This live farm tour back in August 2025 was at J&L Green Farm in Virginia, where Jordan Green walks us through the operational heart of the farm. From on-farm poultry processing and cold storage to multi-species shelter design and silvopasture development, the conversation is delves into why certain farming infrastructures and layouts exist, how animals are rotated, on-farm problems with certain infrastructure, and how design iterations have helped him reduce labor, improved animal welfare, and increased land productivity.

Key Topics

• On-farm poultry processing layout and cold-chain control
• Multi-species shelter systems and labor efficiency
• Pasture poultry genetics, heat stress, and shelter design
• Multi-species grazing: pigs, cattle, poultry, and soil health
• Silvopasture development and long-term land productivity

Why You Should Listen

• Hear how a regenerative farm works in practice.
• Learn how J&L Green Farm designs systems to reduce labor and scale.
• Understand real-world multi-species grazing.
• Hear lessons learned through trial and error.
• Gain a clear view of resilient land management.

Website
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube

Timestamps

 00:00:00 – Arrival at J&L Green Farm and overview of the hub property
 00:09:30 – Poultry processing setup, layout logic, and food safety flow
 00:18:45 – Ice, chill-down, freezer capacity, and cold storage strategy
 00:28:15 – Farm store setup, permits, and limited-hours retail model
 00:37:45 – Customer ordering, fulfillment, shipping, and efficiency tradeoffs
 00:47:00 – Brooder containers, chick cycles, and feed formulation
 00:56:30 – Poultry genetics, growth rates, and pasture vs conventional models
 01:06:00 – Mobile multi-species shelter system design and iteration process
 01:15:30 – Heat management, airflow, labor efficiency, and daily moves
 01:25:00 – Grazing rotation with poultry, cattle, and pigs on shared ground
 01:34:30 – Silvopasture development, pigs as land-management tools
 01:44:00 – Soil health outcomes, resilience, mistakes learned, and long-term vision

Ben Justman takes me inside Peony Lane Wine in Paonia, Colorado for a live farm tour of one of America’s highest-elevation vineyard regions. 

He educates me on how grapes are grown, how vines survive harsh winters, how low-intervention wine is made, and why true place-based winemaking creates a totally different drinking experience. 

It’s interesting to see how he constantly adapts to the seasons, soil, weather, and other farming variables to keep the operation productive and high quality.

Key Topics

• High-elevation Colorado vineyard conditions
• How Pinot Noir grows in the West Elks AVA
• Traditional vs modern wine pressing
• Neutral oak philosophy & fermentation choices
• Freeze events, die-back, retraining, & resilience
• Water, irrigation strategy, and soil connection

What You’ll Hear in This Farm Tour

1. Vineyard walkthrough and climate explanation
2. Old basket press vs modern bladder press demonstration
3. Stainless tanks, oak barrels, and aging philosophy
4. Vine die-back, retraining, and freeze recovery
5. How irrigation, soil depth, and vineyard management shape flavor
6. Honest discussion of additives, hangovers, and “natural” wine
7. Why Colorado wine deserves far more recognition

Website
Instagram
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00:00:00 — Colorado vineyard & climate
00:01:00 — Old basket press
00:02:30 — New bladder press
00:03:30 — Tanks & barrels
00:05:00 — Pressing process
00:06:30 — Vineyard origin story
00:07:30 — Why this wine feels better
00:09:00 — Additives & labeling truth
00:10:30 — Wine, place & meaning
00:11:30 — Commodity vs real wine
00:14:30 — Vine growth & maturity
00:17:30 — Freeze damage & recovery
00:21:30 — Training vines
00:23:30 — Irrigation & soil depth
00:27:00 — Cutting back growth
00:28:30 — Lessons, learning, & commitment

This on-the-ground episode explores Michael Grecos first-generation regenerative sheep operation, run entirely on leased land in New York’s Hudson Valley.

We walk the pastures with Michael as he explains stocking strategy, grazing philosophy, shade management, lambing, predator protection, mineral systems, on-farm slaughter, and why sheep can make regenerative agriculture viable on smaller landscapes.

