Today we are joined by Stephen Brass, a fourth generation farmer from northern Illinois who walked away from the conventional grain model to build a regenerative beef operation. Growing up in the Corn Belt meant a steady diet of synthetic fertilizers and heavy tillage. These inputs maintained a status quo while the topsoil literally washed away. For Stephen, the turning point was realizing that the land was not being improved, only managed through chemical dependence. He eventually traded the plow for perennial pastures, transitioning his family acreage into a biological powerhouse fueled by grazing rather than grain. The shift required … Continue reading →