The Profitable Steward

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What if profitable ranching starts with working with nature instead of against it?

In this episode of the Profitable Steward Podcast, Jared Sorensen sits down with South African rancher, regenerative agriculture educator, and consultant Ian Mitchell-Innes for a wide-ranging conversation about holistic management, regenerative grazing, livestock performance, soil health, and ranch profitability.

Ian shares lessons from decades of managing a roughly 5,000-hectare ranch in South Africa, including how changing his approach to grazing transformed his land, livestock, and economics. After learning holistic management, Ian stopped burning grass, concentrated his livestock, increased stock density, and began managing his herd by observing what happens in nature.

5 Key Takeaways:

• Let nature do the heavy lifting — Work with natural processes instead of relying on high-input systems.
• Focus on livestock performance — Healthy, productive animals can drive both ecological improvement and profitability.
• Use grazing strategically — High stock density, frequent movement, and taking “one bite off most plants” can keep plants growing and productive.
• Breed for your environment — Ian explains why “form follows function” and why locally adapted animals can reduce the need for inputs.
• Keep ranch management simple — Observe, plan for different scenarios, and make decisions based on your land, livestock, weather, and available resources.

If you're interested in regenerative ranching, holistic grazing, cattle management, soil health, and agricultural profitability, this conversation is worth a listen.

#RegenerativeAgriculture #HolisticManagement #RegenerativeRanching #GrazingManagement #RanchProfitability

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What Ranchers Must Change Now—or Regret in 10 Years | Joel Salatin’s 7 Decisions for Building a Ranch That Thrives

What will separate the farms and ranches that thrive over the next 10 years from the ones that struggle—or disappear?

In this conversation, I sit down with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm to talk about the decisions farmers and ranchers need to be making RIGHT NOW if they want to build profitable, regenerative businesses that can last for generations.

Joel challenges some of the conventional thinking in agriculture and shares practical lessons from decades of building Polyface Farm.

We talk about:

• Why being a great producer is no longer enough
• The importance of thinking like an entrepreneur—not just a producer
• Why farmers and ranchers need to get closer to the customer
• Creating more value instead of simply producing more commodities
• Stacking enterprises and finding opportunities already sitting on your land
• Building profitability without sacrificing stewardship
• Preparing your farm or ranch for the next generation
• Why some agricultural businesses will thrive over the next decade while others struggle

One of the biggest questions we explore is this:

Are you simply building a farm or ranch that your kids CAN inherit—or are you building one they would actually WANT to inherit?

That distinction matters.

At AgSteward, we believe profitability, stewardship, and family legacy don't have to compete with each other. Done right, they strengthen each other.

Our mission is to help family farmers and ranchers build highly profitable businesses, regenerate their land, and create a legacy worth passing on.

Learn more about AgSteward and aply to work with us

https://agsteward-accelerato.vibepreview.app/survey\

If this conversation helped you, subscribe to the channel and share it with another farmer or rancher who needs to hear it.

#JoelSalatin #RegenerativeAgriculture #Ranching #Farming #FarmProfitability #RanchProfitability #RegenerativeRanching #PolyfaceFarm #AgSteward #FamilyFarm #FarmLegacy

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What can growing up on a ranch teach us about resilience, faith, hard work, and creating a more meaningful life?

In this episode of The Profitable Steward Podcast, Jared Sorensen sits down with Ruthe Hage, founder of Luxe Coaching, for a meaningful conversation about personal growth, faith, mindset, stewardship, and intentionally designing the life you want.

Ruthe shares lessons from growing up on a large Nevada ranch and how those experiences shaped her perspective on responsibility, perseverance, and overcoming challenges. She also opens up about navigating a major personal transition after nearly 30 years of marriage and the role faith, gratitude, mentorship, forgiveness, and personal growth played in moving forward.

In this episode, they discuss:

• Resilience & Life Lessons: How growing up on a ranch shaped Ruthe's work ethic, perspective, and approach to life's challenges.
• Faith & Personal Growth: Finding strength through faith, gratitude, forgiveness, mentorship, and learning to move forward during difficult seasons.
• Mindset & Designing Your Life: Breaking limiting thought patterns, asking “What would I love?” and taking intentional action toward the life you want.
• Stewardship & Wellbeing: Creating balance across work, relationships, finances, health, self-care, and the responsibilities we have toward others and the world around us.

At the heart of the conversation is the idea of stewardship — being intentional about how we care for ourselves, our relationships, our work, our communities, and the resources entrusted to us.

Connect with Ruthe Hage

Lux Coaching: www.luxcoaching.life

Ruthe works with clients remotely and offers complimentary vision workshops for those who want to explore what's possible in their next chapter. She can also be reached through social media.


#ProfitableSteward #RutheHage #LuxeCoaching #PersonalGrowth #Stewardship #Faith #Mindset #Entrepreneurship

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What if ranch profitability isn’t just about producing more cattle, but about knowing when to buy, sell, replace, and manage your livestock inventory?

