Working Cows - Regenerative Ranching to Maximize Profitability and Soil Health

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.comRelevant Links:Dr. Temple GrandinSubscribe 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 EconomiesEp. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water CycleEp. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and AEp. 388 Gabe Brown and Luke Jones – Making the Regenerative ShiftEp. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of AgricultureEp. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to ContextEp. 293 Gabe Brown and Matt McGinn – Transitioning to More Adaptive StewardshipEp. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive StewardshipEp. 288 Gabe Brown and Shane New – Managing the Nutrient CyleEp. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North AmericaEp. 277 Gabe Brown – The State of the American Food SystemEp. 121 Gabe Brown – Heifer Development in Sync with NatureEp. 067 Gabe Brown – Dirt to SoilMore 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 businessHost, producer: Richard TuftonCo-host, producer: Claire MackenzieSix Inches of Soil: Website: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/Book: https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/bookInstagram: 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 BrownGabe 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.comRelated Resources:Epigenetics: Blessing or CurseGuest's Previous Episodes:Ep. 430 - Dr. Allen Williams - Keys to Successful Grass-FinishingEp. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural EconomiesEp. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water CycleEp. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and AEp. 369 Dr. Stephan Van Vliet and Dr. Allen Williams – Growing Nutrient Dense FoodEp. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of AgricultureEp. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to ContextEp. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive StewardshipEp. 283 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The 6-3-4Ep. 281 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – The State of Agriculture in North AmericaEp. 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 MineralsRelevant 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 SolutionsEp. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock HealthEp. 368 Ellen Bench – Homeopathic Livestock HealthRanchRightLLC.comRelevant Links:The Peter Byck ShowSupport Peter's WorkPeer Reviewed ResearchRent 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.comSea-90 Ocean Minerals

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 consultation today!Sponsor:UnderstandingAg.comRelevant Links:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7e-Ry2vrNXs?si=4dGBviCX_qE5TRir" 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>

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 Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:Redd Summit AdvisorsRanchRightLLC.comRelevant Links:KZNSolutions.caJosh's Previous Episodes:Ep. 441 Josh Kerpan - How People Help You Escape the Entrepreneurial TrapEp. 407 Josh Kerpan – The Necessary Pieces for Leaders to Replaces Themselves

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 to book your consultation today!Sponsor:UnderstandingAg.comRelated Episode:Ep. 430 - Dr. Allen Williams - Keys to Successful Grass-FinishingGuest's Previous Episodes:Ep. 404 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams on Fixing America’s Broken Rural EconomiesEp. 402 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Fixing America’s Broken Water CycleEp. 380 Gabe Brown, Dr. Allen Williams, and Fernando Falomir – Soil Health Academy Q and AEp. 369 Dr. Stephan Van Vliet and Dr. Allen Williams – Growing Nutrient Dense FoodEp. 361 Gabe Brown and Allen Williams – 2024 State of AgricultureEp. 305 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Matching Management to Context Ep. 290 Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams – Three Rules of Adaptive StewardshipEp. 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

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:Redd Summit AdvisorsRanchRightLLC.com

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 to increase profitability and herd performance.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:UnderstandingAg.comGuests's Previous Episodes:Ep. 445 John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten - Practical Tips for Regenerative Hay MakingEp. 439 John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten - How Amp Grazing Drives Profitability Even in the Midwest Ep. 434 Kent Solberg and Jeremy Sweeten – Capitalizing on the Wildlife Attracted by Regenerative AgricultureEp. 427 Burke Teichert – Five Essentials of Successful Ranch ManagersEp. 385 Kent Solberg and Jeremy Sweeten – Outwintering Cattle Ep. 324 Jeremy Sweeten – Adding Value to Land and LivestockEp. 302 Burke Teichert – Characteristics of Successful Ranch Managers pt. 2Ep. 299 Burke Teichert – Characteristics of Successful Ranch Managers pt. 1Ep. 100 Burke Teichert – Training the Next Generation of Ranch Managers

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 those interested in regenerative agriculture.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:RangeWard.comPowerflexSupply.comRelevant Links:Regenified.comGuest's Previous Appearance:Ep. 365 Kristine Root – Verifying Regenerative Systems

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 trained on more and more information and becomes adapted more to the different regions of the world. Nate Stucky, of Rooted Ag, joined me to discuss all that and more on this episode.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:Redd Summit AdvisorsRanchRightLLC.com Relevant Links:RootedAg.com

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.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:RanchRightLLC.comRedd Summit AdvisorsRelevant Links:Live-Ag.comWe Live It Podcast

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 that fits the 6-3-4 framework.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:UnderstandingAg.com

When it comes to regenerating landscapes hay fields present a particular set of challenges. Keith Berns of Green Cover Seed joined me to share what he has seen work well in helping those hay fields improve using cover crops, grazing, and strategy to keep progress moving forward.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:TireWinder.com\PatreonRelevant Links:Green Cover Seed<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ALWgx2CvTV0?si=oWaF03y8QA7XfHTT" 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>

Northern Environments can be challenging. From ice and snow to bitter cold temperatures there are a different set of challenges in the North. Blain Hjertaas and Michael Thiele of Understanding Ag have a lot of experience making Regenerative Agriculture work in these challenging environments. We discuss the strategies and practices that they have found helpful in overcoming the many challenges of their environment.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:UnderstandingAg.com

Cow poop is an ecosystem unto itself. There are many insects and other organisms living in a dung pat that can help us to make use of the nutrients excreted out of the back end of a cow. Dr. Ryan Schmid shares with me what he has seen work well as far as taking advantage of the helpful insects and mitigating the impact of those that can become pests if the system gets out of balance.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag!Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:Ranch RightSD Grassland Coalition Grazing SchoolRelevant Links:Ecdysis.bioCow Patty Critter w/ Dr. Kevin Floate on Wednesday Night Networking

You will go farther with people than you can go by yourself. To succeed with people you will need to build different skills than it takes to manage grass, money, and livestock. Josh Kerpan is seeking to equip ranchers with the skills they need to manage their people well.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:Ranch RightSea-90 Ocean MineralsRelevant Links:KZNSolutions.caJosh's Previous Episode:Ep. 407 Josh Kerpan – The Necessary Pieces for Leaders to Replaces Themselves

America is a global leader in agriculture. Our influence has an incredibly broad reach. The problem with that is most places around the world don't have the infrastructure and supply chains to support feeding cattle like we do in America. The result is that many places around the world that have used American beef genetics (Taurus and Indicus) now routinely have 40% calf crops with most females only producing a calf every two to three years. Grant Vassberg is working to change that by finding and platforming producers in these countries that have largely stayed the course and continued to raise cattle the way their ancestors did. He does this through his company Bos Sires. He joins me again today to discuss the growth of this company since it's recent launch.Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today!Sponsor:UnderstandingAg.comRelevant Links:BosSires.com