Key Topics

• Why Michael chose sheep and how leased land shapes his operation
• Daily rotational grazing, density, rest periods, and pasture response
• Lambing, weaning, animal stress, shade, and heat management
• Guardian dogs, predators, minerals, biochar, and health management
• Ethics, transparency, local food, and on-farm harvest philosophy

What You’ll Learn

• Why sheep economics differ from cattle and fit smaller northeastern landscapes
• How paddock design, net fencing, and daily moves build soil and resilience
• Practical realities of lambing, natural weaning, and dealing with rejection cases
• How to think about ticks, rainfall, heat stress, shade, and pasture density
• Why buying local matters and why ranchers care deeply about animal welfare

Connect with Michael:

Website
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube

Timestamps

 00:00:00 – Meet Michael & the Hudson Valley Sheep Ranch
 00:01:00 – Why Sheep? Cost, Scale, & Land Fit
 00:03:00 – Leased Land & Grazing Philosophy
 00:05:00 – Natural Weaning vs Forced Weaning
 00:07:30 – Daily Moves, Density & Pasture Impact
 00:10:00 – What a “Good” Grazed Paddock Looks Like
 00:15:00 – Lamb Count, Losses & Culling Logic
 00:17:30 – Guardian Dog & Predator Control
 00:19:30 – Minerals, Biochar & Health Support
 00:21:00 – Rumination & What Calm Sheep Look Like
 00:23:00 – Lambing Timing & Spring Nutrition
 00:28:00 – Shade, Heat Stress & Summer Management
 00:30:30 – On-Farm Harvest & Ethics
 00:36:00 – Visiting Farms & Transparency
 00:37:30 – Rest Periods, Regrowth & Stockpiling
 00:44:00 – Milkweed, Pollinators & “Poison Plant” Myth
 00:47:00 – Mowing vs Not Mowing
 00:48:00 – Scaling Plans & Future Growth

In this live farm tour episode from July this year, I visited Julie Friend and her farm, Wildom Farm, a regenerative livestock farm where cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs are raised together on pasture and in forest systems. The discussion covers daily pasture rotation, animal behavior, predator dynamics, soil health, and how regenerative management affects animal welfare, meat quality, and ecosystem resilience. The farmer walks through real trade-offs, processing challenges, and why transparency and letting people visit farms matters.

Key Topics 

• Daily rotational grazing and mobile infrastructure
• Raising cows, sheep, and chickens together in one system
• Forest-raised pork, forage diversity, and meat quality
• Predator balance, animal behavior, and welfare trade-offs
• Processing bottlenecks, frozen meat, and food transparency

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs can be managed together in a single pasture-based system without confinement
• Why daily animal movement improves pasture health, soil biology, and animal welfare
• How forest-raised pigs and diverse forage directly influence meat flavor and quality
• The practical trade-offs of regenerative farming, including predators, hay quality, and labor
• Why transparency, farm visits, and frozen meat matter for trust in the food system

Julie Instagram
Wildom Farm Instagram
Website

Timestamps

 00:00:00 – Daily pasture moves and extending the grazing season
 00:04:00 – Mobile shade and infrastructure without trees
 00:07:45 – Starting the cow herd and choosing heritage breeds
 00:10:30 – Grassland birds, hay timing, and ecological trade-offs
 00:14:10 – Letting customers walk the farm and see the animals
 00:18:00 – Why cows, sheep, and chickens are run together
 00:22:00 – Forest-raised pigs and whey feeding from a local creamery
 00:30:00 – How forage diversity changes the taste of pork
 00:37:30 – Fatty acid testing and nutrition in pork and chicken
 00:43:30 – Processing bottlenecks and booking a year ahead
 00:45:30 – On-farm slaughter vs USDA facilities
 00:53:30 – Farm store transparency and frozen meat

This episode was recorded during the Colorado farm tour and features a long-form conversation with Jason Wrich from Wrich Ranches, a regenerative cattle operation built on leased land, rebuilt soil, and decades of hands-on learning.

We walk through the origins of the ranch, the economics behind conventional vs regenerative systems, the realities of grazing management, and the cultural disconnect shaping how Americans think about food.

