Episodes

Daniel Doerksen and his family were seeking genetics that could get by on what the landscape could provide. They were able to accomplish that. One result of that was that they now had animals that could finish well on grass. This meant that they were able to take advantage of a market for Grass Finished Beef in their local area. This has lead to the starting of a butcher shop and a burger restaurant that has contributed to the success of their business. Sponsors: Big Country Genetics (Catalog)...

How do we find the animals that can drive profitability by producing great offspring in their environment without assistance? We can do it yes, through management. That was part one of this conversation. In this, part two of the conversation, we discuss how the genetics express themselves in their environment and how to continually seek more and more adapted animals. Sponsor: By-O-Reg+ Relevant Links: Wedge Tent Ranch Principled Land Managers South Dakota Grassland Coalition Grasslands in Ac...

Peter Askew has been running RanchWork.com for decades. He has seen a lot of what works and doesn't work when it comes to hiring employees on the ranch. He joins me to discuss some the lessons he has learned in helping ranchers find employees and employment. Sponsors: Barber Industries South Dakota Grassland Coalition Indreland Angus Graze! Magazine Relevant Links: RanchWork.com

Rob Havard has been on a journey from disillusionment with agriculture to running a financially struggling farm to paying off debt and being able to help others in his community get started. This has been made possible by his adherence to the principles of Holistic Management. Holistic Management has helped him see how functional genetics fit into a profitable system. Sponsors: South Dakota Grassland Coalition "Grasslands in Action" Conference Ranch Right Ranching.FYI Indreland Ranch Relevant...

Jimmy and ShayLe Stewart of Big Country Genetics have scaled their operation from scratch. This December they will sell 130 forage developed bulls and 100 bred heifers. They started in 2019. The ability to scale that quickly intrigued me. I invited them on to talk about their mindset, how profitable cows helped this growth, and the values that have shaped their business over time. Sponsors: Remedi Animal Solutions Ep. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock Health Ep. 368 Ellen B...

The deck has been stacked against grass and specifically grazing animals for a while now. The RANCH Act seeks to help alleviate these challenges by creating a working lands payment structure that encourages marginal crop acres to come out of row crop production and open them again for grazing acres. AJ Munger has been involved in the development of this legislation. He joins me to discuss the process of bringing this legislation as well as what it seeks to accomplish and how it could help grow t...

Luke Perman helps me think better. He has recently been sharing some challenging articles and perspectives on X. He joins me to discuss those ideas today. We talk about indicators of a peak in the cattle market, how to remain profitable no matter where the market goes, and where to make strategic investments to help mitigate our tax burden. Sponsors: Ranching.FYI Big Country Genetics Seven Weeks Coffee Relevant Links Luke on X American Hippopotamus Knowledge Rich Ranching by Allan Nation

The team at Vision Flight has helped many people hone their vision through their various consulting and educational roles. The problem was this wasn't scalable. They could only help one family at a time. Today we talk to Melinda Sims, John Locke, Shanon Sims, and Emilie Hopson about how they put their years of experience together and develop a tool to help people develop a great vision for the future of their business and life. Sponsors: Austin Hart at Redd Summit Advisors Ranching.FYI Big Cou...

Stan Oller and his family have been making intentional pivots not only so they can generate greater profitability, but also to bring the business more into alignment with their passions. This includes pivoting away from direct marketing, pivoting to sheep, and now a desire to move West from Arkansas to fulfill their desire to steward vast landscapes. Sponsors: Graze Magazine Big Country Genetics Ranch Right Austin Hart at Redd Summit Advisors Relevant Links: Contact Working Cows

In a previous conversation with Luke Jones he told me that healthy soil has room for air, light, and water. That got me thinking about the similarities to the conditions that help make for a healthy soul. I have had this sermon percolating for a long time and finally got a chance to share it at the Cowboys for Christ kickoff to the Newell, SD Labor Day Celebration. Sponsor: Seven Weeks Coffee Relevant Links: Ep. 411 Luke Jones – Changing Our Mindset to Facilitate Regenerative Agriculture

When Derek Jackson was described by his Ranch Rolodex Co-Host Zach Hopson Zach said Derek's strengths were in his ability to run the numbers and get useful information out of spreadsheets and other analytical tools. We discuss what numbers have mattered most in helping Derek and his family succeed early in their ranching journey. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Relevant Links: Ranch Rolodex Podcast

We are continuing to try and think outside the box regarding New World Screwworm. This time we are joined by Ellen Bench to discuss a homeopathic perspective on what makes animals vulnerable to infestation as well as how to prevent infestation and ways to approach care of those who are most vulnerable. Sponsors: Remedi Animal Solutions

The crew at Ranching.FYI has introduced a true innovation in the Marketing Education sector. Their Ranching SIM helps simulate the pressure we face everyday in our marketing decisions. Nelson Koehn, Cinnamon Lenhart, and Brian Munger joined me to discuss the mindset we must have to prepare for the next market fluctuation. We also discuss the ways that an understanding of the philosophy of learning has shaped their school. Sponsors: Kip Fladland Horsemanship 100th Meridian Ranching Ranch Right ...

