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

In this episode, we interview Bill Fosher of Edgefield Farm. Bill has over 30 years of experience grazing sheep and shares about his operation. You can find out more about Edgefield Farm at https://edgefieldsheep.com and http://www.nhacd.net.  Bill encourages us to visit https://onpasture.com.  He finds it a very valuable resource. 

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

Ben Hepler of Hepler Beef describes his commercial beef operation and Red Poll operation.  We discuss electric fence equipment, watering, and breeds of cattle.

You can find out more about Hepler Beef at https://www.facebook.com/Hepler-Beef-1746380145653321.

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

Jonathan Kilpatrick manages Bent Tree Farms—a 780-acre, multi-species, grass-based operation producing beef, lamb, and pastured poultry. In this episode, Jonathan shares what he’s learned managing a complex, regenerative system in the challenging rainfall patterns of southeastern Oklahoma. We dig into forages, stockpiling strategies, multi-species management, finishing beef on grass, and the practical realities of running a farm largely solo.

You’ll hear how Jonathan has shifted from drilling annuals to managing a rich perennial polyculture, why he now treats clover like a key ally, the challenges and rewards of keeping cattle and sheep together, and the detailed strategies he uses to stretch stockpile through winter while minimizing hay.

If you want real-world insight from someone doing the work day in and day out—this is a great conversation.

Topics Covered

• Operation overview and forages on Bent Tree Farms
• Moving away from drilled annuals toward perennial management
• Why 2024 was the “Clover Year”
• Hay feeding strategies (rolling vs rings)
• Stockpiling fescue and stretching winter forage
• Using leader-follower and daily moves for finishing beef
• Running sheep and cattle together (and why the guardian dogs complicate it)
• Managing fencing for multi-species grazing
• Lambing management and annual cycle
• Grazing for energy vs grazing for landscaping
• Jonathan’s lessons on performance, residuals, and leaving more behind

Why You Should Listen

Jonathan brings a practical, grounded, and honest view into what it takes to manage a regenerative grazing operation in real life—not theory. His reflections on animal performance, forage diversity, stockpile strategies, and multi-species grazing offer tools you can use today. Grass finishers, sheep producers, and anyone thinking about expanding their grazing toolbox will take away something valuable.

Resources Mentioned

• Kick the Hay Habit — Jim Gerrish
• Bent Tree Farms — https://benttreefarmsok.com
• Bent Tree Farms on Instagram & Facebook (benttreefarmsok)

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 very first episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, host Cal Hardage shares the story behind the show, his background in farming, and the vision for building a community of graziers who want to maximize forage production through better management. Cal reflects on his upbringing on a dairy and beef operation, his lifelong learning in the world of grass farming, and his current practices on 240 acres in Oklahoma raising cattle, sheep, and goats using regenerative rotational grazing.

Listeners will learn why Cal created the podcast, what to expect from future episodes, and how to connect with others through the Grazing Grass Community. He also answers the original version of the Famous Four questions, sharing his favorite grazing books, top tools on the farm, and where listeners can learn more about his work.

Topics Covered

• Why Cal launched the Grazing Grass Podcast
• The need for a dedicated grass-farming focused podcast
• Cal’s background—from dairy to beef to sheep & goats
• The evolution of his grazing practices
• Current rotational grazing approach across 240 acres
• Forage species on his farm (Bermuda, fescue, clover mixes, lespedeza, Johnson grass)
• Fence setups and rotational challenges
• Using technology, electric fence, and daily vs weekly moves
• Performance impacts of weekly moves
• The origin of the Famous Four questions
• Cal’s favorite books, tools, and community resources

Why You Should Listen
This episode sets the tone for everything the Grazing Grass Podcast is about: practical grazing knowledge, farmer-to-farmer learning, and real-world insights from someone working to improve forage and livestock production. It’s an honest, down-to-earth introduction that helps listeners connect with Cal’s story and the mission behind the podcast.

Resources Mentioned

• No-Risk Ranching by Greg Judy
• Comeback Farms by Greg Judy
• The Stockman Grass Farmer
• Hedge Apple Acres — https://hedgeappleacres.com
• Grazing Grass Community — https://grazinggrass.com

Need genetics that perform on forage?
Take a look at Grass Based Genetics—a directory of livestock bred to thrive on grass.

Helpful Grazing Grass Links:
• Website (Episodes, Resources & More)
• Join the Grazing Grass Community on Facebook

Original music by Louis Palfrey.

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