The discussion moves from land stewardship and plant physiology to market forces, subsidies, meat processing, the American diet, and why local food systems matter.

It’s a grounded look at how real ranching works, what it costs, and what it reveals about the country’s future.

Key Topics

- Growing a regenerative cattle operation on leased land and limited resources.

- How plant physiology and grazing timing drive true soil health.

- The hidden financial reality of ranching: debt, land leases, and cattle markets.

- Why America is nutritionally sick and culturally disconnected from food.

- The need for micro-processors, local supply chains, and real decentralization.

Why You Should Listen

- A transparent breakdown of how ranch economics actually function.

- Firsthand insight into regenerative grazing, soil cycles, and land recovery.

- A candid discussion of American food disconnection and its consequences.

- An inside view of the challenges ranchers face in drought, markets, and policy.

Connect with Jason:
Website
Instagram

Timestamps

00:00:00 Camping, disconnection, and how far society has shifted from food
00:01:00 Airbnb guests becoming beef customers and building trust
00:03:00 Early exposure to farming and lessons from Rick’s grandfather
00:05:00 Ranching in the 1980s and why the family operation barely survived
00:08:00 Working full-time while farming full-time and raising a family
00:11:00 Selling high-elevation hay and the old-school trust economy
00:14:00 Processed food, hormones, and the roots of America’s health collapse
00:17:00 Customers witnessing slaughter and reconnecting with the life–death cycle
00:21:00 Grazing timing, plant cycles, and understanding true soil function
00:27:00 Managing weeds through grazing and cattle behavior
00:31:00 Leasing land, landowners, and why good relationships matter
00:36:00 Generational loss of agricultural knowledge and young agrarians
00:39:00 Restoring degraded pastures with biomass and proper cycles
00:46:00 The case for micro-processors and problems in large packing plants
00:51:00 Food stamps, ultra-processed diets, and engineered food addiction
00:55:00 Losing personal responsibility and the cultural consequences
00:59:00 Specialization vs. self-reliance and the fading generalist skillset
01:02:00 The American Dream, suburban design, and comfort eroding resilience
01:09:00 Public-land grazing vs. private leases and the real cost differences
01:14:00 Why selling calves can be more profitable than finishing beef
01:16:00 Community impact, customer stories, and why the work continues
01:17:00 Global visitors, land ownership, and what makes America unique

This episode comes from our recent farm tour at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, where Will Harris walked us through the land and the systems that support it. 

White Oak is a multigenerational operation that has shifted from conventional row-crop agriculture to a diverse, closed-loop ecosystem of grass-fed cattle, wildlife, and restored soils. Will explains how these relationships work in practice, the long-term effects of pesticides and monoculture, and why ecological cycles - not industrial extraction - determine the health and future of the land.

Key topics:

1. How birds, insects, and cattle interact in regenerative systems
2. The long-term impacts of pesticides and monoculture farming
3. Nature’s cycles vs. industrial extraction
4. Carbon, organic matter, and lifecycle assessments at White Oak Pastures
5. Grazing management, dung beetles, and nutrient cycling across the farm

Why You Should Listen:

- Clear, firsthand explanations of how regenerative grazing works in practice

- A breakdown of pesticides’ long-term effects on soil, trees, and ecosystem balance

- Real-world insight into carbon cycles, nutrient cycling, and dung beetle activity

- A grounded comparison between industrial beef systems and regenerative cattle operations

Connect With White Oak Pastures

Website
Instagram

Timestamps:

 00:00:00 Birds arriving on the farm and their symbiotic role with cattle
 00:01:00 Seasonal patterns, migration, and fly pressure
 00:02:00 What this land looked like 25 years ago
 00:03:00 Monoculture, pesticides, and the mindset of killing “problems”
 00:05:00 Pesticides’ short-term benefits and long-term ecological harm
 00:07:00 Residual effects of crop-field chemicals on soil function
 00:08:00 “Nature bats last” and long-term cycles of recovery
 00:09:00 Abundance vs. extraction in modern agriculture
 00:10:00 Passing land ethics to the next generation
 00:12:00 Education, land-grant universities, and learning farming
 00:14:00 Grass-fed timelines, weight, and national inventory reality
 00:15:00 Why most ground beef tastes the way it does
 00:18:00 Industrial supply chains vs. farm-level economics
 00:19:00 Feedlots, methane, and lifecycle carbon science
 00:20:00 Dung beetles, nutrient cycling, and soil structure
 00:22:00 Daily cattle moves and grazing pattern
 00:23:00 Agroforestry, thinning trees, and managing understory growth
 00:24:00 Total herd size and the surrounding landscape

