In this episode, Joe Dickie and Buz Kloot sit down with Karlie Kammerer, a rising senior from western South Dakota whose wisdom and clarity around regenerative ranching belies her age. Karlie grew up on a cow-calf operation near Rapid City where her family, including parents Riley and Jimmie and sisters Katelyn and Kimball, is embracing holistic management and regenerative agriculture with open arms—and open minds.

Though still in high school, Karlie has already presented at national rangeland competitions, been a featured voice in Amazing Grasslands, and dreams of running a consulting business with her dad (where he’ll work for her, of course). In this episode, Karlie shares what she’s learning on the land and in the classroom—lessons about livestock, soil health, and the importance of context, context, context.

But she doesn’t stop there.

We talk about how her dad’s paradigm shift reshaped their entire operation—allowing both her parents to come home full-time to the ranch—and how the mental and spiritual health of the family improved alongside the land. Karlie reflects on the influence of mentors like Mitch Faulkner and the power of intergenerational learning. She shares her thoughts on what the ag industry needs to do to keep young people not just interested—but inspired.

You’ll hear Karlie speak with grace, humor, and a refreshing blend of scientific precision and deep, soulful connection to land. As she says: “We look at things on a microscopic level and at a huge level—and I think with all of us, it's like, how could there not be a Creator?”

Whether you're a seasoned rancher, new to regenerative ag, or simply curious what the future looks like, this conversation will leave you hopeful—and maybe even a little humbled.

Highlights:

• Karlie’s family’s transition from conventional to regenerative ranching
• The spiritual and emotional transformation of the land and people
• Why livestock integration and context are critical for soil health
• How Karlie overcame public speaking fears to win a national rangeland competition
• The enduring influence of mentors like Mitch Faulkner
• A vision for the future of agriculture—and the role of young people in shaping it

Quote of the Episode:

“We all kind of have that further appreciation and understanding for something that isn't quite of this world... You feel something different when you're around animals and surrounded by pasture. I couldn’t explain it—but you feel at peace.” — Karlie Kammerer

🎧 Listen now and meet a young woman whose voice is already shaping the range.

Karlie’s Advice for Aspiring Ranchers

If you're a young person interested in rangeland management or regenerative ranching, here are a few things that helped me on my journey:

• SD Grassland Coalition: The SDGC provided me with numerous learning opportunities that not only helped light my spark for range but also educated me about a lot of what I know about the topic.
• Society for Range Management High School Youth Forum (SRM HSYF): The speaking competition that I won was put on by the SRM HSYF. This link directs you to the 2023 winners (note that they haven't updated it for 2024 and 2025), where you can read their essays and find the necessary information for the competition itself.
• SD Rangeland and Soil Days: This is the competition in which I won the state delegate position for SRM HSYF. You need to win something in your state (whether that's a Rangeland Days, FFA competition, speaking, or essay competition... it depends on the state) to go on and compete at the national level.
• Reach out to NRCS and local ranchers who are practicing regenerative or holistic management and ask if you can tag along and learn.
• Find learning and speaking opportunities near you. The more you learn, the better!

Additional Resources:

Our Amazing Grasslands - Young and Upcoming Generations Feature: youtube.com/watch?v=S_VlBwG9aks&ab_channel=USDANRCSSouthDakota

✨ BONUS ARTICLE: What Are We Really Arguing About When We Talk About Tillage: growingresiliencesd.com/post/what-we-re-really-arguing-about-when-we-talk-about-tillage