Working Cows - Regenerative Ranching to Maximize Profitability and Soil Health

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

The Midwest can be a difficult place to graze for a host of reasons. The competitiveness of the cash rent market, parasite load, mud, forage quality, and many other issues face those seeking to profitably graze in this region. Today we are joined by John Hays and Jeremy Sweeten of Understanding Ag to discuss their own experience with profitable grazing businesses as well as what they have seen work well as they have consulted on a wide variety of operations. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com

As Taylor Moyer and his wife have sought to bootstrap their ranch operation they have had to think outside the box from an enterprise mix perspective, marketing perspective, and as it pertains to the potential sources of revenue the ranch can produce. This has led them to many capitalize on many different opportunities including custom grazing poultry and using “weeds” as a backdrop in senior photos and wedding photos. We discuss this and more today on the Working Cows Podcast. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Get Sea-90 with Garlic for Fly Control at Tractor Supply Today! SD Grassland Coalition Grazing School Relevant Links: LandTrust.com Taylor’s Previous Episode: Ep. 138 Taylor Moyer – A NASCAR Crew Chief on Managing People

Supply management may not line up with free market principles, but the fruits of it to this point have been positive for Sean Smith and his family. These strategies have helped the to remain profitable at a scale a family can manage. They have also freed them up to experiment with some more regenerative practices. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: Ranch Right SD Grassland Coalition Grazing School

We are facing water quality and quantity issues across a broad swath of the agricultural landscape. This impacts not only our rural communities, but also those in cities and towns downstream from our operations. Brian Dougherty and Eric Fuchs join me today to discuss the simple methods agriculturalists can use to improve their land’s ability to hold on to more water. This will simultaneously fix many of the water quality issues in urban and suburban environments. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Attend a Soil Health Academy in 2025

In this world we will have trouble. We will experience pain, suffering, loss, and difficulty. How do we do that well? What role does faith play in helping us to successfully navigate these challenges. Dalton Darnell of 3:10 Ranch Life shares about his experience in dealing with Psoriatic Arthritis. We discuss the role of community, exercise, and his walk with Jesus in helping him overcome all of the related issues. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: SD Grassland Coalition Grazing School Ranch Right Relevant Links: 3:10 Ranch Life 3:10 EDU

As we progress down the regenerative journey we will see many changes on the landscape. Not the least of which is the diversity of wildlife that will be attracted to our operations. Jeremy Sweeten and Kent Solberg join me to discuss the ways to create spaces for wildlife as well as strategies for capitalizing on the wildlife that come as the landscape becomes more attractive to them. Thanks to our Studio Sponsor, Understanding Ag! Head over to UnderstandingAg.com to book your consultation today! Sponsor: UnderstandingAg.com Attend a Soil Health Academy in 2025