Hickory Nut Gap is a century-old family farm in Western North Carolina, now run by Jamie and Amy, who shifted the operation toward grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, and regenerative grazing. Their model connects soil health, animal welfare, and community resilience - from rotational grazing that builds biodiversity to supplying local restaurants and retailers. This tour looks directly at how they raise animals, manage land, and keep farming viable in the Appalachian mountains.

Key Topics 

1. How Hickory Nut Gap transitioned from an old dairy to a regenerative livestock operation
2. Rotational grazing, biodiversity, and carbon-building in mountain pastures
3. The economics of grass-fed beef versus grain-fed systems
4. How the farm navigated the 2023 Cane Creek flood and community recovery
5. Whole-animal butchery, pet food production, and reconnecting consumers with real food

Why Listen To This Episode

• A real-time look at how a regenerative livestock farm actually operates
• Clear explanation of rotational grazing, pasture rest, and soil-building
• Practical insight into animal welfare, handling, and daily farm management
• Firsthand account of flood recovery and community resilience
• Straightforward breakdown of grass-fed vs grain-fed economics and taste
• Cuts through marketing claims by showing the real work behind regenerative agriculture

Website
Instagram

Timestamps

00:00:00 — History of Hickory Nut Gap and returning to the family farm

00:02:00 — Discovering direct-market pasture farming in the early 2000s

00:04:00 — Grass-fed movement and building a farmer-supported food system

00:06:00 — Taste, nutrition, and why fresh, local food matters

00:10:00 — Flood impacts and land recovery after the Cane Creek disaster

00:12:00 — Rotational grazing explained: density, rest, carbon, biodiversity

00:15:00 — Grass-fed vs grain-fed: economics, animal health, taste

00:17:00 — Talking with vegans and the ethics of reducing harm in ecosystems

00:19:00 — Regrowth after grazing and how mountain pastures respond

00:23:00 — Daily welfare checks: water, feed, injuries, antibiotics policy

00:26:00 — Whole-animal use, pet food demand, and underrated cuts

Ben Justman of Peony Lane Wine grew up on this Colorado orchard, returned in his mid-20s, taught himself winemaking, and now runs a small high-elevation Pinot Noir winery on his family’s land, built alongside his father. 

Key Topics 

• Childhood on a self-sustaining orchard and returning to family land
• Starting Peony Lane Wine and producing high-elevation Pinot Noir
• Winemaking as farming: soil, climate, and place
• Direct-to-consumer realities for small producers
• Why Ben accepts Bitcoin and why he places importance on it

Why Listen 

• Clear insight into how small wineries actually operate
• A grounded look at family land, legacy, and returning home
• Practical examples of direct-to-consumer sales for farmers
• Rare details about high-elevation Pinot Noir production
• Honest reflections on working with family while building a business

Website
Instagram
X

Timestamps

 00:00:00 – Arriving at Peony Lane and first impressions
 00:09:00 – Growing up on the farm
 00:18:30 – Leaving, travel, and returning home
 00:27:30 – Starting the winery
 00:36:30 – Pinot noir and site limitations
 00:45:30 – Small vs industrial wine
 00:54:30 – Stewardship and identity
 01:03:30 – Building the house with his father
 01:12:30 – Family, legacy, and land
 01:21:30 – Direct-to-consumer sales
 01:30:30 – Bitcoin and values-based customers
 01:39:30 – Money, sovereignty, and the future

JR Burdick of Nourishing Family Farm explains how losing his family’s farm in the 1980s and later being forced out of his dairy co-op shaped his path toward raw milk, soil-based farming, and local food independence. His story exposes how modern agriculture breaks families and communities - and how rebuilding begins one farm at a time.