In this practical conversation, Jared Sorensen sits down with Wally Olson and Brian Munger of Ranching.fyi to explore Sell➧Buy Marketing, profitability, value, flexibility, and making better business decisions when market conditions change.

• Sell➧Buy Marketing: Learn how strategically buying and selling livestock can create opportunity and improve ranch profitability.
• Value & Inventory: Understand appreciation, depreciation, replacement costs, and the true value of your cattle inventory.
• Changing Conditions: Explore how to manage livestock, feed, and capital during droughts, high feed costs, and changing cattle markets.
• Better Decisions: Wally and Brian share years of experience helping ranchers think differently about marketing and recognize opportunities.
• Know Your Options: The goal isn’t to predict what happens next. It’s to understand your operation well enough to recognize opportunity and make thoughtful decisions when it matters.

Connect with Ranching.FYI:
🌐 www.ranching.fyi

#SellBuyMarketing #RanchProfitability #CattleMarketing #Ranching #CowCalf #RanchManagement #CattleBusiness #TheProfitableSteward

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In this episode of the Profitable Steward Podcast, host Jared Sorensen sits down with Jared Luhman, a farmer, rancher, and host of the Ranching Returns podcast, to explore what it really takes to build a profitable, low-input, regenerative farming and ranching operation.

Jared Luhman shares the story of his family's farm in Southeast Minnesota and how generations of learning, experimentation, and strategic decision-making have shaped their approach to regenerative agriculture, grazing management, cattle genetics, and farm profitability.

5 Key Takeaways:
* Profitability vs. Cash Flow — Why positive cash flow doesn't always mean a farm is truly profitable.
* The True Cost of Farming — How land, labor, capital, and opportunity costs can change how you evaluate your operation.
* Smarter Grazing Strategies — Using corn stalks, cover crops, bale grazing, and seasonal livestock to reduce feed costs and extend grazing.
* The Right Cattle for the System — Why low-input genetics and a tighter calving window can improve herd efficiency and profitability.
* Making Regenerative Agriculture Pay — Why the financial case can be one of the strongest ways to help producers embrace regenerative farming practices.


Connect with Jared Luhman:

📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 507-271-5968
🎙️ Podcast: Ranching Returns

#ProfitableSteward #JaredSorensen #JaredLuman #RanchingReturns #RegenerativeAgriculture #RegenerativeRanching #FarmProfitability #RanchProfitability #GrazingManagement #SoilHealth #Cattle #Ranching #SustainableAgriculture

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In this episode of the Profitable Steward Podcast, host Jared Sorensen sits down with fourth-generation rancher Annie Mackenzie for an honest conversation about ranching, family legacy, resilience, faith, and mental health.

Annie shares her family’s journey through loss, hardship, and change, and how the example of her grandparents helped create a lasting legacy of family connection and support. She also opens up about her personal experience with depression and the importance of breaking the silence around mental health—particularly in the ranching and cowboy community.

Through her poetry, Annie discovered that vulnerability can create connection and give others permission to share their own stories. Her message is both simple and powerful: the mind can be a cruel liar, and healing begins with recognizing those thoughts for what they are and practicing self-kindness.

Key Takeaways:
• Family legacy is built through love, example, and resilience.
• Vulnerability can break the stigma surrounding mental health.
• Sharing our struggles can help others feel less alone.
• Faith and perseverance can carry us through uncertain seasons.
• Stewardship also means caring for our minds, relationships, and well-being.

#ProfitableSteward #AnnieMackenzie #JaredSorensen #Ranching #FamilyLegacy #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Faith #Resilience #CowboyPoetry #Stewardship #RanchLife

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What if the true measure of agriculture isn't yield or profit—but energy?

In this thought-provoking episode, Jared Sorensen sits down with regenerative agriculture pioneer Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin to explore a transformative perspective on farming. Reginaldo challenges conventional ideas about food production, wealth, and our relationship with the natural world, arguing that farms are far more than commodity-producing factories—they are living systems designed to capture, transform, and regenerate energy.

Drawing from decades of experience designing regenerative agroforestry systems, he explores how sunlight, soil biology, plants, livestock, and people are all connected through the continuous flow of energy. He reveals why regenerative agriculture isn't simply about sustainable practices—it's about restoring ecosystems, building resilient regional food systems, and creating lasting wealth for communities rather than extracting profit.

You'll also hear how his poultry-centered regenerative model integrates trees, livestock, soil health, biodiversity, and local economies into a thriving ecosystem that benefits farmers, consumers, and the planet alike.

