The Regenaissance Podcast

A walk-through tour of Wrick Ranches in western Colorado with rancher Jason Wrick, covering calf weaning, water systems, drought realities, regenerative grazing decisions, and how a working ranch stays financially viable through direct-to-consumer beef, on-farm retail, and diversified income streams.

Key Topics

• Calf weaning and animal welfare in real ranching conditions
• Water rights, irrigation, and farming during long-term drought
• Hay reserves, soil fertility, and nutrient cycling through cattle
• Regenerative grazing within economic and regional constraints
• Direct-to-consumer beef and building resilient rural businesses

What You’ll Learn

• Why calves must be weaned and how it’s managed responsibly
• How irrigation systems actually work on a western cattle ranch
• What drought means in practice for hay, water, and stocking rates
• How regenerative grazing must adapt to local climate and economics
• Why direct consumer support is critical for small ranch survival

Connect with Jason:

Website
Instagram

Check out the farm tour episode on our YouTube 

Timestamps

 00:00:00 Introduction to Rick Ranches and the ranch tour
 00:01:45 Calf weaning and animal welfare misconceptions
 00:07:45 Irrigation systems and on-farm water infrastructure
 00:12:30 Colorado water rights and drought realities
 00:14:45 Hay management and nutrient cycling strategy
 00:18:15 Regenerative agriculture and regional context
 00:21:30 Consumer support and direct-to-consumer beef
 00:31:00 Farm store, trust-based sales, and community
 00:38:30 Weddings, rentals, and diversified ranch income
 00:41:00 Grazing management and closing reflections

Charles and Heather Maude are fifth-generation ranchers in South Dakota who farm home raised beef and pork direct-to-consumer. In this episode they describe their family history on the land, their early lives in agriculture, and the events that led to a criminal indictment by the United States Forest Service over a disputed boundary fence.

The episode documents their personal background, the mechanics of Western land use, and a detailed account of how a civil land issue escalated into a federal criminal case.

Key Topics

• Federal criminal indictment over a land dispute
• How the case escalated from civil to criminal
• Legal strategy and case dismissal
• Impact on family, finances, and rights
• Precedent for ranchers and landowners

What You'll Learn

• How a ranching family faced and beat a federal criminal indictment
• How a routine land boundary issue escalated into criminal charges
• How federal land enforcement works in practice for ranchers
• The personal, financial, and legal costs of a criminal case
• Why this case matters for landowners and producers

Connect with Charles & Heather

Website
Instagram
Facebook

Timestamps

00:00:00 Why this story matters
00:03:00 Heather’s ranch upbringing
00:09:00 Charles’s family land history
00:15:00 Growing up ranching
00:24:00 Marriage and the Atlas Blizzard
00:33:00 Ranch community and shared labor
00:35:00 Forest Service fence dispute begins
00:41:00 Meetings with federal officials
00:52:00 Civil dispute turns criminal
01:05:00 Impact of the indictment
01:22:00 Washington D.C. and case dismissal
01:27:00 Media and political pressure
01:34:00 Precedent for landowners
01:50:00 Land stewardship and politics
02:08:00 Final reflections

In this episode, we tour through Rucker Farm with Garrett Heydt to see how a large, leased regenerative operation actually works; covering hay, turkeys, water systems, minerals, and grazing decisions that shape animal health and land outcomes over time.

Key Topics 

• Rotational grazing on large, leased properties
• Pasture-based turkey production and management
• Water infrastructure, exclusion fencing, and environmental impact
• Hay economics vs standing winter forage
• Regeneration as a long-term land ethic

Why You Should Listen

• Clear explanation of rotational grazing at scale (30+ paddocks, leased land)
• Practical breakdown of hay vs standing forage economics
• Rare detail on pasture-raised turkey management and behavior
• Insight into water systems, mineral strategy, and soil-and-water funding
• A grounded philosophy of regeneration over sustainability

Connect with Rucker Farm

Website
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube

Timestamps

 00:00 Hay production and second cutting
 02:00 Pasture-raised turkeys and grazing behavior
 05:00 Predators, electric netting, and night radio strategy
 06:30 Raising turkeys: brooders, socialization, survivability
 07:45 Turkey processing timelines and sizing
 12:00 Mobile brooders and farming on leased land
 16:30 Cattle water systems and exclusion fencing
 23:00 Minerals, salt, and late-pregnancy cow health
 29:30 Hay costs vs grazing saved forage
 37:30 Regeneration vs sustainability and rebuilding soil
 48:00 Leaving the city and choosing farm life

Otter Creek Farm is located in upstate New York. First-generation farmer Elizabeth Collins walks through how herself and 5th generation farmer  Brad Wiley rebuilt a former conventional dairy into a small, regenerative, animal-welfare-driven operation.

The conversation moves from soil-health principles and rotational grazing to the practical realities of feed decisions, omega-3/6 tradeoffs, infrastructure design, and why consumer responsibility is central to fixing the food system.

Key topics 

• Soil-health principles and adaptive stewardship in practice
• Pig rotation systems, wallows, and regeneration timelines
• Pastured poultry design, predator pressure, and welfare tradeoffs
• Feed sourcing, omega-3/6 ratios, and testing meat quality
• Consumer power, decentralization, and reconnecting with farmers

Why listen

• See how soil-health principles translate into daily, on-farm decisions
• Learn how pigs, chickens, and cows are rotated to regenerate land without scale
• Understand the real cost and nutritional tradeoffs of grain, minerals, and feed sourcing
• Hear why labels fail—and what questions consumers should actually ask
• Get an honest look at mistakes, losses, and learning in regenerative farming

Website
Come Stay At Otter Creek...
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube

Timestamps

00:00:00 – Otter Creek Farm overview
00:04:30 – Animal welfare over scale
00:08:30 – Rotational pigs and regeneration
00:14:00 – Feed choices and omega-6s
00:18:10 – Meat testing results
00:22:40 – Limits of food labels
00:27:30 – Farm stays and education
00:33:40 – Mobile chickens and predators
00:40:10 – Breeding and epigenetics
00:46:30 – Farming mistakes and learning

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
X

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