Key Topics

1. The 1980s farm crisis and its generational impact
2. Industrial agriculture’s false promises
3. Losing and rebuilding the family farm
4. Founding Nourishing Family Farm and producing raw milk
5. Redefining farming as care for soil, cows, and community

Why Listen

• Reveals how U.S. farm policy hollowed out rural America
• Shows how raw milk and local food rebuild trust and health
• Offers a firsthand blueprint for regenerating the land and economy
• Traces 40 years of American farming through one family’s eyes
• Ends with a powerful redefinition of what it means to be a farmer

Connect with JR:
Website
X
Facebook

References:
"The Jungle" (1906) by Upton Sinclair

Timestamps

 00:00:00 – JR’s multi-generation farming roots
 00:02:00 – 1980s farm collapse
 00:06:00 – Debt, rates, and farm failures
 00:10:00 – Starting over
 00:14:00 – Ag education and GMOs
 00:25:00 – Green Revolution and nutrition loss
 00:33:00 – Regulation and consolidation
 00:46:00 – Tornado and community response
 01:00:00 – Rebuilding under financial strain
 01:15:00 – Generational succession challenges
 01:30:00 – Co-op shutdown and income loss
 01:45:00 – Ethanol and insurance dependence
 02:03:00 – Conventional dairying realities
 02:10:00 – Identity, purpose, and faith
 02:30:00 – Founding Nourishing Family Farm
 02:45:00 – Food as medicine
 03:00:00 – Stewardship and resilience
 03:10:00 – Redefining the modern farmer

August Hortsmann is a first-generation Missouri cattleman and founder of Hortsmann Cattle Company, a regenerative ranch built on his family’s land near St. Louis. 

What began as a childhood passion grew into a full-time operation which, over the past eight years, has integrated adaptive grazing, direct-to-consumer beef sales, and long-term soil-focused practices. His education was established through years of study, observation, and trial. August spent countless seasons working ranch jobs integrating regenerative practices, allowing him studying grazing systems and testing various methods. 

Augusts story shares undertones of the uncertain, long road taken for each farmer to reach their dream of working full-time. For August, as you'll hear, he made it happen, but for 84% of farmers in America, they work other jobs. August shares his shift from conventional, university-trained agriculture to regenerative practice, the economic realities of running a small meat business, and his philosophy on scale, sustainability, and soil health.

Key Topics

• Early life and the arduous path to founding Hortsmann Cattle Co
• Transition from conventional to regenerative grazing
• Why multi-species farming can break a business
• What adaptive grazing actually looks like on the ground
• 'Breaking even' and the economic realities of cattle farming
• Scaling regenerative agriculture for the future

Why You Should Listen

- What the path to full-time farming really looks like

- How farmers survive years before breaking even

- Building a regenerative cattle business from nothing

- Lessons from eight years of adaptive grazing

- The hard economics of small-scale beef

Connect with August

Instagram
Website

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Childhood roots and first memories on the family farm
 00:03:00 – Starting Hortsmann Cattle Co in college
 00:06:00 – University teachings vs. real-world economics
 00:10:00 – Working off-farm while building a cattle business
 00:13:00 – Discovering regenerative agriculture through Soil & Water
 00:19:00 – Adding multi-species and the “death by diversity” lesson
 00:29:00 – Burnout and the decision to simplify operations
 00:31:00 – Quitting full-time work and going all-in on the farm
 00:36:00 – Adaptive grazing and learning from nature’s rhythms
 00:43:00 – Shifting from farmers’ markets to online direct sales
 00:53:00 – Educating consumers on bulk buying and real costs
 00:57:00 – Why small meat businesses struggle with margins
 01:03:00 – Processing, scale, and the bottlenecks of small producers
 01:09:00 – Is regenerative agriculture scalable?
 01:13:00 – Advice for aspiring ranchers
 01:17:00 – Social media, misinformation, and consumer trust
 01:20:00 – Building a ranch that can sustain future generations