In this episode of The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast, Texas rancher David Will shares his firsthand experience implementing Serengeti grazing—also known as High Density Zero Rotational Grazing (HDZR)—on his 65-acre ranch.

After the devastating 2011 drought, David set out to find a grazing system that could thrive even under extreme stress. Inspired by Mr. Sabino Cortez Jr., he began experimenting with compost applications, irrigation, and concentrated grazing on just one acre. The results were remarkable—rapid manure decomposition, vigorous grass growth, and record weight gains, including a young bull that gained 600 pounds in 190 days on a single acre.

The episode explores how this system transforms soil fertility through the natural activity of dung beetles, compost microbes, and mineral balance—proving that regenerative solutions can turn challenges into lasting resilience.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Origins of Serengeti Grazing: How David discovered the method through Sabino Cortez Jr. and why the claims initially sounded too good to be true.

Drought as Catalyst: The 2011 Texas drought that motivated David to rethink grazing for long-term resilience.

Implementation Process: How compost, irrigation, and patient observation led to a thriving one-acre system.

The Role of Dung Beetles: Why eliminating medications toxic to beetles is critical for manure cycling and fertility.

Grass Management: The importance of species like Bermuda and Bahia grass and maintaining ideal sward height.

Economic and Practical Benefits: How the system sustains herds during drought and increases profitability through efficient land use.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Ensure cattle are medication-free for at least six months before starting to protect dung beetle populations.

Apply about five tons of compost per acre to build soil life and fertility.

Supplement with sea salt to boost plant and animal health.

Use well-aggregated or sandy soils for best results and test drainage before beginning.

Consider Serengeti grazing as a drought-management tool or a way to rebuild productivity on limited acreage.

📌 For more insights and resources, visit us at stockmangrassfarmer.digital  for our latest specials, full courses, and details on how to subscribe to our monthly magazine.

👉 Tune in on your favorite podcast app—just search The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast—and discover how one rancher’s determination reshaped his pastures from the ground up.

In this episode, Russ Wilson explores the adaptation of no-till practices to pasture-based systems — showing how this crop-origin technique can revitalize and diversify your forages while improving soil function and reducing labor.

Russ shares his personal transition from conventional to no-till methods, breaking down what worked, what didn’t, and the big lessons that reshaped his approach to regenerative grazing.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Breaking Weed Cycles – How no-till can help interrupt persistent weeds like fescue, Johnsongrass, and knapweed.

Boosting Forage Production – Why annual forages add grazing days and reduce dependence on stored feeds.

Building Soil Health – From less compaction to more water infiltration and microbial activity.

The Power of Simplicity – Russ’s revelation that planting without tillage saved time, labor, and cost.

Practical Insights for Interseeding – When and how to use no-till to reseed thin or damaged pastures without starting over.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Evaluate your pastures annually to identify areas that could benefit from interseeding or renovation.

Consider no-till as a low-labor, high-efficiency option to expand grazing days and soil resilience.

Explore local conservation districts or neighbors with no-till drills to reduce equipment barriers.

📌 For more insights and resources visit us at stockmangrassfarmer.digital .

👉 Tune in on your favorite podcast app to The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast and discover how no-till planting can unlock both productivity and ecological balance in your pastures.

In this episode, Jim Gerrish (along with Joel Salatin) walks the pastures and pond banks of Polyface Farm, discussing how to balance grass, water, and livestock in a resilient grazing system.

Jim explains how biological timing drives feed quality, why mechanical brush-hogging isn’t always worth it, and how to use stock density as your main management lever. Joel reflects on the financial realities of hay-making, customer consistency, and the long-term payoffs of soil recovery and water design.

They also explore the ecological lessons behind land recovery—from erosion scars to thriving ponds—and how understanding nature’s laws can help graziers make better decisions every day.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Foxtail and Forage Quality: Why plant maturity—not species—is the real driver of nutrition.

Livestock as Land Managers: Using grazing pressure and timing instead of machines.

Hay as Insurance: How Joel views hay inventory as both a hedge and a marketing necessity.

Functional Water Cycles: Slower-filling ponds as a sign of better soil infiltration.

Integrated Livestock Systems: Chickens, dung beetles, and soil microbes working together.

Land Recovery & Ecology: Lessons from transforming degraded land into a thriving landscape.

Sheep for Slope Management: Using lighter animals to protect steep areas around ponds.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Let livestock—not machines—be your main pasture management tool.

Observe forage maturity closely to time grazing for peak nutrition.

Think of hay as both a financial buffer and a promise to your customers.

Design water systems that protect against erosion and build resilience.

Recognize that regeneration is a process—soil biology and diversity take time to rebuild.

In this episode, Mark Shepard shares the humbling — and humorous — journey of building a regenerative farm from the ground up in northern New York. Through trial and error, he’s learned four hard lessons that every beginning farmer should hear before jumping in with both boots.

From mismatched leases and overfed pigs to undersized sheep and a rotten stock trailer, Mark’s reflections reveal what it truly takes to start from scratch — and keep going.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Finding Land: How to navigate difficult landowner relationships and find the right collaborative match.

Pigs Require Inputs: Why raising your own breeders doesn’t always pencil out — and how to learn from emotional attachments.

Sheep Selection: The importance of carcass size, genetics, and breed management for long-term success.

Stock Trailers & “Tuition”: The expensive lessons hidden underneath the surface — literally.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Keep looking for landowners who share your values — the right fit is worth the wait.

Be realistic about inputs and economics before scaling livestock.

Select breeds for function and environment, not just reputation.

Consider every mistake a form of “tuition” on the road to mastery.

📌 For more insights and resources, visit stockmangrassfarmer.digital to access hundreds more from leaders in regenerative agriculture.

👉 Tune in to The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast on your favorite podcast app and discover more stories of resilience, renewal, and lessons learned from the pasture.

In this episode, Juan Whiting, President of the Hinterland Institute, shares how a group of veterans is pioneering a new model of regenerative land management — transforming 24 million acres of Department of Defense land into thriving, productive ecosystems.

The Hinterland team calls their participants “regenerates” — veterans who are finding purpose and healing through the work of restoring soil, raising livestock, and feeding communities. Juan explains how the program connects these regenerates with local producers, military base commanders, and conservation partners to regenerate land and livelihoods at the same time.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

A Mission of Restoration: How Hinterland Institute empowers veterans to transition from military life into regenerative agriculture and land stewardship.

Hands-On Training & Partnerships: A look inside the pilot program with the Naval Postgraduate School, featuring experts from Understanding Ag, Alejandro Carrillo, and Will Harris.

Transforming Military Lands: Examples from Camp San Luis Obispo and Fort Benning, where regenerative grazing replaced controlled burns and reduced erosion and flooding.

Collaboration with Local Ranchers: How Hinterland provides skilled labor to help ranchers implement holistic practices without competing with them.

Feeding Communities & Building Resilience: A vision for getting regenerative meat into schools, food pantries, and local communities — without relying on “big ag.”

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Leverage partnerships between producers, veterans, and institutions to expand regenerative impact.

View weeds as indicators, not enemies — a lesson mirrored in both land management and leadership.

Invest in people as much as land — training the next generation of graziers creates lasting resilience.

📌 For more insights, resources, and Jim Gerrish’s live and recorded schools, visit us at stockmangrassfarmer.digitalfor our latest specials and educational opportunities.

In this episode of The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast, we feature Dan Glenn, author of “Lean on Nature for Long-Term Profits” from The Stockman Grassfarmer magazine. Dan, a cattle breeder and soil cowboy from southern Georgia, shares how graziers can align their operations with natural systems to build healthier soils, stronger herds, and more sustainable profits.

He reminds us that the so-called “weeds” in our pastures may actually be nature’s way of repairing and rebalancing the soil — and that our most profitable management decisions often start by paying attention to what nature is telling us.

Through years of hands-on experience at Deep Grass Graziers, Dan explains how matching cattle genetics, calving seasons, and grazing strategies to local forage cycles can reduce costs, minimize culling, and improve long-term resilience.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Match Genetics to Your Environment: Select cattle that thrive naturally in your conditions rather than fighting to make them fit.

Sync Calving with Forage Peaks: Align calving schedules with your best forage to reduce feed costs and improve herd health.

Profit Through Stocking Rate: Balance your stocking levels to avoid costly substitute feeding and overgrazing.

Feed with Purpose: Use hay strategically — through bale grazing, hay bombing, or nutrient redistribution — to enhance soil fertility.

Rethink “Weeds”: Understand how diverse plant life contributes to long-term soil health and ecological balance.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Evaluate your herd genetics for local adaptability and cull animals that require excessive management.

Adjust your calving season to align with natural forage peaks to lower winter feed costs.

Use targeted feeding methods to recycle nutrients and improve soil fertility.

Consider the message your weeds are sending — and manage for diversity rather than perfection.

Embrace a systems-thinking approach that balances profit with ecological health.

📌 For more insights and resources  visit us at stockmangrassfarmer.digital  for the latest specials, courses, and educational materials.

In this episode, Eric Czaja, active-duty Army officer and regenerative grazing advocate, shares his journey of bringing adaptive grazing practices onto Department of Defense lands. From a small homestead in North Carolina to research at the Naval Postgraduate School, Eric’s work has evolved into a groundbreaking effort to connect soil health with national security.

The discussion highlights how military bases—managing nearly 27 million acres of land—are beginning to use livestock for vegetation management, reducing fire risks, improving biodiversity, and lowering costs. Eric explains how initial skepticism gave way to visible ecological benefits, including increased wildlife, healthier pastures, and reduced reliance on burning or chemicals.

The episode also explores how veterans are finding new purpose in regenerative grazing through programs like Skillbridge and the first Department of Labor-approved grazing apprenticeship, opening pathways for service members to transition into land stewardship careers.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Eric’s Path into Grazing: From reading Joel Salatin’s books to applying principles on his own land.

Linking Soil Health to National Security: How managed grazing can strengthen training grounds and reduce disruptions.

Camp San Luis Obispo Pilot Project: Adaptive multi-paddock grazing with local ranchers and its early successes.

Ecological Benefits: Increased wildlife, improved forage utilization, and cost savings from fewer controlled burns.

Veteran Opportunities: Skillbridge training, apprenticeships, and career transitions into regenerative ranching.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Military lands represent a vast opportunity for regenerative practices that benefit ecosystems and operations alike.

Visible ecological improvements—like increased turkey populations—help win over skeptical stakeholders.

Managed grazing can save costs by reducing fire management needs and improving forage quality.

Transitioning service members can bring discipline and adaptability to regenerative agriculture careers.

Partnerships between military bases, ranchers, and educators create scalable models for change.

📌 For more insights and resources, be sure to visit us here for our latest specials and exclusive offers

 In this episode, grazing expert Jim Gerrish continues his in-the-field discussion with participants, highlighting how real-world decisions in grazing systems can make or break soil health, biodiversity, and long-term productivity.

The conversation emphasizes flexibility, observation, and using nature’s own signals—like leaf stages and plant recovery periods—to guide effective grazing.

Jim shares practical methods, challenges old conventions, and shows how listening to your pastures can reveal the most precise strategies for success.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Fixed vs. Flexible Grazing Systems: Why moving beyond rigid schedules opens up better ecological outcomes.

Plant Recovery and Grazing Intensity: Understanding how plants bounce back and what that means for animal performance.

“Take Half, Leave Half” Principle: A timeless tool for balancing forage use with pasture regeneration.

Chaos Grazing & Biodiversity: How intentional disruption creates stronger ecosystems.

Practical Plant Indicators: Why counting leaves on grass tillers can transform grazing decisions.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Adopt flexibility in grazing rotations to respond to pasture conditions.

Monitor plant recovery stages—especially leaf regrowth—to guide timing.

Use biodiversity as a management goal, not just a side effect.

Apply the “take half, leave half” principle as a simple, practical benchmark.

Trust both science and your own common sense in decision-making.

📌 For more insights and resources—including Jim Gerrish’s live and recorded schools—be sure to visit us here for our latest specials and exclusive offers

In this episode, Jim Gerrish takes participants into the pasture for a hands-on lesson in grassland management and ecosystem processes. Recorded as part of In the Field with Jim Gerrish, this session highlights how solar energy capture, grazing behavior, and paddock decisions directly influence productivity and land health.

With participants using their own square yard of pasture as a study plot, Jim guides them through practical exercises that reveal the hidden realities of grazing impact—from energy capture to soil health.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Solar Energy Capture: Why most graziers overestimate their capture rate, and how to visually assess real performance.

Grazing Simulation: A hands-on exercise showing how “first bites” differ from second and third bites in terms of nutrition, recovery, and degradation.

Forage Availability vs. Quality: Why cool-season pastures rely more on abundance while warm-season pastures balance both factors.

Soil Temperature & Water Retention: How exposed soil disrupts biological processes and accelerates moisture loss.

Paddock Management: Adjusting stock density and allocation to respond to fertility differences and multi-species rotations.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Train your eye to recognize when solar radiation is reaching the soil instead of being intercepted by plants.

Avoid allowing livestock to take a “third bite”—that energy belongs to the plant and the soil.

Adjust paddock size and stock density in response to on-the-ground conditions, rather than rigid plans.

Use flexible fencing strategies to improve adaptability in rotational grazing.

Remember: grazing responses are consistent across scales as long as livestock have access to water.

📌 For more insights and resources, visit us here for our latest specials and exclusive offers

👉 Tune in with your favorite podcast app to The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast, where we bring you practical lessons from the pasture to help you grow better forage, healthier livestock, and a more resilient farm.

 In this episode of The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast, we feature insights from Dr. Will Winter, retired veterinarian, holistic herd health consultant, and longtime advocate for sustainable livestock production. Mold and mycotoxins are silent threats that can damage both animal health and farm profitability. Dr. Winter outlines practical, proven strategies to protect livestock—and yourself—from the dangers of mold poisoning.

This episode explores tools that range from everyday solutions like apple cider vinegar and baking soda, to emergency treatments like activated charcoal. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Winter emphasizes prevention, observation, and natural methods that support both the microbiome and overall herd health.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Enzymes – How digestive enzymes can play a critical role in detoxification.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Why a daily dose offers long-term protection against mold exposure.

Detox Clays – Their role in binding toxins, supporting livestock health, and even removing heavy metals.

Humates – Supporting microbiome health and improving toxin elimination.

Activated Charcoal – The most powerful emergency treatment for suspected poisoning.

Baking Soda – Correcting pH and providing low-cost detox support.

Chlorophyll & Greens – Harnessing the natural detox power of plants like spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed.

Natural Extracts – Tea tree oil, garlic, grapefruit seed extract, and hydrogen peroxide as preventive and therapeutic tools.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Keep detox clays available free-choice for livestock year-round—they’ll use them when needed.

Add apple cider vinegar or baking soda as daily preventive measures.

Use activated charcoal immediately in cases of suspected poisoning.

Consider humates, chlorophyll-rich supplements, and natural extracts to support overall resilience.

Prevention and observation remain your best defenses against mycotoxins.

📌 For more resources, visit us at stockmangrassfarmer.digital—including access to our monthly magazine, live events, and schools where you’ll find practical herd health solutions.