. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com
On the backside of every challenge is an opportunity. The limiting factor of your operation from one perspective is the opportunity from a different perspective. You have to learn to think differently about your operation so you can see the ways it sets you up for success. Adam Lasch is here to help us think differently about what certain styles of operations are good at and how they can optimize their opportunities to achieve better results. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right Tire Winder Relevant Links: X Post Thread Discussed
Efficiency is great. Sentimentality is not. Sometimes the thing holding us back from getting to a more efficient cowherd is our unwillingness to let these cows go and start over. Today we discuss how to select for a more efficient cow herd with Bart Carmichael of Wedge Tent Angus Ranch. We discuss the roll of our management in changing a cow herd as well as the unusual selection criteria that actual leads to greater performance. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RogueFoodConference.com (Use Code Cows30 or Wedge30 for $30 off your ticket) Relevant Links: WedgeTentRanch.com Bart's Previous Episodes: Ep. 428 Bart Carmichael and Pat Guptill – How Principles Keep You From Getting Left Behind by Chasing Fads Ep. 249 Bart Carmichael – Managing for Increased Diversity Ep. 218 Bart and Shannon Carmichael – Finding the Right Phenotype
When we think of a generational farm we often think of multiple generations from the same family working the land over the course of centuries. Brian Dougherty and Sara Faivre are seeking to start a generational farm that is generational in it's founding and has a vision of being passed on to another generation sooner rather than later. This approach has changed the way they think about structure, roles, and a host of other crucial topics. We discuss this unique approach in this episode. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Relevant Links: WildTypeRanch.com
Stress at shipping, processing, and weaning are three things that cause major losses in the cattle industry. There are more tools available to deal with these than just those that have been typical in recent years. Ellen Bench of Remedi Animal Solutions joins me to discuss the remedies available to help with these issues. We also talk about best practices for the implementation of a homeopathic livestock health protocol. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RogueFoodConference.com (Use Code: Cows30 for $30 off your ticket) Relevant Links: RemediAnimalSolutions.com Ellen’s Previous Episodes: Ep. 412 Ellen Bench – A Homeopathic Approach to Calving Season Ep. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock Health Ep. 368 Ellen Bench – Homeopathic Livestock Health
Grazing Lawns? What is that? According to Nate Chisholm they are an integral part of natural grazing systems and they should have a place in our grazing systems. We discuss what a Grazing Lawn is as well as how they would be practically implemented into our grazing plans. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right Sea-90 Ocean Minerals
How do we balance cows that won't break the bank with calves that the market is willing to bid on. Steve Campbell helps me answer this question that was recently posed to me. We discuss different strategies that can help with this conundrum as well as the common questions Steve is getting as he travels the country. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RogueFoodConference.com (THROUGH MONDAY 12/1 Use Code Black40 for $40 off your ticket) Relevant Links: TailorMadeCattle.com Steve's Previous Episodes: Ep. 233 Steve Campbell – Bull Sale Catalog Wish List Ep. 196 Steve Campbell – Remineralizing Cattle with Salt Ep. 160 Steve Campbell – Selecting the Right Cow
Roger and Betsy Indreland have been on a journey to develop bulls that fit holistically. These are bulls that are durable and fertile, but they are also tested for some of the intangible traits like sensitivity to pressure in stockamnship scenarios. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Powerflex Supply RangeWard Relevant Links: Indreland Angus
Passing the Ranch on to the Next Generation isn't easy. The Consultants at Understanding Ag have caught my attention due to the high concentration of their consultants that have accomplished this goal. Today on the Working Cows Podcast we discuss the keys to successful succession with Gabe Brown, Blain Hjertaas, and John Hays about how they have approached this challenging task. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Guest's Previous Episodes Ep. 463 Gabe Brown - How Food Can be Common Ground for Common Good Ep. 461 Blain Hjertaas - Winter Feeding Strategies that Drive Profitability Ep. 459 Gabe Brown and Dr. Temple Grandin on Creating a More Resilient Food System Ep. 445 John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten - Practical Tips for Regenerative Hay Making Ep. 443 Blain Hjertaas and Michael Thiele - Does Regenerative Agriculture Work in Northern Environments Ep. 439 John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten - How Amp Grazing Drives Profitability Even in the Midwest Ep. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural Economies Ep. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water Cycle Ep. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and A Ep. 388 Gabe Brown and Luke Jones – Making the Regenerative Shift Ep. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of Agriculture Ep. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to Context Ep. 293 Gabe Brown and Matt McGinn – Transitioning to More Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 288 Gabe Brown and Shane New – Managing the Nutrient Cyle Ep. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4 Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North America Ep. 277 Gabe Brown – The State of the American Food System Ep. 121 Gabe Brown – Heifer Development in Sync with Nature Ep. 067 Gabe Brown – Dirt to Soil
Winter feed costs continue to be one of the greatest determiners of profitability for ranches. Meaning, that more of it we have to do using equipment the less profitable we will be. Brett McRae has been working diligently to find ways to cut down on winter feed costs. One practice that has really moved the needle for him and his operation is grazing standing corn. Today we discuss this practice with him. We talk about how he chooses a field, how he determines forage demand, forage availability, as well as the soil health benefits of this practice. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right Sea-90 Ocean Minerals
John Moody has been involved in many fights for food freedom. From Raw Milk to Cottage Food Laws he has seen the tactics that work and those that don't. He has also seen the tactics used by the other side of these arguments. John helps us think critically about how to win these fights and the tools that are actually effective in battle. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RogueFoodConference.com (Use Code Cows30 for $30 off your ticket)
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: UnderstandingAg.com Relevant Links: 10 Reasons You Should Quit Hay Making
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 Rogue Food Conference. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Rogue Food Conference Mark Your Calendars: February 6th and 7th, 2026 in Rapid City, SD
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 spend the most time marketing. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Guest's Previous Episodes: Ep. 458 Dr. Allen Williams - The Connection Between Epigenetics and Profitability Ep. 452 Dr. Allen Williams - Tips for Maintaining the Quality of Grass-Finished Beef Through the Processing Phase Ep. 430 Dr. Allen Williams - Keys to Successful Grass-Finishing Ep. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural Economies Ep. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water Cycle Ep. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and A Ep. 369 Dr. Stephan Van Vliet and Dr. Allen Williams – Growing Nutrient Dense Food Ep. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of Agriculture Ep. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to Context Ep. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4 Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North America Ep. 148 Dr. Allen Williams – Grazing for Soil Health
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 Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Ep. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock Health Ep. 368 Ellen Bench – Homeopathic Livestock Health Acres USA: Conference Podcasts
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 Working Cows Podcast. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right Sea-90 Ocean Minerals Relevant Links: BeefMaps.com BeefNews.org Beef Initiative on X Shanen Ebersole on X
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 your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right Sea-90 Ocean Minerals Relevant Links: Rockside Ranch Relevant Episodes: Ep. 236 Craig Thompson and Gordon Decker – Restoration Matters Podcast Ep. 190 Craig Thompson and Gordon Decker – Rockside Ranch
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 how we can make sure our businesses are primed to make the most of this opportunity. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Gabe Brown's Previous Episodes: Ep. 459 Gabe Brown and Dr. Temple Grandin on Creating a More Resilient Food System Ep. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural Economies Ep. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water Cycle Ep. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and A Ep. 388 Gabe Brown and Luke Jones – Making the Regenerative Shift Ep. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of Agriculture Ep. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to Context Ep. 293 Gabe Brown and Matt McGinn – Transitioning to More Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 288 Gabe Brown and Shane New – Managing the Nutrient Cyle Ep. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4 Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North America Ep. 277 Gabe Brown – The State of the American Food System Ep. 121 Gabe Brown – Heifer Development in Sync with Nature Ep. 067 Gabe Brown – Dirt to Soil
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 few things rather than adding a lot more enterprises that only produce marginal results. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right Sea-90 Ocean Minerals Relevant Links: Ranching for Profit Dallas' Previous Episodes: Ep. 372 Dallas Mount – Using Business Language – July 8th, 2024 Ep. 333 Dallas Mount – Making Good Decisions Ep. 304 Dallas Mount – What is Profit For? Ep. 198 Dallas Mount – Succession Strategies – July 14th, 2021 Ep. 179 Dallas Mount – The Grazing Principles – March 9th, 2021 Ep. 156 Dallas Mount – Having the Courage to Talk – September 22nd, 2020 Ep. 120 Dallas Mount – Working ON the Business – December 30th, 2019 Ep. 090 Dallas Mount – Profitablity Targets – May 21st, 2019 Ep. 043 Dallas Mount – Turning the Tables – August 20th, 2018 Ep. 029 Dallas Mount – Learning in the Land Down Under – May 15th, 2018 Ep. 002 Dallas Mount – Four Pillars of a Ranching Operation – November 6th, 2017
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! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com
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, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Redd Summit Advisors Remedi Animal Solutions Ep. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock Health Ep. 368 Ellen Bench – Homeopathic Livestock Health Relevant Links: Ranching.FYI Cow Bell Curve Image available at workingcows.net/460