Whether you're a farmer, entrepreneur, sustainability advocate, or simply curious about the future of food, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and inspire a new way of thinking about agriculture.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why energy—not profit—is the true currency of regenerative agriculture
• How healthy ecosystems naturally create abundance
• The role of livestock in accelerating soil regeneration
• Why regenerative farming requires systems thinking beyond the farm gate
• How community-driven food systems can build long-term economic resilience

Tune in for a fascinating conversation that redefines what it means to farm regeneratively—and why the future of agriculture starts by understanding the flow of energy.

Connect with Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin:

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]


#RegenerativeAgriculture #SustainableFarming #Agroforestry #SoilHealth #FoodSystems #RegenerativeFarming #Agriculture #ClimateSolutions #FarmInnovation #Livestock #PoultryFarming #CircularEconomy #EnvironmentalStewardship #RuralDevelopment #ProfitableSteward #Podcast #AgriculturePodcast #JaredSorensen #ReginaldoHaslettMarroquin #RegenAgAlliance

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As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, what can the principles of liberty teach us about stewardship, leadership, and leaving a lasting legacy?

In this thought-provoking episode of The Profitable Steward Podcast, Jared Sorensen explores the timeless connection between freedom and stewardship—arguing that true stewardship can only exist where agency, personal responsibility, and self-government are protected. Drawing from the Founding Fathers, classical education, faith, and regenerative agriculture, Jared shares the lessons that have shaped his own leadership journey and why these principles matter for farmers, ranchers, business owners, and families today.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why liberty and stewardship are inseparably connected
• The role of agency, self-government, and personal responsibility in building strong families and businesses
• How ownership and stewardship work together to create lasting impact
• Why free enterprise and profitability are essential to innovation and legacy
• The importance of understanding and defending the principles that preserve freedom for future generations

Whether you're passionate about regenerative agriculture, entrepreneurship, or simply becoming a better steward of the opportunities you've been given, this episode offers practical insights and timeless principles to help you build a meaningful legacy.

Freedom isn't just a blessing we inherit—it's a stewardship we're called to protect, practice, and pass on.

#ProfitableStewardPodcast #Stewardship #Leadership #Freedom #Liberty #RegenerativeAgriculture #Agriculture #Farming #Ranching #FaithAndWork #Entrepreneurship #Legacy #SelfGovernment #PersonalResponsibility #FreeEnterprise

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What if the key to greater profitability, healthier crops, and stronger drought resilience isn't adding more inputs—but working with nature instead of against it?

In this episode of the Profitable Steward Podcast, host Jared Sorensen sits down with regenerative agriculture consultant and author Kevin Elmy, whose journey has taken him from the grain fields of Saskatchewan to farming operations in Australia, Ukraine, and beyond. Kevin shares how he transformed depleted "dirt" into thriving soil, increasing organic matter, improving water infiltration, and reducing reliance on synthetic inputs.

Listeners will discover:

🌱 The five principles of soil health that drive regenerative success
🌱 Why profitability—not yield—should be the primary measure of farm performance
🌱 How cover crops, diverse plant species, and livestock integration work together to restore ecosystems
🌱 The role of soil biology, root exudates, and microbial communities in nutrient cycling
🌱 Practical strategies for improving water infiltration, reducing compaction, and building long-term resilience
🌱 Why many of agriculture's biggest challenges—from drought to disease—share common root causes

Drawing from decades of on-farm experience and work with producers around the world, Kevin provides practical, science-backed insights that can help farmers build healthier soils, stronger businesses, and more resilient operations.

Key Takeaway: Healthy soil isn't built with a single product or silver bullet. It's created through a systems-based approach that harnesses biology, diversity, and continuous living roots to unlock the full potential of the land.

📚 Learn More from Kevin Elmy
• Not Just Dirt: Revitalizing Soils With Regenerative Agriculture Principles -
• Cover Cropping in Western Canada 

🌐 Website: Cover Crops Canada
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 WhatsApp: 1-306-621-8784

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In this continuation of Jared Sorensen's conversation with Bud and Eunice Williams, the discussion dives deeper into the principles of profitable livestock marketing and ranch management. Bud challenges conventional ranching wisdom, explaining why cattle are simply a tool for marketing feed, labor, and skill, and why profitability depends more on sound marketing decisions than on production alone.

Through practical examples and decades of experience, Bud shares insights on understanding the true value of feed, recognizing overpriced and underpriced opportunities, and making decisions that improve both profitability and long-term stewardship. Whether you're a cow-calf producer, stocker operator, or ranch manager, this episode offers timeless lessons for navigating changing markets and building a more resilient operation.

Key Takeaways

• Why marketing is often more profitable than simply adding weight to cattle.
• How to evaluate the true value of feed, labor, skill, and time.
• Understanding the difference between owning cattle and making money with cattle.
• How the "sell-buy" mindset helps identify profitable opportunities.
• Why keeping cash and feed can sometimes be a better investment than owning livestock.

Show Notes & Resources

• Learn more about Bud and Eunice Williams' teachings: https://stockmanship.com/

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