In this episode, Cassidy Johnston shares her journey from growing up in the city to becoming a first-generation large scale beef producer and ranch consultant. She talks about a college research project exploring the relationship between environmentalists and ranchers and how that led her to an internship where she met her husband, and eventually to her life on a farm. She discusses the complexities of ranching at scale, the importance of animal welfare, her thoughts on regenerative and organic practices, and the communication challenges that arise ag people and non-ag people make assumptions about each other. Cassidy advocates for building a more resilient food system that prioritizes collaboration and understanding among all stakeholders, and dreams of a better world where more people have access to high quality food.

Takeaways:

• Cassidy Johnston is a first-generation beef producer and consultant.
• She transitioned from urban life to ranching, finding her place in the rural community.
• The importance of understanding the relationship between ranchers and environmentalists.
• Regenerative practices in agriculture are complex and vary by region.
• Communication between agriculture and corporate sectors is crucial for progress.
• Quality of food production should be prioritized over sheer efficiency.
• Hands-on experience is essential for those looking to enter the ranching industry.
• A better food system requires collaboration and understanding among all stakeholders.

Sound bites:

• "I have an environmental studies degree from CU Boulder, which is a hippie degree from a hippie school.”
• “ That happened to be the day that I met the guy who would later become my husband.”
• “That paper really focused on the fact that ranchers and environmentalists have many of the same goals.”
• “I think the trouble with regenerative is it's really difficult to wrap it up in a neat bow and say this is regenerative and this isn’t.”
• “We have to be really, really cognizant of the fact that a lot of people are struggling to afford groceries and telling people that they should be paying nine or $12 or $15 a pound for regenerative ground beef is absolutely ridiculous.”
• “I've heard people say the cow is just a means to an end. No, she is her own sentient being. She deserves quality care.”
• “People will kind of look down on us for being the big guy, but when something goes wrong in their place, they call us to help because we have the skills.”
• “In order to understand how you can do things differently, you have to understand where we came from first.”
• “I think there's a lot of people in the corporate sphere who don't care. They're focused on making money. But, I also think there's a lot that do care, and it's our job to find them and help them do the best that they can with the power that they have.”
• “I would like to see a higher quality of pretty much everything. I don't care if you're large or small. I don't care if you're first gen or sixth gen. What is the quality of your operation?”
• “What are the things we can scale to fix these problems for everybody? Not just an elite few that have the money to pay for it. How do we make this better food more accessible? How do we give people the tools to fix it?”

Links:

Cassidy Johnston on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/casskjohn/

JRC Consulting - https://jrcranchconsulting.com/

JRC Consulting on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jrc-ranch-management-consulting/

CKJ Communications & Consulting - https://casskjohnston.com/

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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (Book) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25899336-when-breath-becomes-air

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Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/

Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/

Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/

Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/

Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/

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Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/

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Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/

Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/

Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetwork

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Heritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/

Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio

Chapters:

03:00 Introduction to Cassidy Johnston's Journey

09:08 Navigating the Urban-Rural Transition

14:59 The Intersection of Ranching and Environmentalism

20:54 Understanding Regenerative Practices in Agriculture

32:49 The Role of Communication in Agriculture

44:47 Quality vs. Quantity in Food Production

56:31 Advice for Aspiring Ranchers

62:30 Building a Better Food System

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