Grazing Grass Podcast | Rotational Grazing, Soil Health & Profitable Livestock Farming

In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal visits with Richard Popham about raising registered Katahdin sheep in Kentucky using practical grazing systems and portable electric fencing. Richard explains how he successfully manages sheep with two strands of polywire, why fence training matters, and how good grazing management helps keep sheep content and productive. 

The conversation explores:

•  Using two and three strand polywire systems for sheep 
•  Why sheep must be trained to electric fence 
•  Managing sheep with portable fencing and reels 
•  Selecting productive and efficient ewes 
•  Why buying better sheep matters more than buying more sheep 
•  Building low-stress handling systems 
•  Using records to improve flock genetics 
•  Parasite resistance and culling decisions 
•  Weaning strategies and lamb management 
•  Grazing sheep on small acreage near neighborhoods 
•  Managing sheep without livestock guardian dogs 
•  Portable fencing tools and equipment recommendations 
•  Rotational grazing timing and parasite management 
•  Why Richard prefers moderate-sized ewes 
•  The role of NSIP and flock performance records 
•  Selecting rams and improving flock genetics over time 

Richard also shares practical advice for new sheep producers, including starting small, focusing on quality animals, and building systems that fit your lifestyle and available time.

Find out more

• Circle P Farm on Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@circlepfarm3776

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

In this episode, Cal visits with Gabe Wight from Northwest Arkansas about building a profitable grazing operation while simplifying life and focusing on long-term stewardship. Gabe shares how he reduced his herd size from several hundred cows to around forty cows and how that shift dramatically changed his grazing management, stress level, and profitability. 

Gabe discusses lessons learned from overgrazing, why stock density matters, and how smaller herds allowed him to improve pasture recovery, calf performance, and equipment longevity. The conversation also covers rotational grazing design, water placement, erosion challenges, fertilizer decisions, chicken litter, stockpiling forage, and managing grazing through seasonal changes. 

The discussion shifts into cattle genetics, breeding strategies, marketing calves through value-added programs, direct-to-consumer beef sales, and the importance of focusing on profitability instead of comparison with neighboring operations. Gabe also shares how his curiosity, podcasts, feed store conversations, and modern AI tools help him continue learning and improving his operation. 

Topics Covered

•  Downsizing a cow herd for profitability 
•  Flashlight farming and balancing off-farm work 
•  Rotational grazing management 
•  Recovering from overgrazing 
•  Designing paddocks and water systems 
•  Stockpiling forage for winter grazing 
•  Fertility management and fertilizer decisions 
•  Using chicken litter on pastures 
•  Cattle genetics and replacement strategies 
•  Selling calves through value-added programs 
•  Direct-to-consumer beef experiences 
•  Learning from podcasts, books, and AI tools 
•  Managing grazing in Northwest Arkansas

Find Out More

• Herd Advisor

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What happens when a cattle breed is designed specifically for grass-based farming instead of the feedlot?

In this special narrative-style episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal Hardage tells the story of the South Poll breed and the people behind it. Starting with Teddy Gentry’s journey in the late 1980s, this episode explores how one goal shaped an entirely new kind of cow: heat tolerant, fertile, efficient on forage, and built to thrive in regenerative grazing systems.

You’ll hear from Teddy Gentry, Greg Judy, Ralph and Jerry Voss, Steve Freeman, and Nathan Hahn as they share how South Poll cattle changed their operations and why they believe smaller, forage-efficient cattle are the future of profitable grass farming.

This episode covers:

•  Why Teddy Gentry created the South Poll breed 
•  The four breeds that formed South Poll cattle 
•  Heat tolerance, slick hair genetics, and grass efficiency 
•  Why fertility and longevity matter more than size 
•  Greg Judy’s transition away from conventional cattle 
•  Leasing land to grow a grazing operation 
•  Why South Poll breeders avoid the show ring 
•  Building profitable cows instead of high-input cows 
•  Grass finishing cattle on pasture 
•  Selling direct-to-consumer grass-fed beef 
•  The economics of regenerative cattle production 
•  Longevity and maternal performance in grazing herds 
•  Using smaller cows to improve profit per acre 

If you’ve ever wondered whether modern cattle genetics truly fit regenerative grazing systems, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Resources Mentioned:

• Teddy Gentry
• Greg Judy
• Burk Teichert
• South Poll Grass Cattle Association

Listen, learn, and keep on grazing. 

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Cian didn’t grow up farming. He didn’t inherit land. And he didn’t follow a traditional path.

Instead, he moved from Australia to Spain during COVID, started from scratch, and built a profitable small-acreage farm in under a year.

In this episode, Cian shares how he and his wife took a leap of faith, navigated government grants, and built a direct-to-consumer farm business using chickens, pigs, and sheep. All on just 15 acres.

This conversation goes beyond the romantic vision of farming and dives into the real numbers, mistakes, and lessons learned along the way.