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. Thanks again to Richard and Claire for sharing this conversation! Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Relevant Links: Dr. Temple Grandin Subscribe to the Six Inches of Soil Podcast: <iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5sYPBGgYUDR7t9Z0yIudhM?utm_source=generator&theme=0" width="100%" height="152" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> Gabe Brown's Previous Episodes: Ep. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural Economies Ep. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water Cycle Ep. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and A Ep. 388 Gabe Brown and Luke Jones – Making the Regenerative Shift Ep. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of Agriculture Ep. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to Context Ep. 293 Gabe Brown and Matt McGinn – Transitioning to More Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 288 Gabe Brown and Shane New – Managing the Nutrient Cyle Ep. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4 Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North America Ep. 277 Gabe Brown – The State of the American Food System Ep. 121 Gabe Brown – Heifer Development in Sync with Nature Ep. 067 Gabe Brown – Dirt to Soil More Info About Six Inches of Soil: Six Inches of Soil Podcast, Episode 8: Unbound: discovering unlimited potential when what’s better for cattle is better for business Host, producer: Richard Tufton Co-host, producer: Claire Mackenzie Six Inches of Soil: Website: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/ Book: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixinchesofsoil/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/six-inches-of-soil-b75059234/ Introduction: Dr Grandin and Gabe explore how uniting animal welfare with regenerative agriculture and combining soil practices with Temple’s farming solutions, you have nature and nurture working together as one big metaphorical “hug machine”. This offers a communal hug, if you will, by enveloping the animal’s life with a safe, healthy, happy and tranquil environment, which we know will undoubtedly provide a better life for them. Their conversations weave between regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, and consumer demand. The speakers discuss the importance of integrating livestock with crops, the challenges faced in modern agriculture, and the role of youth in shaping the future of farming. They emphasize the need for visual thinking and innovation in agricultural practices, as well as the impact of climate change on food production. Featuring: Dr Temple Grandin is an American scientist and industrial designer whose own experience with autism funded her professional work in creating systems to counter stress in certain human and animal populations. Dr. Grandin did not talk until she was three and a half years old. She was fortunate to get early speech therapy. Her teachers also taught her how to wait and take turns when playing board games. She was mainstreamed into a normal kindergarten at age five. Dr. Grandin became a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. Today she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She also has a successful career consulting on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare. She has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio) and a BBC Special – "The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow". HBO made an Emmy Award winning movie about her life and she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. Gabe Brown Gabe Brown is one of the pioneers of the current soil health movement which focuses on the regeneration of our resources. Gabe, along with his wife Shelly, and son Paul, ran Brown's Ranch, a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, North Dakota. Their ranch focuses on farming and ranching in nature's image.They have now transitioned ownership of the ranch over to their son, Paul and his wife, Jazmin. Gabe authored the bestselling book, “Dirt to Soil, One Family’s Journey Into Regenerative Agriculture.” Gabe is a partner and Board Member at Regenified and serves as the public face of the company. He is a founding partner in Understanding Ag, LLC. Websites: https://brownsranch.us/ https://regenified.com/about-us/ https://understandingag.com/partners/gabe-brown/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownsranch/?hl=en
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 the lever of epigenetics to our advantage. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Related Resources: Epigenetics: Blessing or Curse Guest's Previous Episodes: Ep. 430 - Dr. Allen Williams - Keys to Successful Grass-Finishing Ep. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural Economies Ep. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water Cycle Ep. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and A Ep. 369 Dr. Stephan Van Vliet and Dr. Allen Williams – Growing Nutrient Dense Food Ep. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of Agriculture Ep. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to Context Ep. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive Stewardship Ep. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4 Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North America Ep. 148 Dr. Allen Williams – Grazing for Soil Health
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 to reverse these negative realities for his family. He shares that journey today. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Sea-90 Ocean Minerals Relevant Links: JR Burdick on X
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 consultation today! Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Ep. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock Health Ep. 368 Ellen Bench – Homeopathic Livestock Health RanchRightLLC.com Relevant Links: The Peter Byck Show Support Peter's Work Peer Reviewed Research Rent or Buy Roots So Deep
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 better grazing and better marketing has made in their business. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: RanchRightLLC.com Sea-90 Ocean Minerals