Zach Hopson struggled to get traction in the ranch business until he learned the skills and mindset necessary to scale his business. Since that time he has been able to successfully place cattle in a few different states. We discuss the advantages and challenges of this strategy as well as the benefits. Sponsors: Ranching.FYI Austin Hart at Redd Summit Advisors Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) Seven Weeks Coffee Relevant Links: The Ranch Rolodex

Steve Campbell and Will Winter have decades of experience in keeping cattle thriving. They seek to do this through natural means that don't require a load of pharmaceuticals. Today we are turning our attention toward New World Screw Worm. What is it? Can we treat it? And how do we prevent it? Sponsors: Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) 100th Meridian Ranching Ranch Right Austin Hart at Redd Summit Advisors Relevant Links: Campbell's Daily Apple - Bulk Apple Cider Vinegar Steve Campbell Will Wi...

Daniel Unruh and his wife Elli have started their ranch from nothing. They have taken an unconventional approach that wasn't worried about fitting into anyone else's box or ranching according to predetermined paradigms. We discuss the journey thus far as well as how they are working towards reaching some of their loftier goals in the near future. Sponsors: Ranch Right Austin Hart at Redd Summit Advisors 100th Meridian Ranching Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) Relevant Links: Ranch Rolodex Podca...

On this episode I share with you a conversation I had with Abby Rose of Farmerama, Ffinlo Costain of Farm Gate, and Ben Eagle of Meet the Farmers. They are all longtime UK based podcasters. This conversation was facilitated by Richard Tufton and Claire Mackenzie of the Six Inches of Soil Podcast. We discuss the ways that stories and storytelling are helping to heal soil and inspire change in our agricultural and food systems. Sponsors: Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) 100th Meridian Ranching Sou...

Will Harris has a unique perspective on the growth of regenerative agriculture. He has a front row seat to see its adoption and pushback. He joins me to discuss the ways he has seen it grow. Where it is today and what is needed for further progress in the adoption of regenerative agriculture. Sponsors: Redd Summit Advisors - Austin Hart South Dakota Grassland Coalition 100th Meridian Ranching Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) Relevant Links: White Oak Pastures Center for Agricultural Resilience

Derek Schwanebeck has been on a journey of lifelong learning. Some of his classrooms have been unconventional, but they have all shaped him into the manager and leader that he is today. In this episode we discuss the winding road of his lifelong learning path. Sponsors: Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) 100th Meridian Ranching Relevant Links: Cornerstone Grazing Executive Link

The Ranch Rolodex podcast is coming soon. The guys behind the podcast joined me to discuss their stories as it relates to starting a ranch. We discuss the importance of mentorship, challenging paradigms, and finding a network of people who can help you go further. Make sure to regularly hang out with Zach Hopson, Derek Jackson, and Daniel Unruh of the Ranch Rolodex Podcast. Sponsors: Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition - Grazing School Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) Ranch Right 100th Meridian Ran...

Many are familiar with the benefits of essential oils for external use and aroma therapy. Advanced Ag Products has figured out a coating technology that can get essential oils to the lower GI tract. They have been seeing great results with increasing livestock health and animal performance. We discuss this technology and its benefits with Dr. James Caldwell and Ken Stewart today. Sponsor: By-O-reg+

Jake Miller has been facing a prolonged drought. They have been diligent to protect the range health and continue to challenge their cattle to move their ranch forward in the face of this drought. This has paid dividends when they have had large rainfalls. They have been able to hold on to the rain they do get and see the range spring back to life. Sponsors: Dominium Wealth (Episode 490) Ranch Right 100th Meridian Ranching Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition - Grazing School Relevant Links: Li...

Long-term Care can easily eclipse five figures per month. That becomes an issue pretty quickly from a cash-flow perspective. There are ways to protect the ranch and other assets from the threat of long-term care expenses. Mary Jo Irmen and Michelle Prather are writing a new book that will walk ranchers through the process of protecting their assets. Sponsor: Remedi Animal Solutions Relevant Links: Care Income Planning Farming without the Bank Michelle's Book

As the regenerative space matures it becomes more and more apparent that one of the challenges is finding genetics that won't break the bank with their maintenance requirements. On the other side of the same coin a challenge can be finding a marketplace for grass-based genetics that you have raised. Cory Eft is seeking to solve that through his Astoria Livestock Platform. We discuss what drew him to this work as well as the process through which he has been going to get it off the ground. Spons...