Working Cows - Regenerative Ranching to Maximize Profitability and Soil Health

Jeff Ramseyer a regenerative farmer from Ohio joined me to talk about a new opportunity to reboot some crop land and overgrazed pasture. Jeff gives me a bit of an education on Ohio agriculture and then we talk about the history of the piece of land he has the opportunity to manage and what he plans to do to influence the landscape in a more healthy direction.

NOTE: Sorry about the audio issues during the intro I had the wrong microphone selected for the first 90 seconds. #stillarookie Anneliese Walker is one of the driving forces behind Walker Farms near the Twin Cities in Minnesota. They are direct marketing a host of proteins. As such Anneliese is uniquely qualified to discuss and lead others toward a more holistic approach to developing a better relationship with the end consumers of their products. To accomplish that goal she has set out to produce a new course aimed at helping people take an ecosystems approach to direct to consumer marketing. WCP Christmas Wishlist ;):WCP Amazon Wishlist Links Mentioned:Get the Free eBookAnnelieseWalker.com Guest’s Previous Episode:Ep. 153 George and Anneliese Walker – Stacking Enterprises

NOTE: Sorry about the audio issues during the intro I had the wrong microphone selected for the first 90 seconds. #stillarookieAnneliese Walker is one of the driving forces behind Walker Farms near the Twin Cities in Minnesota. They are direct marketing a host of proteins. As such Anneliese is uniquely qualified to discuss and lead others toward a more holistic approach to developing a better relationship with the end consumers of their products. To accomplish that goal she has set out to produce a new course aimed at helping people take an ecosystems approach to direct to consumer marketing.

Kathy Voth is the founder, publisher, and editor of OnPasture.com. Tip Hudson is the host and creator of “The Art of Range” podcast. They joined me to discuss what we have learned in building the online platforms and what it takes to sustain those platforms. Support WCP:WorkingCows.net/Support Links MentionedOnPasture.comArtofRange.com

Kathy Voth is the founder, publisher, and editor of OnPasture.com. Tip Hudson is the host and creator of "The Art of Range" podcast. They joined me to discuss what we have learned in building the online platforms and what it takes to sustain those platforms.

The Colorado Section of the Society for Range Management recently hosted a webinar series. This was a great opportunity to hear from many great minds in the industry. I was privileged to participate in a discussion with Tip Hudson, of The Art of Range Podcast, and Kathy Voth, of OnPasture.com, about building online communities. Follow WCP:Facebook.com/WorkingCowsTwitter.com/YPClayConry Relevant Links:The Art of RangeOnPasture.comCSSRM.org/Webinars

The Colorado Section of the Society for Range Management recently hosted a webinar series. This was a great opportunity to hear from many great minds in the industry. I was priviliged to participate in a discussion with Tip Hudson, of The Art of Range Podcast, and Kathy Voth, of OnPasture.com, about building online communities.

Subscribe to WCP:WorkingCows.net/subscribe Watch the “Hanna Ranch” Documentary: Hanna Ranch Official Trailer from Hanna Ranch on Vimeo. “Hanna Ranch” on Amazon Subscribe to Ag State of Mind:

The Colorado Section of the Society for Range Management recently hosted a webinar series. This was a great opportunity to hear from many great minds in the industry. I was priviliged to participate in a discussion following a screening of the "Hanna Ranch" documentary, a film that deals very honestly with issues around rural mental health.

Dave Pratt, CEO Emeritus of Ranch Management Consultants, joined me to discuss his new book “The Turnaround: A Rancher’s Story.” This book introduces and outlines many of the principles taught in the Ranching for Profit school. We also talk about what Dave has learned through the transition of Ranch Management Consultants and his thoughts on the passing of Stan Parsons, Founder of RMC. Follow WCP:Facebook.com/WorkingCowsTwitter.com/YPClayConry Book Mentioned: Attend RFP with Dave:RFP Registration Dave’s Previous Episodes:Ep. 114 Dave Pratt – Monuments to Tax Avoidance – November 4th, 2019Bonus Ep. 080 Dave Pratt – Disaster Recovery – April 1st, 2019Ep. 070 Dave Pratt – Owner Value – January 28th, 2019Ep. 041 Dave Pratt – Core Principles – August 6th, 2018Ep. 013 Dave Pratt – Customer Value – January 22nd, 2018

Dave Pratt, CEO Emeritus of Ranch Management Consultants, joined me to discuss his new book "The Turnaround: A Rancher's Story." This book introduces and outlines many of the principles taught in the Ranching for Profit school. We also talk about what Dave has learned through the transition of Ranch Management Consultants and his thoughts on the passing of Stan Parsons, Founder of RMC.