If you’ve ever wondered whether small acreage can truly support a full-time income, this episode gives you a clear, honest look at what it takes.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

•  How Cian went from city life to farming in Spain 
•  Why small acreage can be more profitable than large operations 
•  The role of direct-to-consumer sales in farm success 
•  How egg production created fast cash flow 
•  What went wrong (and right) with pigs and sheep 
•  How government grants helped launch the farm 
•  The importance of knowing your numbers before starting 
•  Why mindset matters more than tradition in agriculture 

Key Takeaways

Cian’s farm became cash-flow positive in just three months, driven largely by egg sales.

By focusing on efficiency, direct marketing, and profitability, he’s proving that you don’t need hundreds of acres to build a sustainable farm business.

But it hasn’t been easy. From infrastructure challenges to livestock losses, Cian shares the hard realities behind the success.

Find Out More

• Website | https://www.obicodorio.com/
• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/obicodorio/
• TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@obicodorio
• Email | hola [at] obicodorio.com

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

What happens when a producer in the heart of dairy country decides to build a grass-based beef herd? In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal visits with John Smith from northern Vermont.

John shares how his family farm moved out of dairying decades ago, how his career in dairy co-ops shaped his perspective, and how a desire to raise his own food led him back to livestock ownership. After trying multiple breeds, John found the fit he was looking for in South Poll cattle.

They discuss restoring worn-out pastures through grazing management, adapting southern cattle genetics to Vermont winters, raising pigs in wooded systems, and building a future seedstock herd for the Northeast.

This episode is full of practical lessons on persistence, genetics, pasture recovery, and finding livestock that match your goals and environment.

Topics Covered:

•  Growing up connected to a former dairy farm 
•  Working in the dairy industry and helping producers 
•  Returning home to raise food for the family 
•  Leasing family ground and restoring poor pasture 
•  Why South Poll cattle stood out 
•  Adapting cattle to harsh Vermont winters 
•  Multi-move grazing and tighter paddock management 
•  Using cattle to rebuild soil fertility 
•  Raising feeder pigs in woodland systems 
•  Building a seedstock future for New England producers 

Resources Mentioned:

• Greg Judy
•  South Poll cattle breeders and community 
• Grazing conferences and producer networks 

Find Out More:

• Wandering Brook Farms | https://www.wanderingbrookfarm.com

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and leave a review.

Until next episode, keep on grazing.

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In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal sits down with Tom Krawiec to explore a practical, numbers-driven approach to grazing management. Tom shares how focusing on the “sweet spot” in grazing can dramatically improve forage production, reduce labor, and increase profitability.

We dive into the importance of understanding your numbers, including stock days per acre, and how small management changes can lead to massive results. Tom explains the concept of the tipping point in forage production, where your system becomes self-sustaining, and why many operations fall short of reaching it.

The conversation also covers multi-species grazing, reducing workload through better systems, and the critical role of the grazing chart as a planning tool, not just a record. Along the way, Tom challenges common assumptions about rest periods, non-selective grazing, and the realities of modern homesteading.

If you're looking to improve your grazing system, simplify your operation, and get better results from your land, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Topics Covered

•  What “grazing in the sweet spot” really means 
•  How to calculate and use stock days per acre 
•  The tipping point in forage production 
•  Why rest periods can be too long, not just too short 
•  Multi-species grazing and its impact on soil health 
•  Using animals to determine graze periods 
•  The power of grazing charts as a planning tool 
•  Labor reduction through smarter systems 
•  Challenges facing homesteaders and small producers 
•  Training livestock to diversify their diet 

Key Takeaways

•  Small management tweaks can unlock major gains 
•  You must respect both graze and rest periods 
•  Numbers remove guesswork, “show me the numbers” 
•  Grazing charts are essential for consistent results 
•  Diversity in livestock can improve soil and forage 
•  Profitability starts with understanding your system 

Resources Mentioned

• Ranching Like a 12-Year-Old by Tom Krawiec 
•  Holistic Management framework 
•  Ranching for Profit principles 
•  Dr. Kris Nichols (soil biology) 
•  Fred Provenza (animal behavior & nutrition) 

About the Guest

Tom Krawiec is a regenerative grazing practitioner and author known for his practical, systems-based approach to ranching. His work focuses on simplifying operations, reducing labor, and improving profitability through better grazing management.

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Justin Frye of JMR Farm in Rio, West Virginia joins the show to talk about building a farm from scratch on a family property that's been in his family since 1847. He and his wife Maggie custom graze cow-calf pairs, run a Katahdin hair sheep flock, and buy and finish feeder lambs — all while working off-farm jobs and figuring out what enterprises fit their operation best.

Justin shares the story of how his grandfather's surprise offer to sell the family farm set everything in motion, how a connection through a mentor led to their first custom grazing arrangement, and what three consecutive years of drought have taught him about managing grass for someone else's cattle. He also walks through the sheep learning curve, going from 89 ewes down to 30 through hard culling, and explains their feeder lamb protocol from receiving through market.

Topics covered:

• Growing up on a family farm in West Virginia and the influence of mentors at Potomac State College
• Buying the family farm (in operation since 1847) and what made it financially possible
• How a mentor connection led to their first custom grazing opportunity
• What services JMR Farm provides under the custom grazing agreement, daily moves, pink eye treatment, weaning and vaccinating calves, getting them started on feed
• Managing three consecutive drought years while grazing someone else's cattle
• Moving toward 60-day rest periods and what they've learned about residual sward height
• Building 13,000 feet of exterior and cross fence with just Justin and Maggie
• Silvopasture plans: thinning wooded areas and controlling multiflora rose and autumn olive
• Why they chose Katahdin hair sheep, the profitability case, and the steep learning curve
• FAMACHA scoring, dewormer resistance, and culling hard for a parasite-resistant flock
• Grazing sheep with cattle: their plan for this season
• The feeder lamb operation: buying 40-60 lb lambs, feeding to 80-100 lbs, sell-buy marketing
• Cattle handling with a Bud Box, the DS Livestock sheep system, and tips for low-stress flow-through
• Freeze branding: liquid nitrogen vs. dry ice, container options, and offering it as a service
• Cattle breed direction: Leachman Stabilizer genetics and why it fits their marketing channel
• The sentimental story of buying back Maggie's heifer (M005) on Valentine's Day

Find Out More
JMR Farm on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550043373027

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Dakota Finch didn't grow up planning to be an organic grass-fed dairy farmer. He grew up on his grandfather's conventional dairy in upstate New York, left for the Air Force, started researching nutrition for his family, and found himself reading about the organic dairy market on a computer in Korea during downtime. That curiosity eventually led him back to farming — on his own terms.

 In this episode, Dakota shares how he went from a six-year Air Force career to launching Finch Family Farm in 2017, milking 40–50 grass-fed organic cows in central New York, and recently opening a farm retail store selling raw milk, beef, pork, chicken, and eggs.

He's honest about where things are working and where they're not — from the farrowing struggles with his son's pig operation, to the challenge of making quality hay on marginal ground nobody else wanted, to the marketing learning curve that comes with selling direct. This is a practitioner's episode: real questions, real tensions, no pretending it's all figured out.

What we cover:

• How Dakota got his start through an internship on a grass-fed organic dairy and the relationship that made his first herd purchase possible

• Fall seasonal vs. spring seasonal dairying — and why his milk market actually pays a premium for winter milk

• The 10-and-7 milking schedule he tried to protect time for coaching his kids' sports teams

• Balage, native grasses, and the ongoing question of whether to make his own hay or buy it

• Breeding decisions: Jersey AI, Ayrshire bulls, the Black Angus that timed out perfectly with the calf market, and why he's now using AAA mating

• Opening a farm retail store with Barn2Door and a small business grant — and why raw milk is the lead product that brings customers to the farm

• His son's pig operation (currently a train wreck, honestly) and the real math on whether farrowing-to-finish pencils out

• First year with 100 meat birds and 100 egg layers — lessons learned, losses included

• The Gallagher eShepherd virtual fence collars: what worked, what didn't, and why he's still excited about them heading into this season

Find Out More
Dakota: Facebook (Dakota Finch)
Finch Family Farm on Facebook
https://www.finchfamilyfarmny.com

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Community question this week: What did the younger you dream of that you're doing today? Share in the Grazing Grass community.

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Brett Chedzoy is a Cornell Extension Forester and co-operator of Angus Glen Farms in upstate New York, where he and his wife Maria graze over 100 cow-calf pairs across 600 acres with much of it wooded. He's also been ranching in central Argentina since the mid-1990s, where he first discovered his love for cattle after heading there as a Peace Corps volunteer fresh out of graduate school.

In this episode, Brett breaks down silvopasture and how to evaluate existing woodland and open it up for productive grazing. He explains why thinning your woods isn't just about letting in light, it's about protecting the long-term value of your timber while growing more forage.

Topics covered:

• Brett's background: Kansas wheat farming roots, a Welsh sheep-herding grandfather, Peace Corps in Argentina, and what the gauchos taught him about the difference between working hard and working smart
• What silvopasture looks like in the forested Northeast vs. the savanna-style systems common in other regions
• Why cool-season forages like orchardgrass can actually thrive in light shade and how silvopasture extends your grazing season on both ends
• The 10-question site evaluation tool Brett developed to assess whether a piece of woodland is a good silvopasture candidate
• How to find the right logging crew for silvopasture thinning (hint: it's a very different operation than high-value timber harvest)
• The forester vs. farmer timescale problem and how to find the middle ground
• Who to call first: land grant extension, state forestry agencies, and your local soil and water conservation district
• Why Brett recommends starting small and getting your first experience before tackling a 50-acre project

Resources mentioned:

• Cornell Silvopasture resources — search "Cornell silvopasture" or visit forestconnect.info
• Brett's 10-question silvopasture site evaluation tool
• National Agroforestry Center
• University of Missouri silvopasture resources

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

What if your land could pay you… without selling livestock?  Molly Faught and Hunter Jones from Grassroots Carbon joins today to explain what carbon credits are, how to qualify for them, and how to get started making extra money.

If you own your land and plan to be there awhile, this is a must-listen episode.  If you know someone wanting to earn more money from their land, share this episode with them.

Question of the Week:  If this is available to you, would you do it? Why or why not?

Find out more at https://grassrootscarbon.com

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey