Essential Ingredients Podcast 024: Regenerative Ranches: How Sustainable Livestock Farming Can Help Solve Climate Change with Marshall Bartlett
“This isn't just a purchasing decision. This has huge and sweeping ramifications. As consumers, we dictate the food system; our choices pull a lever that directly dictates how all this works.” —Marshall Bartlett
Sustainable meat production is about more than just the end product— it's also about supporting a holistic farming system that nourishes both people and the land. When consumers make the conscientious choice to purchase meat from farms practicing this kind of care, it solidifies a food system that will continue nourishing communities for many years to come.
This week, Justine sits down with Marshall Bartlett, the co-founder and CEO of Home Place Pastures, a fifth-generation family farm in Mississippi that has transformed over the past decade to practice regenerative agriculture through rotational grazing of grass-fed beef and pastured pork. Marshall aims to improve soil health, support ethical animal welfare, and make locally grown, sustainable meat accessible in his community.
Tune in as Justine and Marshall talk about the challenges of conventional agriculture, how regenerative practices like rotational grazing can improve soil health and sequester carbon long-term, and the importance of education and storytelling to help consumers understand labels and make informed choices that support small, local producers.
Meet Marshall:
Marshall grew up in the Home Place and fell in love with the farm and his hometown throughout his childhood. After graduating from the Mississippi School of Math and Science, Marshall left the South to attend Dartmouth College for undergrad. After college, he spent time in Montana, completed an AmeriCorps term in New Orleans rebuilding houses destroyed in Katrina, and eventually ran operations for a small business specializing in sourcing local meat for New Orleans chefs.
In 2014, at the age of 24, Marshall returned to the Home Place with a new vision for the family farm and has worked for the last 10 years to bring this vision to reality. You can usually find him on the Home Place Monday through Saturday somewhere between the meat plant, the farming operation, and the Farm Store. He often gives farm tours and butcher classes at the Home Place. He spends his off-farm time with his wife Katie and daughter Joan or traveling to help learn from other farmers and meat processors.
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Episode Highlights:
02:33 Farming Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Practices
12:44 Financial Viability Concern
16:13 Connecting Food with Health and Planet
21:56 Manipulated Label Claim in the Meat Industry
25:17 Local and Sustainable Meat Production
28:44 Local Foods and Consumer Impact
34:05 Animal Welfare and Regenerative Agriculture
36:46 Supporting Local Agriculture