Steve Campbell, a grazier and lecturer from Idaho, joined me to discuss some of the major takeaways from his two day school hosted by Wedge Tent Angus Ranch near Faith, SD. We talk about what to look for in grass-efficient cows as well as how to improve the cows we have through bull selection. Sponsor:Wedge Tent Angus Ranch Links Mentioned: Check out Steve’s Schedule or get a hold of him for a copy of the Bonsma LecturesTailorMadeCattle.comMilch Cows by Francios Guenon

Steve Campbell, a grazier and lecturer from Idaho, joined me to discuss some of the major takeaways from his two day school hosted by Wedge Tent Angus Ranch near Faith, SD. We talk about what to look for in grass-efficient cows as well as how to improve the cows we have through bull selection.

Nicole Masters joined me to discuss the purpose of weeds on the landscape. We talk about how to be patient and allow weeds to accomplish their job. We also discuss how to determine if the weeds are going to continue to increase or if they are merely bringing in nutrients in which our rangeland plants are deficient. Support WCP:WorkingCows.net/Support Nicole’s Book: Links Mentioned:IntegritySoils.co.nzWhen Weeds Talk by Jay McCaman

Nicole Masters joined me to discuss the purpose of weeds on the landscape. We talk about how to be patient and allow weeds to accomplish their job. We also discuss how to determine if the weeds are going to continue to increase or if they are merely bringing in nutrients in which our rangeland plants are deficient.

Michelle Reines is a leadership coach focused on equipping everyday leaders with the tools they need to level-up their leadership skills. We talk about Michelle’s bull ride that set her on the journey to improve here leadership toolkit. Contact WCP:WorkingCows.net/Contact Links Mentioned:Michelle’s BookMichelle’s Gift for WCP Listeners

Michelle Reines is a leadership coach focused on equiping everyday leaders with the tools they need to level-up their leadership skills. We talk about Michelle's bull ride that set her on the journey to improve here leadership toolkit.

Reilly Sasse, one of the minds behind Tomcat Mfg, joined me to discuss the benefits, challenges, and tools available to effectively water livestock. We talk about treating bad water, rehabilitating wells and windmills, and getting the most out of our water infrastructure.

Dallas Mount, CEO of Ranch Management Consultants, joined me to discuss his recent Profit Tips article “Having the Courage to Talk.” We talk about how crucial it is to improve our skills around handling difficult conversations. We also discuss some tools that can help us improve our skills.

Justin Rader of 100th Meridian Ranching joined me to discuss the advantages of leasing bulls for your cow/calf operation. We talk about the flexibility of this practice as well as the lengths to which they are going to ensure the health and safety of the bulls they lease.

Jim Gerrish joined me again to talk about the Four Laws of Ecology. We talk about what they are, how they can be a help to us and how we can make sure that we are working in sync with them rather than trying to fight the uphill battle against them.

George and Anneliese Walker of Walker Farms near Princeton, MN joined me to discuss the benefits and complexities of stacking multiple enterprises on the same ground. We talk about the roll chickens play on rangeland, the necessity of developing your market, and what it is that people buy when they buy our products.

Jason Mauck joined me to talk about how he is attempting to fix broken supply chains in manure and meat. We talk about the many different ways he is adding value to manure and meat as well as the space he is trying to create to help farmers and ranchers have better access to the end consumers of their products.

Zack Smith an Iowa farmer joined me to discuss his new production model called “stock cropping.” We talk about the “ClusterCluck 5000” the implement he and his partner have invented to stock crop the fields they manage. This is an exciting piece of equipment they are seeking to scale up and bring to market. This practice has massive potential to change the ecological and financial landscape of farming.

Allan Savory joined me once again to pick up our discussion from our previous episode. He made a statement that intrigued me about saving Western Ranching Culture. I wanted to understand what he thought about Western Ranching Culture, what has jeopardized it, and how we go about saving it.

Ryan Noble of Yuma, CO joined me to discuss their thought process and strategies for managing through a drought. We talk about the physical side of drought management, the mental side of drought management, and what to do when you have done everything you can for drought management.

Dr. Allen Williams, a Partner at Understanding Ag, LLC, joined me to discuss recovering from academia, grazing for soil health, and monitoring soil and range health.

John Coleman Locke and Stuart Austin both master graziers in their own right joined me to discuss how and why they use animal density. We talk about John’s Ultra-High Density Grazing operation in Hungerford, TX and Stuart’s grazing at Wilmot Cattle Company in New South Wales, Australia. This was a unique opportunity to give these two gentlemen the opportunity to share the why behind their operations and then ask each other questions about their methods.

Meg Greski is a speaker, writer, consultant, and ranch hand. She has forged her own path into ranching and has been on a mission to extend the reach of regenerative ranching since high school. We talk about that experience today. We talk about grazing, enterprise selection, environmental selection, genetic selection, and a host of other issues.

Jim Gerrish, grazing expert, joined me to discuss the process of getting started introducing more and proper recovery (not just rest). We talk about where to start, how grass grows, and some of the reasons you might consider adjusting your strategy.

Bryan Moes, a feedlot operator near Watertown, SD, joined me to talk about his business and how Performance Beef has impacted the way they collect, manage, and interpret data. We also talk about some of the improvements in soil health that won Moes Feedlot the 2018 NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award for Region 7.Sponsor:Performance Beef

Charlie Arnott, grazier and biodynamic educator from New South Wales, Australia, joined me to discuss his new podcast, The Regenerative Journey with Charlie Arnott. We talked about a wide range of subjects including raising resilient children, the niche in which Charlie’s podcast exists, and how he is introducing biodiversity on his property.

Brian Alexander joins me once again to talk about what is new, better, and different as they come back to the same areas they strip grazed last year. We talk tools, recovery, and managing people.

Call in and answer these three questions: What have you done to make sure your ranching practices are in sync with nature? What are you doing to make sure you are more than the lowest cost producer? What are the indespensible tools you use on your operation?Call in:+1(605)549-5401

No doubt technology plays a big role in our daily lives. In this episode, I talked with Dane Kuper and Justin Sexten to learn more about Performance Beef and how the technology makes things easier for cattle feeders. We talk about the specifics of how the technology works, the way it is improving the quality of life for cattle feeders, and some on farm “gamification” that has sprung up among users of this technology. https://www.performancelivestockanalytics.com/performance-beef/Sponsor:Performance Livestock Analytics

Allan Crockett is a ranching consultant with many years of experience helping people work through their problems. He is also an instructor for the Ranching For Profit school put on by Ranch Management consultants. He joined me to talk about managing the people problems on your ranch. We talk a lot about passing the ranch assets and management on to the next generation as well as creative ways to get started with a ranch business.

Taylor Moyer, Crew Chief for the Jr. Motorsports Racing #8 Car in the Xfinity Series, joined me to talk about what goes into managing the complexity that exists in the shop of a NASCAR race team. We also talk about his families rich history in farming and his own personal connection to the farm industry.

In this bonus episode I share some highlights of the recordings I captured at the Holistic Management Canada 2020 Conference. There are recordings from Don Campbell’s talk on financial planning and keys to success. That is followed by a bull pen discussion with Don Campbell, Dana Penrice, Bluesette Campbell, and Ralph Corcoran. Finally we have Kevin from Red Deer, AB sharing his introduction to the Producer Grazing Panel of which I was a part. For the full recordings of all these talks and more support the Working Cows podcast at patreon.com/WorkingCows

Hugh Aljoe, Director of Producer Relations for the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, OK, joined me to discuss the skills required to progress as an intentional manager. We talk about the intentional management of pastures, livestock, marketing, records, finance, and personnel.

Ian Mitchell-Innes is a world-renowned grazier and educator. He is a wealth of knowledge and communicates clearly and practically his passion to help people receive the maximum amount of benefit possible from the key resources entrusted to them. At the end of this episode I share some thoughts on how we can respond to this current time of uncertainty.

Ben Gotschall of Davey Road Ranch joined me to discuss the ins and outs of managing market complexity. We talk about nutritional food, getting that food to market, and getting paid for those products.

Ariel Greenwood, partner at Grass Nomads LLC, joined me to talk about the day to day realities of managing land, animals, and people in a nomadic lifestyle. We talk about how she got started, where she is now, and how she thinks about the importance of communication to those down the supply chain in our food system.

Cody Spencer, Co-Manager of Roam Ranch in the Hill Country of Texas and Co-Owner of Sweetgrass Bison in Southwest, AB, joined me to discuss the work he is participating in to regenerate an abused and brittle landscape. We talk about using cover crops, calving in sync with nature, and finding animals that are adapted to a wide variety of environments.

Dr. Abbey Wick and Tim Hammerich, the two minds behind the NDSU Soil Sense Podcast, joined me to talk about why the started this podcast and what they were hoping to accomplish through this venture.

I sat down with Jamie Depape, Chief Operations Officer for Annelida Casting Innovations, a worm casting bio stimulant manufacturing company just outside of Edmonton, AB, CA. We talked after finishing a tour of the first of two facilites. This was a great opportunity to see, hear, and smell the benefits of worm castings for range and soil health

Here is my talk from the 2020 Holistic Management Canada Conference. I was asked to share the lessons I have learned from 100+ podcast interviews. What have you learned through the podcast?

While in Camrose, AB, CA for the Holistic Management Canada 2020 conference I sat down with Steve Kenyon and talked about the discipline of lifelong learning. One thing that became abundantly clear at the conference was that many of the greatest minds in Canadian Holistic Management display a commitment to lifelong learning. Steve is a primary example of this so I asked him to sit down with me and talk about the why and how of his learning.

Darrell Oswald, Manager of the Menoken Farm, joined me to discuss how they are approaching improving soil health at Menoken Farm. We talk about the Five Pillars of Soil Health as well as the upcoming Farming and Ranching for the Bottom Line conference.

Craig Guffey, one of the minds behind Swearngin Angus, joined me to discuss how he got started from nothing. We also discuss finding animals that are adapted to the environment and challenge more than a few paradigms related to phenotype.

Cooper Hibbard is a member of a multi-generation ranch in the mountains of Montana. He joined me to discuss how they go about using polywire to graze these difficult terrains. We also discussed how they are trying to find genetics fit to their environment and what Cooper learned on various ranches on three continents.