Working Cows - Regenerative Ranching to Maximize Profitability and Soil Health

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.comBart's Previous Episodes:Ep. 428 Bart Carmichael and Pat Guptill – How Principles Keep You From Getting Left Behind by Chasing FadsEp. 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.comRelevant 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.comEllen’s Previous Episodes:Ep. 412 Ellen Bench – A Homeopathic Approach to Calving SeasonEp. 371 Ellen Bench – Implementing Homeopathic Livestock HealthEp. 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 RightSea-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.comSteve's Previous Episodes:Ep. 233 Steve Campbell – Bull Sale Catalog Wish ListEp. 196 Steve Campbell – Remineralizing Cattle with SaltEp. 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 SupplyRangeWardRelevant 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.comGuest's Previous EpisodesEp. 463 Gabe Brown - How Food Can be Common Ground for Common GoodEp. 461 Blain Hjertaas - Winter Feeding Strategies that Drive ProfitabilityEp. 459 Gabe Brown and Dr. Temple Grandin on Creating a More Resilient Food SystemEp. 445 John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten - Practical Tips for Regenerative Hay MakingEp. 443 Blain Hjertaas and Michael Thiele - Does Regenerative Agriculture Work in Northern EnvironmentsEp. 439 John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten - How Amp Grazing Drives Profitability Even in the MidwestEp. 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 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 RightSea-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.comRelevant Links:10 Reasons You Should Quit Hay Making