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

Austin Troyer of Crossroads Land and Livestock shares his journey as a first-generation farmer in eastern Ohio, building a large-scale grazing operation entirely on leased land. Austin explains how working for established ranches shaped his low-input mindset, how he spent years searching for the right lease, and why he has chosen to prioritize sheep alongside cattle on reclaimed strip-mine ground. Throughout the conversation, Austin breaks down the realities of fencing, water limitations, winter grazing without hay, and the business decisions that allow his family operation to grow without heavy capital investment.

In this episode, we cover:

• Starting from zero with no livestock background
• Finding and securing long-term leased grazing land
• Building miles of low-cost electric fencing
• Grazing reclaimed strip-mine ground in Ohio
• Managing cattle and sheep together
• Why sheep fit steep and invasive-heavy land
• Livestock guardian dogs and predator control
• Winter grazing without hay or equipment
• Adjusting stocking rates instead of buying machinery
• Direct-to-consumer sales vs wholesale markets
• Why marketing can be harder than production
• The philosophy of low-input grazing operations

Why This Episode Matters
This episode offers a realistic look at what it takes to start and scale a grazing operation without land ownership, expensive equipment, or high inputs. Austin’s experience highlights practical decision-making, patience, and mindset shifts that are especially valuable for beginning farmers, leased-land operators, and anyone questioning conventional approaches to infrastructure, winter feeding, or expansion.

Resources Mentioned

• The Turnaround by Dave Pratt
• Ranching for Profit School
• OnX Maps
• No-Risk Ranching by Greg Judy

Find Out More

• Website: https://www.crossroadslandandlivestock.com
• Instagram: @crossroadslandlivestock

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Loyd Borntrager is a second-generation dairy farmer from south-central Kansas who has transitioned his family farm from conventional dairying to a pasture-based, direct-to-consumer raw dairy model. At Borntrager Dairy, Loyd focuses on grass-fed production, once-a-day milking, and building a resilient farm business centered on quality, family life, and strong customer relationships. His operation includes Dutch Belted cattle, on-farm dairy processing, and diversified livestock enterprises.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• Transitioning from conventional to grass-based dairying
• Why Dutch Belted cattle fit a grazing dairy system
• Once-a-day milking and its impact on cows and family life
• Direct-to-consumer raw milk sales under Kansas law
• Producing cheese, yogurt, butter, and other dairy products on-farm
• Using sprouted barley fodder as winter feed
• Pasture species mixes for dairy cows in a 30-inch rainfall region
• Strip grazing, fencing, and water infrastructure
• Integrating layers, hogs, and pastured rabbits into the farm system
• Shifting mindset from production volume to product quality

Why This Episode Matters
This episode offers a real-world look at what it takes to move away from volume-driven agriculture and toward a quality-focused, customer-centered farm business. Loyd shares practical lessons about breed selection, grazing management, and lifestyle tradeoffs, making this conversation especially valuable for graziers considering dairying, diversification, or direct marketing.

Resources Mentioned

• The Forgiveness of Nature by Charles Walters
• Acres USA
• Stockman Grass Farmer magazine

Find Out More

• Website: https://borntragerdairy.com
• Social media: Facebook and Instagram (Borntrager Dairy)
• Email list: Available through the Borntrager Dairy website

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Logan Karcher is the owner and operator of Burnt Hill Cattle Company in southern Illinois, where he raises grass-fed beef, hair sheep, pasture pork, and poultry using regenerative grazing principles. Logan shares his journey from conventional agriculture and rodeo stock to intensive grazing, hair sheep, and diversified enterprises that fit both the land and his goals. His story highlights how education, experimentation, and observation shaped an operation focused on soil health, profitability, and simplicity.

In this episode, we explore:

• Logan’s transition from bucking bulls and feed-based systems to regenerative grazing
• How college, mentors, and grazing schools influenced his management decisions
• Why hair sheep became a key enterprise on limited acreage
• Running cattle and sheep together with single-strand polywire
• Sheep economics compared to cow-calf on small farms
• Clearing wooded ground using sheep instead of equipment
• Lessons learned about fencing, water systems, and infrastructure
• Cover crops, grazing on cropland, and working with conventional row-crop farmers
• Why low-input livestock systems matter for long-term resilience

Why This Episode Matters
This episode offers a clear, real-world look at how regenerative grazing works on a small, mixed operation. Logan’s experience shows how stacking enterprises, matching livestock to the land, and staying curious can dramatically improve both profitability and quality of life. For anyone managing limited acreage or considering sheep, this conversation provides practical insight without hype.

Resources Mentioned

• No-Risk Ranching by Greg Judy
• Stockman Grass Farmer magazine
• Grazing schools and Soil Health Academy events
• Understanding Ag programs

Find Out More

• Burnt Hill Cattle Company on Facebook
• Far Away Farms and Arena (operation Logan manages)

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Daniel Rose of Grassroots Ranch shares his path from having no farming background to building a diversified, direct-to-consumer livestock operation through leased land near Tulsa. Inspired by reading You Can Farm and learning directly from experience, Daniel walks through the realities of raising grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, and forest-raised pork while managing forage, fencing, water, and labor. This conversation offers an honest look at learning curves, early missteps, and the long-term mindset required to make grass-based farming work.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• Getting started in farming without an agricultural background
• Leasing land as a practical entry point into livestock production
• Early lessons from raising sheep and understanding market demand
• Transitioning into grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, and pork
• Learning rotational grazing through trial, error, and observation
• Managing forage challenges like broom sedge and giant ragweed
• Using chickens and pigs to improve soil fertility and pasture health
• Mobile infrastructure for broilers, layers, and hogs
• Watering livestock without permanent water systems
• Viewing farming as both land stewardship and a business

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters because it shows what starting from zero actually looks like. Daniel’s journey is not built on inherited land or generational knowledge, but on curiosity, experimentation, and steady refinement. For anyone questioning whether they have the right background, resources, or experience to begin, this conversation reinforces that progress comes from taking action, learning from mistakes, and improving systems over time.

Resources Mentioned

• You Can Farm — Joel Salatin
• Stockman Grass Farmer magazine
• Asana (project management software)

Find Out More

• Grassroots Ranch website
• Grassroots Ranch on Facebook (Grassroots Tulsa)
• Grassroots Ranch on Instagram

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

In this episode, a new section called The Overgrazing Section is also added where Cal takes a deep dive into one of the practices of the guests.

Listen to learn more!

[02:50] - The start of Joshua’s business

[07:23] - What led him to South Poll cattle

[09:46] - The climate in Southern Ohio

[11:49] - Stockpiling fescue

[12:57] - Angus cow and Cal

[14:09] - Trouble with electric fences

[15:31] - What fencing does Josh have

[17:06] - Joshua’s perimeter for electric fencing

[18:52] - How he does watering

[20:03] - The grazing land for cattle

[21:00] - Siphoning water line 

[22:39] - Other livestock Joshua has

[23:03] - About the business of hogs

[25:20] - His pasture poultry business

[25:35] - Chicken tractor he uses

[26:00] - How did it go with the chicken this year

[26:24] - How he does marketing

[27:28] - The Overgrazing Section- about his solar fence charger

[29:27] - Moving with paddock moves

[33:36] - His favorite grazing grass related book

[35:00] - Advice for beginning grass farmer

Show notes available at https://grazinggrass.com/episodes/20

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Show notes available at www.grazinggrass.com/episodes/19

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Show notes available at www.grazinggrass.com/episodes/18

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

More detailed show notes at www.grazinggrass.com/episodes/17

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Show notes available at https://grazinggrass.com/episodes/16

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Show notes at https://grazinggrass.com/episodes/15

Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey