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The Grazing Grass Podcast features insights and stories of regenerative farming, specifically emphasizing grass-based livestock management. Our mission is to foster a community where grass farmers can share knowledge and experiences with one another. We delve into their transition to these practices, explore the ins and outs of their operations, and then move into the "Over Grazing" segment, which addresses specific challenges and learning opportunities. The episode rounds off with the "Famous Four" questions, designed to extract valuable wisdom and advice. Join us to gain practical tips and inspiration from the pioneers of regenerative grass farming.
This is the podcast for you if you are trying to answer: What are regenerative farm practices? How to be grassfed? How do I graze other species of livestock? What's are ways to improve pasture and lower costs? What to sell direct to the consumer?
Cal: Welcome to the grazing
grass podcast episode 97.
Connor: there's always gonna be people
out there doubting that what you're doing
Cal: You're listening to the Grazing Grass
Podcast, helping grass farmers learn from
grass farmers, and every episode features
a grass farmer and their operation.
I'm your host, Cal Hardage.
On today's show we have Connor Laucant
of Laucant Farms and Serrated Shade.
He's going to discuss his beef
cattle operation, including custom
grazing on private and public
lands, his journey here, and how
he's getting started in doing this.
In addition to that, he and his brother
also have serrated shade, so for
the overgrazing section, we're going
to take a deeper dive into serrated
shade, so you know all about that.
It's a really good episode,
and I think you'll enjoy it.
But first, 10 seconds about my farm.
Two really quick things.
First, I believe you probably noticed
we're at episode 97 on the podcast.
We are getting so close to 100.
I'm really excited for that milestone.
On the farm, the fescue grass,
or fescue growing in my yard, is
about high enough to be grazed.
I grazed it last, I would
say September or October.
Um, and yes, I live far
enough out in the country.
I graze my yard, and I am so glad I
don't have a HOA to talk to, because
I'm sure they wouldn't be a fan.
Enough about that.
Let's talk to Connor.
Connor, we wanna welcome you
to the Grazing Grass Podcast.
We're excited you're here today.
Connor: yeah, thanks for having me Cal.
I know we had some technical difficulties
week, but I'm excited to be back.
I'm a long time listener, so should be.
Have a good conversation today.
Cal (2): Wonderful.
And Connor, I do
appreciate you coming back.
For our listeners out there, I
lost power in the evening, no bad
weather for about three hours.
Um, and when I go to report
the power issue, it said three
houses didn't have power.
So I was one of the lucky ones.
I.
Connor, to get started, can
you tell us a little bit about
yourself and your operation?
Connor: Yeah, so I'm a, uh,
25-year-old farmer based in southwest
Wisconsin, in, in Sauk County.
So it's lower left corner,
yeah, lower left corner.
And so my journey started, I guess
my grazing really started in 2020.
So in 2020 I was graduating college
up at UW River Falls, and I.
At that point I got to go
home early 'cause of covid.
So
Cal (2): Oh, yeah.
Connor: secured a lease on my
grandfather's farm and in college I had
been doing the math running numbers,
trying to figure out what kind of
operation I really wanted to pursue.
my neighbor had been rotationally
grazing, I would say for about
five or six years at that point.
So I had seen what he was doing.
He was grazing his cows in December.
We'd been feeding ours hay in August, so
I figured he was doing something right.
So that was a good, a big
push in that direction.
So I decided to go ahead and sign up
for E Quip through NRCS and USDA, and we
converted about, I think it was about 300,
350 acres of corn, soybean, and hay ground
that first year into rotational grazing.
And then since then, I now graze about
600 acres of private ground and 300
acres of public ground in Wisconsin.
Cal (2): Oh yes.
Very good.
Now, Connor, did you always know you
wanted to come home and graze cattle?
Connor: Not, not always, no.
Originally I was on the, uh, veterinarian
track, so my dad's a veterinarian, and I,
I, I thought I was gonna wanna do that, in
my, in my last year of school, I was, was,
I had enough of school, and once Covid
hit and we got to go home, I was like,
yeah, I, I'm not going back to school.
And my fiance is actually in vet
school right now, so seeing what
she's going through, I'm awfully
glad I decided not to do that.
Cal (2): Okay.
I've got a very important question.
Did you go ahead and get
your degree before you left?
Connor: I did, I did get the degree.
Yeah.
The
of school we're kind of a joke
because it was all online and the
professors were like, yeah, it's a
Cal (2): Oh, yes.
Connor: But no, I did get, I did
finish and get the degree so.
Cal (2): Well, I'm gonna
tell everyone how smart I am.
So I go OSU, Oklahoma State
University, and I'm working on
my animal science degree and.
Also in addition to going to school,
I was married, had a couple kids and I
was working on the OSU dairy as well.
So I go in, I guess the summer
of 94 and I tell my advisor, I
said, I gotta get outta here.
I've had enough, I gotta get out.
And so he started, and I was
working for the university so
I could only take six hours.
I said, I'll quit my job out there.
I want finished with college.
I gotta go get a job where I
can have some decent hours.
I came home and dared, so I
don't know what I was thinking.
Anyway, I um, talked to my advisor and
he says, okay, so he built me a schedule.
He says, we can get, you graduated
with this, but you're gonna have
to take a correspondence course.
And for all the people who don't know
what a correspondence course is, that's
where they send you the books and you
mail in assignments, precursor to online.
It's just not as quick.
So I had to take this
correspondence course.
And now that I think about, maybe
I shouldn't say this out loud,
os U may want their degree back.
So I get to December, I finish
that semester, and I can't graduate
without this correspondence course.
So I say, okay, I'll get it done.
I come home, I start daring.
I don't get the degree done I or degree, I
don't get the correspondence course done.
I don't even remember.
It was like some introduction
to psychology or some something
that had no interest to me.
So I didn't do it.
And if luck wasn't on my side,
I would've finished there one or
three credits short of a degree.
But in the summer, in June or
July, I guess July, towards the
end of the, the summer semester,
my advisor called me and he says.
I don't know.
But they approved you to
graduate without that course.
I was like, oh, great.
And um, of course going forward it was
so important to have that degree in
place to do some of the things I've done.
So, um, divine intervention there.
Connor: that.
Cal (2): I did.
I did.
I hope they only hear it now
and say, uh, we made a mistake.
Connor: Need to revoke that now.
Yeah.
Cal (2): So going through the school,
think about vet school and then you,
you started doing the numbers on grazing
were able to secure your
grandparents, uh, farm to lease.
Were they open to the idea?
Connor: Um, I would say, so when we
started the, uh, the initial process of
me trying to lease it, was still maybe
planning on going the traditional route.
So my grandpa had been set stocking,
making all his own feed, and
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: like, like that for a while,
trying to figure out how to make it work.
But I mean, machinery costs these
days are, are through the roof.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: I mean, we were having to feed
basically through the summer because
the pastures weren't growing anything.
So I knew something,
something had to change.
So by the end of the lease
agreement, I had told them, you
know, this is what I want to do.
And you know, old farmers,
they have their doubts.
So they, they definitely doubted it
and it wouldn't work, but it's, it's
worked out really well, really well.
Cal (2): Yeah.
So you were able to get a
equip loan to get started.
What'd you use that money for?
Connor: Yep.
So in order to like apply for an
EQUIP grant or loan, whatever it
is, the, they, they need to identify
a problem on your operation.
So in my case, it was the set stocking.
There was no grass growing, so that,
and I mean, that was causing more water
and soil runoff because there wasn't
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: happening.
So that was a problem they identified.
So that's how I was able
to, to apply for it.
I mean, it, it was easy enough.
I contacted my local NRCS office
and they set me up with a grazing
plan and all the other stuff.
And then the way the program worked,
I had to front the cost of the
fence, the water line, and the seed.
So E equip is basically a
reimbursement program, so.
you install all that and they
come out and verify it, then
they can go ahead and pay you.
And then another big push to do
this, to switch to rotational
grazing is part of the quip.
They, uh, it's called the
prescribed grazing payment.
So they'll pay you X number dollars
per acre for three years when I started
to rotationally manage, manage it.
Now, if you get a new equip, at least in
Wisconsin, it varies from state to state.
give you that a grazing
payment for five years now.
So it's interesting to see that
the program is evolving as well
as all the other practices are
Cal (2): Now, when you were considering
it and running numbers and deciding
this is what you wanted to do, did you,
were you aware that they were going
to pay you some money for three years?
Did that figure into your
amount or did you That was that.
Yeah.
Connor: to, yeah, that did
figure into my initial.
I would say cash flow projections.
Cal (2): Oh, yes.
Connor: I, you know, now this will
be my first year running without that
payment, and I would certainly, you
know, wish I was still getting it.
But
Cal (2): Right.
Connor: helps a young farmer get off,
get the, or get the place going because
I mean, cost just come up outta nowhere
and you, you need to pay for stuff.
So it's nice to have that
little extra payment.
Cal (2): Yeah.
And depending on, on what class of
animal you go with, uh, that payoff may
be further out than you want it to be.
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): So yeah, that, that could
be a real beneficial tool for you
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
And
me, I, I don't know what it's like down by
you, but crop ground rent down, down here
is starting to get a little outrageous.
I mean, it's, it's doable, but that
grazing payment really kind of helps
subtract maybe some of that crop rent.
So,
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
And when we talk about that,
are you surrounded by crop land
Connor: pretty much,
Cal (2): or is it a mix?
Yeah,
Connor: I mean, I would
in Sauk County here, we got a
big rotational grazing movement.
So every year the NRCS is putting four or
500 acres of new pasture into production.
So it's definitely changing the
landscape, but there's still corn
and soybeans everywhere you'll look,
so
Cal (2): oh, yeah.
Jared on on last week was talking
about how much crop land he has, and I
mentioned it last week on the podcast.
We don't have crop land near me.
I mean, 30, 40 minutes east
there's a little bit of crop land.
Not a great lot.
You go west a couple hours,
you can get some crop land, but
we're really just pasture here,
Connor: hmm.
Interesting.
Cal (2): which, which
makes my lease payments.
I am 100% sure a lot cheaper than yours.
Connor: I would suspect so.
Basically around here you gotta pay to
play if you wanna get ahold of ground.
It's,
Cal (2): Right?
Yeah.
Connor: I mean, you can occasionally
find the landowner that likes what
you're doing, you know, the conservation
side and enjoys looking at cattle
and the nice new fence you put up.
But in most cases it
comes down to the money.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Yeah, it's, it always speaks the loudest.
Connor: Oh yeah, for sure.
Cal (2): Now when you got the, you
got the Equip loan, were you on your
business plan as you thought about it?
Were you doing stockers?
Were you doing cow calf?
What was your initial enterprise?
Connor: yeah, I can, I can go over
all our different enterprises.
So when I started out there in 2020,
uh, so we were able to get the seating
in that very first year of 2020.
And then the fence went in 2021.
But I spent all spring putting up
some not great temporary fence so I
could at least graze all our property.
So at that time, we had about,
Cal (2): I.
Connor: I.
Ooh, maybe about a hundred cow calf pairs.
And then my very first year, I started off
with some custom grazing right away too.
And I took in probably I would
have to maybe like 150 or 160
replacement heifers for a guy.
So that's what I did my first year.
And then the second year, I, uh, brought
that guy's heifers back as pears.
And then at that point, we
still had a hundred cows.
And that's when I started my
first year of heifer, repla,
heifer breeding was in 2021.
And then nowadays.
I'm raising about 250 head of
replacement heifers For this coming year.
We'll be raising about 40 cow calf pairs.
I rent bulls.
Um, what else do I got?
I, I do have a few
stockers stocker steers.
It's mostly from our own cow herd.
We're just retaining those to
some value of them being on grass.
And then I do still custom graze, so we're
looking at probably about or so custom
grazing cattle coming in this summer too.
And I do have serrated shade,
which is my portable livestock
shade company, and I know we'll
be talking about that later here.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Yeah.
So that first season, when you reseeded
that ground, do you have to wait a certain
amount of time before you can graze it?
Obviously you've gotta do some for
management purposes, but did equip
require anything on your part?
Connor: Um, as far as the first year
goes, I know, I mean, to help the
grass establish, you definitely want
to graze it differently than if it
Cal (2): Right.
Connor: a standing perennial pasture.
I don't think, I mean, they're out there
helping you, you know, make decisions
on what you wanna do, but I, I wouldn't
say there's a requirement how you're
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: it.
I think, I'm trying to think back.
It's a few years ago now.
Yeah, so I mean, the first year we
had our existing pasture there, so
we grazed that kind of heavy again,
but then we lightly grazed all the,
the, the new seeding.
'cause we didn't wanna
to hurt it back too much.
But I think for e quip, for the prescribed
grazing, I think they require you, you
to move your livestock every three days.
And in my case, we're moving
'em every, every day anyway.
So, uh, that
at all.
I is, is very doable too for someone
that might have a full-time job.
And once a day honestly
is pretty easy too.
'cause it only takes, you
know, 15 minutes or something.
So.
Cal (2): Oh yes.
Yeah.
With your, your cow calf getting
started, did you buy those all new or
were they what your grandpa had ran
and you had a deal in place there?
Connor: Yeah, so in the early two
thousands, my grandpa had sold his
dairy cows and got into the beef herd
and basic it renting from family,
I could say would be complicated.
So we negotiated that.
I mean, half of that cow herd was ours
already, but, and then that second half,
we worked out a deal that when those,
those when those last 30 or whatever cows,
which we called his, when those phased out
and became call cows, we would sell them.
That call cow money
would go to him and then
calves for the few years,
those would be ours.
And I mean, we need, looking back, it
the best deal, but it's what we did.
So.
Cal (2): Well, anytime you're,
you're working with family, that
adds a layer of complication to it.
Connor: I adds 10 layers of complication,
Cal (2): I, I think you could agree.
Um, kinda like these sheep, my dad and I
are partners on them, but he has certain
amount when we sell old sheep or the
original flock, they go back to him.
I do all the management and,
and then we split all the lambs.
But yeah, it just adds to it.
And anytime you're working with
family, I've, I fully get that.
So you started with those cows.
Um, did you immediately
jump into daily moves?
Connor: Um, my first year,
I'm trying to think, I.
I don't, I think for first year,
I think I was doing daily moves.
It was obvi, obviously it looked
different than what I do now.
'cause
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: the interior fence
and all the waterline.
But I was still doing some kind of
daily move and even in that first
year, that old pasture that couldn't
carry one cow per 10 acres, which
is pretty terrible for around here.
I know down by you, it's a little
different numbers, but you're
looking at about a thousand pounds
of animal per acre that you can
stock here in southern Wisconsin.
it, it was pretty poor ground.
But even that first year, just having
some kind of rotation and getting 30 to 45
days of rest, it, it almost healed itself
in, I would say two years that pasture
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: it's still a work in progress,
but it's come back exponentially.
Cal (2): Oh yes.
And initially, were you watering
out of, um, some natural water
points, like ponds or streams?
Connor: Uh, we don't really have
much for ponder streams here.
So our first
we
Cal (2): okay.
Connor: Basically it was
just two big water lines that
divided the whole farm in half.
Now we got substantially more,
I think over in 2020 and 2021 I
put in 50,000 feet of waterline.
So a whole bunch.
But that
we just made it as simple as possible
'cause we were trying to just get
some kind of rotational grazing.
So,
Cal (2): And tell us a little
bit about your Waterline system.
Connor: yeah, so ours, uh, we run since we
are, we got some pretty serious elevation.
So ours is all, what's it at?
So I run polyethylene pipe that
you just lay on top of the ground
and it's, we run the 200 PSI 'cause
we gotta pump at 180 pounds to,
hills.
So we need that high, that
high thickness wall pipe.
But it really, it holds up well.
And we just have the, the
placent inserts to put your water
Cal (2): Oh, okay.
Yeah.
How close do you have those about?
Connor: Oh, well I couldn't tell you.
They're maybe 200 feet,
something like that.
We got
all I
Cal (2): Oh, but you got a lot of 'em.
Yeah.
So how does that pipe hold up for winters?
Connor: I mean, it, it's been
holding up pretty well in the
low spots if you don't drain it.
So what we'll do every fall is just
unscrew those platon in the platon part.
I'll hang it right above that single
wire 'cause it'll snap right onto it.
And I just naturally let it drain out.
Sometimes you might get a low spot,
they get some water in and you'll
get a crack in it, but if you got
50,000 feet of water line, you're
pretty good at fixing, fixing it.
Cal (2): Yeah.
Connor: it's not a big deal
to, to go out there and, and
fix a single, a little leak.
So,
Cal (2): Oh, yes.
And is it, I, and you may have said
this, I missed, is it like two inch?
Connor: uh, mine's one inch.
So,
Cal (2): is it one inch?
Connor: yeah, looking back, I wish
I would've gone with a bigger, I.
A bigger diameter because the amount
of animals I'm running now, it really
kind of stresses the water system.
I just can't get the, the volume of
water flowing as fast as I want there.
So at this point, now that we can run
larger groups, I'm looking at maybe some
semi-permanent water points and strategic
locations because, and having a big water
tank there, like a thousand or 650 gallon
water tank because water in 300 head out
of a 200 gallon tank is not a great day.
If it flips over, you're there all
Cal (2): Oh, oh, yeah.
Connor: mean, I got other places
to be, other pastures to check.
So that's kind of my plan going forward.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Yeah.
So on your, your cow calf, just a
little bit more, when are you, Kev,
and, and how do you manage those calves
as opposed to weaning, et cetera?
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
Yeah.
So we're Calvin in May and yeah,
may, we're Calvin in May and June,
because I rent all my property.
We don't have a barn.
The weather here in Wisconsin is so
variable in April and March and yeah,
just I wanted to take the temperature
just outta my, I wanted to make
my temp, uh, let me restart that.
So yeah, work having in May
and June for a few reasons.
One, I rent all the ground I own.
I don't have a barn or nothing like that.
And we used to cabin April, but the
temperature and the weather here
in Wisconsin is just so variable.
I wanted to take the temperature
out of the equation, so
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: back to May and June and.
I'm glad I did that.
Calvin on green grass is awfully nice.
You don't have to worry about
the calves freezing or nothing.
So, but yeah, we will carry
those calves as late as we can
on the cows usually where wean
in December, something like that.
And then all the heifers, all the
heifer calves will go into my bread
heifer enterprise and then we'll we will
use some of those bulls for breeding
purposes and then the rest of 'em
will go back in steers and we'll put
on grass and, and sell the next year.
Cal (2): Oh yes.
So you're selling them probably
before their first winter?
Not their first winter,
sorry, their second winter.
Connor: Yeah, I, I'm thinking
we'll be selling probably
about August, September, try to
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: high market.
Yeah.
Cal (2): And what kind
of cows are you using?
Connor: Uh, we have a Red Angus cow
herd, we've been for the past two
years, breeding with a Charla bull.
I really like the look of the calves
and they just grow tremendously well.
So,
people, people really seem to like
those, the blondie colors to go into
the feedlot, they gain really well.
So that's, that's where
what we're breeding now.
Cal (2): I know my, um, niece, her
husband, they, they do a lot of cattle
and he's, he's big into livestock auction.
He loves those yellow calves.
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): Um,
yeah, he's all the time talking about 'em.
I'm not a fan of Charla.
I'm, I have some predetermined biases
towards cattle breeds, um, that were
developed when I was young and, and
I haven't ever been a fan of Charla,
but when I see my neighbor's got some
Charla bulls and they actually look
really good, they're moderate frame,
beefy.
They look like they could work out good.
In fact, it has crossed my mind to
get one to use as a terminal cross.
I haven't done it yet, but
it has crossed my mind.
Connor: Yeah, no, I think there's
definitely a lot of people that have
that predetermined thought that, you
know, char's gonna be massive animals,
but the char breeders around this
country, I think, really have done a
good job in bringing the size down.
And if you look hard enough, you
can find a breeder that's doing a
similar type of management to you.
So I, I really think
they've come a long way.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Yeah.
So you're also, if you're using a
Charla bull nose, red Angus, you
also are producing some yellow red,
uh, boy, I'm, I'm good at my colors.
You're also producing some
yellow replacement heifers.
Connor: That's right.
Yeah.
We are,
this will be our.
First year having some
marketable for sale.
We've only been breeding it for two years
Cal (2): Oh yeah,
Connor: so this will be our kind
of first batch we have for sale.
But I mean, the steer calves sell like hot
cakes, so I'm hoping the females do too.
Cal (2): yeah.
Well, hopefully so yeah.
I think that's interesting.
So tell us a little bit about
your replacement Heifer program
and how you manage those.
Connor: Yeah, so it started out I
wanted to capture some more value
from our females, from our cow herd.
'cause I mean we were making nice
females and I, I didn't really like
selling 'em to the sale barn 'cause I
knew what they could turn out to be.
So that's how it started.
And since then, now I go to a
lot of other local producers
that are raising Red Angus.
Well now it's all breeds almost.
But I started with Red Angus.
So yeah, we're I'm running Red
Angus Angus, and we'll be breeding
about 30 Charla this year too.
But I.
My Angus, I'll be doing one round
of AI just 'cause I don't have
quite as many bulls to breed 'em.
But
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: standpoint, I got
pastures all over the place.
So we'll be bull breeding my Red Angus
in the Charla groups because I can only,
I only have one big working system, so
I'll put that towards the Angus bulls.
And then I usually try to
sell stuff early as I can.
Usually that ends up being November,
December timeframe much earlier than that.
And people really don't wanna, don't
wanna feed 'em that that long, but
want to keep 'em through the winter.
So it's kind of
finding that happy medium.
And plus, when these cattle come off
rotational grazing pasture, man, they
sure look good 'cause they, they're
getting excellent feed every single day.
they're dead tame, they're poly broke.
So.
I'm, I'm excited for this year I'm
probably gonna be working with, you
know, superior Livestock or another big
place like that to move some semi loads.
'cause I'll have 250 this year
instead of like a hundred.
So,
Cal (2): yeah.
Now, on your AI end, are you
doing your own AIing or are
you paying someone to do that?
Connor: uh, I pay someone to do that.
I never learned,
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: could, but yeah,
it's just easier to pay them.
I usually gotta run
the, the bud box anyway.
That's where I always seem to end up, so.
Cal (2): Actually that's
a great, great question.
That wasn't on my radar at all,
but you mentioned a Bud Box,
so you have a Bud Box in place.
How's that working for you?
Connor: Yeah.
Well, so my dad's, I mentioned he's a
veterinarian and he had a portable tub
that we used all while I was growing up.
And man, that thing never
seemed to work well.
The cattle just got riled
up when they were in it.
You could, you always
had to push 'em in there.
They never wanted to go into the lane.
And our first bud box was just
a couple gates I set up and they
just walked right in the alleyway,
like it wasn't a big deal.
And since then, we kind of made our own
portable one, so you can just pick it
up with a skid steer and put it on a
trailer and move it to the next pasture.
But
I
to use a tub again because a bud box, they
just walk in, they go right in the lane.
It, it's so nice.
Cal (2): You know, I tried to
convince my dad for a Bud Box.
In fact, I put in a little Bud box
on our Kevin Pasture when we dared.
So this was long time ago.
And, um, I'd brag on it to him all the
time because it just worked so good.
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): But, um, yeah, so when we
put in our new handling facilities,
we got a tub in there, which
But I often think, man, I'd love to, I,
I probably wouldn't do it now 'cause we
spent too much money putting a tub in.
I'd love to have a Bud box there if
it was just fixed up quite right.
Connor: Oh a few weeks ago actually,
we were running all our, we ran
170 heifers through, the system.
We were doing shots and, and
other, and retagging and stuff.
And I brought up a fellow producer down
in Dodgeville, and he's got one of those
aero, do you know what Aero Quip is?
It's
Cal (2): Yes.
Connor: so he's got
systems that's got the tub in the back.
And then he came up to see
ours and he is like, man, I, I
need to get myself a bud box.
Sadly, AQUIP doesn't make a bud box.
I don't know why.
Cal (2): Yeah.
Connor: once you
Cal (2): Well, does,
Connor: it's kind of silly to have a tub,
Cal (2): does anyone make a Bud Box?
Um, on a,
Connor: portable one.
Um.
don't know.
Maybe someone might, but
Cal (2): yeah.
I, I don't know if, if I know I've
been looking at portable systems.
I'd like to find a bumper
pool, small system,
Connor: mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): and, um, I can't find what I
want and they're just priced outlandish.
Connor: Oh expensive.
Cal (2): yeah.
So, of course then my next
thought is, we'll build one.
Well, I
Connor: Well, you
one then we could ship it down there.
Cal (2): there we go.
We may have to discuss that
so we can figure that one out.
Connor: Mm-Hmm
Cal (2): Yeah.
So the bud box is working good.
I'm always, you know, I've, since I've
used one, I really like it, but I just
don't see 'em out there very much.
Connor: mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): Yeah.
So with your replacement heifers,
those, they're just on grass, are you
managing their grass any different
than you manage your cow herd grass?
Connor: Um, not, not really.
So I, my furthest pasture away, this
coming year is gonna be an hour away.
So at that
we won't be doing daily moves.
It'll be a, a week or maybe every
four days or something like that.
That's just an ease of management thing.
mean, if I can, the daily moves
just works really, really well.
They put uncondition great and
I manage 'em about the same.
Cal (2): Oh yes.
Have you put in any summer
annuals or are you just using
perennials and what's out there?
Connor: No.
So we have about a 15 acre, two pieces
of ground that add up to 15 acres.
Those are our winter lots.
So our winter sacrifice lots.
So every year I'm putting
in about 15 acres.
It's a sorghum Sudan mix with
sorghum, Sudan, uh, Harry Vetch.
Clover and maybe something
else, I don't know.
But the sorghum sedan kinda always
tends to dominate over that.
So I've been
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: two years now.
I'm sure glad I did, because
this past year that sorghum sedan
only had about two inches of rain
on it, and it was 14 foot tall.
it's a, it's a great use of that ground
that would otherwise be sitting idle.
Cal (2): Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Now I'm thinking about trying to
put a little bit in this year.
We'll see how it goes.
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): Okay.
In addition to your, your
replacement heifers, you're also
doing custom grazing, correct?
Connor: Yep.
Yes I
Cal (2): Yeah.
How did, how is that working for
you and, and just when I say that.
I've read, um, what is it,
Greg Judy's No Risk Ranching.
about as close to custom
grazing as I've gotten now.
Of course, I've talked to a few people
about it, but I'm not super familiar with
it and we've never done it, so, so just
share with our listeners about custom
grazing and how's that's working for you.
Connor: I, in college
never, never heard about it.
And I actually had heard about it
from one of Greg Judy's videos, and
I was like, well, that seems to make
sense because I don't have access to
$300,000 to buy all my own livestock.
And you start talking two, 300
head of cattle, you're talking
more money than that yet.
So it's a, it's a good tool for
beginning farmers to get some
livestock on your ground without
having that, that financial risk.
So, and, but.
It's, it's best if you can find
a good client that appreciates
your type of management to pay
a little extra starting off.
You might not have that, that
relationship will come with time.
But the way I structure my
contacts is I'm, my contracts is
that I get paid per head per day.
So every day they're there, I'm getting
paid, and then I just bill monthly.
And I think it's important to have
a drought clause built into your
contract so people understand,
you know, it does get dry and what
are we gonna do in that situation?
say keep, keep your
forage priorities in mind.
When you are custom grazing, like
in my case, we have, have my own
livestock and my custom grazing
livestock and my own livestock.
I make more money on those than
I do my custom grazing ones.
So in the case of a drought, it
might suck to send home 300 head of
livestock early that aren't yours.
But at the end of the day, I don't
wanna be feeding hay in September.
So your, keep your priorities
straight and most of those guys.
A lot of my clients are, are feedlot
guys that are sending steers to me to
put weight on over the summer, and then
they go back into the feedlot and they,
they understand they're farmers too.
So as long as you're open with
them, and I mean, heck, this year
I knew in May we were gonna be dry.
So if you're just up front, Hey,
I don't think we're gonna make
it as far this year, and, and
they're under, they understand.
So,
Cal (2): Oh yes.
So most of your clients, they're,
it's lightweight calves going into a
feedlot and they're sending them to
you to graze, get a little size on
them before they go back in for feed.
Connor: yeah, that's exactly right.
Yeah.
And
heifer breeders or a guy that had heifers.
I wanted, he wanted to
breed, I did that too.
I did pears one year.
I probably wouldn't do that again,
just was a lot of extra work for
not, not that much more money.
So, yeah,
Cal (2): Did you On the pairs,
were you Kevin them out?
Connor: God no, no, they, they showed
Cal (2): I I thought that'd
be a lot more too, so.
Connor: th mean, it, it worked
out, but the calves showed up
younger than what I would've liked.
So that, that was a challenge.
And they were
pairs.
So that's just another,
Cal (2): Oh, yes.
Connor: too.
It, it worked out in the end.
But
I,
I, don't know if someone could
pay me enough money to do pairs.
I running yearling cattle is
just so easy compared to doing
them, uh, in my location.
We, we got across the road a
lot and making sure you got all
the calves is a big deal and
Cal (2): oh, yeah.
Connor: are trained to
electric fence in under a week.
So there's no comparison.
Cal (2): Yeah.
How did you find your clients
for your custom grazing?
Connor: Yeah, it really was
not as hard as I thought.
So on Facebook, I'm on some like,
livestock and I'm sure everyone
knows what I'm talking about.
And I just posted on there.
I'm like, Hey, I got, I got
room for a hundred head of
cattle and this is what I want.
And when I shifted clients two years
ago, it only took me 30 minutes to find
Cal (2): Oh, yes.
Connor: So I mean, it, it is very easy
to find people that want livestock.
You just po or got
livestock that want grass.
You just post to those groups and
you know, if you know what you're
doing, if you got the fence,
they're happy to send 'em to you.
Cal (2): And that's what I've heard,
that if you, if you're looking for
clients for custom grazing, they're
out there and they're pretty easy
to find you once you put the word
out or pre pretty quick to find you.
Yeah.
Connor: Yeah.
to find someone that might, you
know, pay 10 cents extra because
you are rotationally grazing.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: So that, that's the key is to
find a good, good client, good client
that appreciates what you're doing.
But over time you can, you can find that.
Cal (2): Yes.
And when you get those animals
in, I'm assuming for the most part
they're not used to electric fence,
so how do you go about training them?
Connor: Yeah, no, they are
absolutely, they don't even know
what grass is when they come off the
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: So it, it, it's a whole process.
I have about 10 acres that
I have fenced separately.
So the exterior and the interior
fence is all for wire high tensile.
Usually my interior wire is just
one wire, but in order to get them
broke to that hot wire, I got 10
acres that are divided with basically
permanent fencing in and outside of it.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: take about, know, you'll have
some run through that's, then I'll divide
those paddocks with a hot, just one hot
wire and you'll have some run through.
But in three, four days
you got 'em all trained.
So
Cal (2): How hot.
Do you like your wire to run?
Connor: as hot as I can get it really.
Cal (2): Yes.
Connor: Yeah, as long as I don't,
I used to run all four wires hot.
was when I had more calves around.
'cause you gotta keep that,
you gotta keep 'em in.
And they won't stay in unless
that bottom wire's hot.
But for my
steers or my, my yearling cattle, I
just run the center two wires now and
then you're not really dealing with the
grass on the bottom short, shorten out.
So, 'em in just fine.
So
Cal (2): yeah.
What kinda energizer are you using?
Are you preferring a plugin
energizer or are you using solar?
Connor: yeah, where I
can, I prefer a plugin.
Energizer is just a better energizer.
Usually you can get a higher
output in solar you got, you know,
if it's cloudy for a week, your,
your juice might be down a bit.
So at this point I'm running
just Gallagher stuff.
I think they got a good product, but,
you know, everyone's got their own
opinion on what fencer works well.
But I like the, the on off
switch and there's just seemed
to work real well for me.
Cal (2): Yeah.
If it's working for you,
don't change because you just
gotta find what works for you.
Um,
Connor: and that's what all
this grazing is really about.
I mean, I graze differently than
my neighbor, but hey, we're still
both doing rotational grazing.
There's the soil health benefits,
there's the wildlife benefits.
So yeah, you gotta just kind
of figure out your own recipe.
Cal (2): right.
You and one of the biggest things.
We talk about a lot is you just gotta
get started and start developing that
eye and figuring out what you're doing,
but figure out what works for you.
Find someone who does it similar
way you want to and jump in.
And my wife says I have a problem.
I jump into too many things,
but you know, that's my problem.
Connor: that's right.
Cal (2): So we've talked a little
bit about your cow calf replacement,
heifers, uh, custom grazing,
but you also rent out bulls.
Connor: Yeah, I do a little bit of that.
So since I'm raised in so many
replacement heifers, I usually have
a lot of yearling bulls, I gotta
figure out something to do with those.
So over the past, uh, I don't know, five
years or so, we've kind of developed that.
So I'm running about 30 mature
bulls and it's a lot of work.
I don't make that much money off
it, so I may phase that out in the
Cal (2): Oh, yeah.
Connor: right now, it's a good,
a good use of my bulls I need
for breeding my yearlings.
So yeah, I mean, it's all right.
Dealing with 30 mature bulls, can
some day, some days be a hassle, but.
Cal (2): Well at, at times I've thought
about leasing a bull or two out just
because while they're doing nothing, they
could be doing something somewhere else
and someone could be feeding them and, um,
Connor: Yeah, I wish I had 30
fall calving herds in Wisconsin,
but that's just not the case.
I think I got about two.
So
Cal (2): oh, yeah.
Connor: are rented out in the spring, but
in the fall they all tend to come back,
Cal (2): Yeah.
Well, that's, I was wondering, I,
I could probably feel, uh, fair,
better down here because there's a
lot more fall covers down here than
Connor: yep.
Cal (2): ELs time.
And then the other thing on spring, so
many people, Kev and in winter here.
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
Cal (2): And I'm, I'm not Kevin till
May, so that makes a difference too.
Are you seeing a lot of, are there
a lot of people in your area, Kevin,
that late winter Kevin window as
opposed to your May Kevin window?
Connor: Um, I would say there's, there's
a good variety all across the board.
I mean, you're always gonna have
your, your seed stock guys and
you show people that want to cab
early so they can get the as big as
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: But I.
I'd say there's definitely a switch
towards calving when the grass is green.
There's more of a switch
now than there was
10 years ago if you cab to
May and June, you were crazy.
So,
Cal (2): yeah,
Connor: it's definitely shifting up here.
So I think, I think over time
it'll just keep changing.
Cal (2): yeah.
I think it's shifted here as well,
even though, um, March can be really
nice here and not that bad, but
Connor: Mm-Hmm
Cal (2): or late April
was really nice, Kevin, so
yeah.
Now you've been doing this, you
got started in 2020, so you've got
a few years under your belt and
you're still figuring it all out.
What, what turned out to be a
challenge that you didn't anticipate?
Connor: Um.
Well, I would say, oh, oh,
I'll just say this too.
I originally got into the whole rotational
grazing game to, for the benefits
benefits and the economics of it.
I mean, it made sense to save money
on feed and the cattle did better.
say I've really developed a passion
for the conservation side of it.
Now at this point.
I mean, there's a, there's a, there's
so many benefits of it that I, I really
enjoy that part of it, but I really had
a hard time leaving grass, not gr like,
so, you know, if you got 12 inches grass,
you may be graze six and, and leave six.
I had a really hard time leaving
that six inches of grass behind.
'cause I was like, well, I could
spend another day right here.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: time I've learned that,
hey, if you leave six, it's probably
gonna help you out in the long run.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: yeah, that, that, that
was one big challenge for me.
Cal (2): And and I have to agree coming
to it from a economical standpoint, that's
really what got me interested in it.
When I start thinking
I can run more cattle
same acreage and.
Acquiring land is difficult.
Either you gotta go out and pay some
high prices or you gotta find leased
land, which is its own problem.
So how can we probably not
maximize, but how can we optimize
or increase the efficiency of what
we're getting off our present land?
And that's really where I came through to
it and it just, it just aligns so well.
So I fully get that coming from it.
With that viewpoint,
Connor: Yep.
Cal (2): where do you see your
operation going in the next five years?
Connor: Well, that'll depend
a little bit, I think, on what
happens with serrated shade.
I mean, right about now I get an
intern during the summer, but I
would say I'm pretty well maxed out
for the acres that I can run myself.
Because it's sadly all
not in one location.
I spent a lot of time in the truck
in the summer just going pasture to
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: checking on livestock.
So I am looking for maybe one more big
300 acre piece maybe, but that'd probably
be about the max ground that I can run.
And going forward, I'm in the process
right now of maybe trying to, to build
a barn or do something like that with
quip, because the winter's up here in
Wisconsin, they're just turning worse.
It turns into more of a mud
season now than, than anything.
So my open heifers to really maximize
their development and growth over
the winter, I want to get them
somewhere I can control their ration
and get get 'em outta the weather.
So.
like to own maybe, I don't know.
The custom grazing is really nice.
I'd al always probably keep, keep
my custom grazing clients around.
It's nice to have that, that income
through the summer and kind of a
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: in the case of a drought.
So I'd maybe like to own a
few more of my livestock.
250 head of heifers is, is a lot
to take care of and it's a lot
of money invested in that too.
I, I'm pretty happy
livestock where I'm at.
And I always want more land.
I love land and
it back into grass too, so, But
if serrated shade really, really
takes off, I might have to bring
on two interns or maybe some, some
part-time help, but that'll just
be what the future holds, I guess.
Cal (2): Oh yes.
And that's a great segue into our
overgrazing section where we take a deeper
dive into something about your operation.
And we are going to talk
about serrated shade today.
Connor: Mm-hmm.
Cal (2): So tell us
what serrated shade is.
Connor: Yeah, well this would
be good practice 'cause I'm
going to the, uh, Western Farm
Show in Kansas City, Missouri.
Tomorrow.
We're driving down there
Cal (2): Oh, yes.
Connor: we got a booth down there.
So I don't know when this comes
out, but if people are down there,
feel free to stop by, say hi.
I know, but serrated shade, me and
my brother started this company.
We built our first prototype
would've been, uh, 2021.
Then we just went public with
it this past summer, so 2023.
But it's portable livestock
shade that's kind of geared
towards rotational grazing guys.
So, I mean, I came up with it
because I was converting all
this corn and soybean ground into
pasture and there weren't any trees.
So the summers are kind
of changing around here.
It's getting, getting a little hotter.
So these custom grazing cattle that I was
getting in, they're, they're not used to
grazing, they're not used to the heat.
So they were really suffering
and I was basically too cheap
to go buy the competition.
So I came, came up with my own.
Now mine, you know,
they, they're not cheap.
We'll get into that maybe a little
later, but it's a great tool.
I, I use of 'em on my own operation and
I honestly don't like grazing without 'em
now because the cattle just love them.
They come standard with
a mineral feeder on 'em.
So you're taking just, you don't,
you gotta move the water and move the
livestock and then move your shade.
So it just,
that mineral feeder to it just took
another thing outta the equation.
But no, they're a great tool.
I, you can park 'em over if you
got a patch of thistles, patch
of weeds, park it over that.
Few hours later, you won't have
any because the cattle will all
be under there trampling it.
It's a great tool for managing
nutrient distribution.
So if you've got a Porto on part
of your pasture, park it over it.
Animals will condense there,
drop lots of manure and urine
and yeah, it's a great tool.
Okay.
Cal (2): How big is it?
How many cows can use it?
Connor: Mm-Hmm?
Yeah, so our big model right now,
we just have the one model at the
moment, it's 1300 square feet.
I know I actually had did the math
wrong and we were telling people it was
1100 square feet for about a year now,
but it's actually 1300 square feet.
So we say you can fit that can
fit underneath it at one time.
We say 80 head of pair or 80 cows or no.
Is that right?
I gotta get my facts straight.
No 40 cows can fit underneath it at one
time, or 80 yearling head of steers.
So.
Oops.
Cal (2): okay.
Yeah.
Connor: yep.
But I do say that there's that
number, but I personally have run
them in bigger herds than that.
So I would say you could easily
go up to 60 head of pairs, and
throughout the day cattle will kind
of take turns underneath the shade.
So some will be under the shade,
some be out grazing, some be at the
water tank, somebody laying down.
And with yearling steers, I could say you
could go up to about 120 animals per unit.
So definitely not limited by that.
What can fit underneath there at one time?
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
So how's the, the shade part work?
Because I'm assuming it's easy to
take down so you can go down a road.
Connor: That's right.
Yeah.
So, I mean, I'm a farmer.
I built these things to work for us,
so they open, and if you're good at it,
you can get it open in three minutes
and close it in about the same time.
So there's.
If people look it up on the internet,
there's basically one big front part,
and then there's one big rear part
of shade, and then you just crank a
couple winche to undo the locks, fold
it up and, and you're good to go.
And then to, to open it, just un
undo the tension on the winches.
It'll automatically open up.
And then kind of our name to the game
is we have a automatic or a manually
operated hydraulic pump that raises
this big piece, big, long piece of
steel up in the middle of the shades.
And that really provides
the extra tension that is
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: for it to withstand the wind.
So just opening it up and locking
it open, I would say, provides about
70% of the tension that you need.
But hydraulic raising arm adds
an extra 30% of tension, so it's
able to take winds up to about
60 miles an hour too, because we
tension to it.
Cal (2): How long does it take
you to put it up and take it down?
Connor: Uh, to do the whole
thing about six minutes?
Cal (2): Oh, yeah, so fairly quick.
I.
Connor: yeah.
It's and I mean, it, it can
handle a lot for wind, like your
average pop-up thunderstorm.
No problem at all.
The fabric is semi-permeable, so any
water that goes does pull up on it, will
leak right through and it's built out
of a shaded cloth that's 80 20, so it'll
block 80% of the light, let 20% of the
light in, uh, it's got seatbelt edging,
so it's a really heavy duty material.
Cal (2): Oh, very good.
And does it have like a, is it a
bumper pull with a ball hitch on it?
Connor: Mm-Hmm.
So, you know, like a feed wagon has got
that swiveling front two tires on it.
actually what the front of ours is.
It's the swivel two tires with
a telescoping hitch on it.
So it's, it's
easy to hook up, move
around wherever you need to.
Cal (2): oh, yes.
And does that hitch, does it fold up
in the air when you've got stationary
or is it laying on the ground?
Connor: you can, if you want, yeah,
you could, you could chain it up
to one of the support pieces that
are around the mineral feeder.
That way if the cattle do start packing
underneath there, they're not crapping all
over it or pushing it down into the dirt.
But
there moving it every day,
we move ours every day.
We don't have too much
of an issue of them.
Pushing the hitch into the ground.
Cal (2): Oh, okay.
Connor: you, you can do either one
and we do, we can actually put brakes
on 'em too, that it's an extra cost,
but it's not really for the livestock.
The livestock, they don't
really push it around.
And even if they are pushing on it,
there's usually one pushing, one
way, one's pushing the other way.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: it doesn't actually go anywhere.
And they're, they're significant,
they're significantly heavy, but the
brakes are just a convenience factor.
So if you're pointing downhill or
uphill a little bit and you unhook it,
you don't want it to roll away on you.
So
throw the brakes on and it's
not gonna go anywhere on you.
Cal (2): Oh, very good.
Yeah.
And you'd mentioned this a little bit,
how much does a serrated shade cost?
Connor: Yep.
So our, our base unit right
now, our 1300 square foot unit
is $21,000 and five, $21,500.
So I know it is expensive.
So if there are any listeners in.
The Bend West region, the Midwest region.
We do have a rental program too.
So if you don't wanna, you know,
pay that upfront cost, you can get
one unit for your grazing season.
miles from Southwest Wisconsin is
3,500 bucks for, for your summer.
So, and actually a little cool fact.
So I was at a grazing conference a few
weeks ago and I was talking to some
of the guys in our Cs, and so they do,
right now, they do have cost share for
a mobile shade structure like this, but
that cost hasn't really kept up
with the current rate of what
mine and the competitors cost.
But they are thinking, and they're gonna
come out to my place this summer and
my competitors, and they're gonna take
a look at our, our units and they're
hoping to up their cost share percentage.
Probably
Cal (2): yeah.
Connor: at two at 2025.
So right now they'll only cost
share like maybe 20%, but they're
hoping to get it up to 70%.
So
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
That'd be really nice.
Connor: I'm gonna be too busy
welding to get any more land, so,
Cal (2): Yeah.
Yeah, that I can see how that really, well
it helps farmer out help you out as well.
Um, any amount they pay is nice though,
so.
Connor: absolutely.
Yeah.
No, right now I think you'd get that
20% would be like 4,004 or $5,000.
But I would like e, each
state is different, so I had
a guy from, where was it?
It was out on the East Coast somewhere,
maybe one of the Carolinas called and
asked about it and he called his NRCS
and they don't have cost share for
shade down in the Carolinas, but they do
So
you just with your local office
and, and see what the deal is.
Cal (2): Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I have to check on that.
Anything else about serrated
shade you'd like to add before
we transition to the famous four?
Connor: Yeah, I would say probably one
of my, uh, the biggest things I hear is,
well, why don't you just plant trees?
Because, you know, those are
best for the environment.
And I, I totally agree, trees are
probably the best thing for the
environment, but for what I'm doing
and a lot of other people are doing,
we're converting row crop ground
that's got no trees back into pasture.
And we need shade today,
not 50 years from now.
So
Cal (2): yes.
Connor: you, you need the shade
there and then, well, I gotta, I
gotta get all my points straight.
We're going to the, uh,
trade show tomorrow,
mean, you, you, you just can't wait.
And in my case, I rent a lot
of my ground, so my landowners
don't want me planting trees.
yeah, those are my two biggest
rebuttals to, to that question.
Yeah,
Cal (2): yeah.
I was gonna bring up on lease land,
uh, planting trees is a really iffy
proposition because land owner may
or may not be interested in it.
And then do you wanna spend
the money of plant trees if you
don't have a long-term contract?
Because trees,
Connor: better
Cal (2): you plan them,
Connor: long term
Cal (2): right, because
trees aren't ready tomorrow.
Connor: absolutely not.
And there are, you know, there are some
fast growing trees, which, which do
work good, but you can't move a tree.
You can move mine to any quar.
You
Cal (2): Right.
Connor: my product to any quarter
of the pasture and use it.
And honestly, they use the shade
structure even when it's not that hot out.
We've had about 60 degree days and
still the cattle con congregate
underneath them, so you're still
getting some benefit out of it.
Even not on the hotter days.
I know up here in Wisconsin it's a little
sell because we don't have quite as
many hot days as people down south do.
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Connor: day, you know, I'd love to get
down to Texas or Missouri where there's
some longer heat periods, but yeah.
Cal (2): I definitely get that because
when I think about heat and sun, I
don't necessarily think Wisconsin, but
Connor: Yeah, no.
hot and humid here and yeah, but
not as long as other places do.
Cal (2): right.
Yeah.
Connor, thank you for sharing about that.
It's time for us to transition to
our famous four questions, same four
questions we ask of all of our guests.
Our first question, what is your favorite
grazing grass related book or resource?
Boy, that was kind of tough for me to say.
What is your favorite grazing
grass related book or resource?
Connor: Yeah, so I, I haven't read too
many grazing books, so I, I don't think
I have a good rec, good answer for that.
But a grazing resource, I really
enjoy podcasts like the one we're
doing today, and Jared Luman, I
think that's a really good one.
The heard quitter
there's tons more out there,
so I think that's a great, I.
A great thing.
And, and YouTube also, I,
I learned a lot from that.
Starting out.
There's tons of grazing channels out there
for any kind of grazing you wanna do.
So I think those are two really good
platforms to, to learn a lot about it.
Cal (2): It's amazing.
The amount of knowledge you can
gather from podcasts and from YouTube.
It's just amazing.
So excellent resources there,
Connor: yeah, I learned nothing
about rotational grazing in college.
I learned it all from
YouTube and podcasts,
Cal (2): right?
Yeah.
I, I hope Oklahoma State is doing
more for rotational grazing than
when I went through, but when I
went through a few decades ago, we
didn't talk about rotational grazing.
Connor: Yeah.
And in most places they still don't, but
Cal (2): Yeah.
Our second question, what is
your favorite tool for the farm?
Connor: I mean, I would have to.
Mine's maybe in combination.
Just the, the whole UTV setup.
You can carry your reels,
your step in posts.
I mean, I wouldn't be able to do what
I do without having my grazing system
on a, on a, some kind of a mobile unit.
So
well, and I, I need my laptop
for running all the business and
all the mapping and all that, so,
Cal (2): Oh yeah.
Excellent choices there.
Um, both essential in so many ways.
I thought you might go with your
shade structure, but you know.
Connor: I, I should have said that.
Yeah, I should have said that for sure.
No, that's a, that's a really nice tool
too now is the shade structures and so.
Cal (2): Yeah.
Our third question, what
would you tell someone?
Just getting started?
Connor: Um, say there's, there's
always gonna be people out there
doubting that what you're doing ain't
gonna work, but in most cases you
can probably figure out how to do it.
And I would just encourage more
young people to, to try to get into
the business because there's been,
there's a lot of older landowners and
there's a lot of absentee landowners.
And if what you're doing interests
them, I, I think there's a
lot of opportunity out there.
You just gotta be hungry
and you gotta go after it.
Cal (2): And I'm just, I think
that's excellent advice, Connor.
And I'm just gonna expand
upon that just a little bit.
Um, I've mentioned, I think I mentioned
it on a couple podcasts, um, but I'm
reading this book and I'm, I would've
been finished, it's not a long book,
but I, I've been taking my time.
It's million Dollar Weekend.
But one thing that comes that I get
from that, he talks about the rejections
and that you've gotta be asking
people questions that they say no to.
And the reason he says that,
because if you're not pushing
the envelope and trying, you're
never gonna get these no answers.
So first off, you gotta be doing that.
But no, it, no one likes to be rejected.
No one likes to.
To fail at what they're asking.
So he says you should have a
rejection quota or a goal for
your number of rejections.
So how many rejections
did you get this week?
And I think for me that
was a, a tough thing.
Hunting for land.
Um, I still need to find more
land 'cause I don't have enough.
But you know, just getting out
there and it's okay to be told, no,
Connor: yeah.
I mean, I, every day, not every day,
but I mean, I'm still looking for
land and no more often than I hear.
Yes.
I, I almost never hear, oh yeah, I'd
be happy to let you graze my ground.
That almost never happens.
But yeah,
you know, keep, keep your head up.
'cause eventually there will be somebody.
Cal (2): Yeah, keep looking.
You identify the land and you can take
that next step, whether that's custom
grazing, buying some livestock, or
getting in there and doing something.
Yeah.
Excellent advice.
Not on my part.
Excellent.
On your part.
I just added a little bit in.
And Connor, lastly, where can
others find out more about you?
Connor: Yeah.
So if you're looking to more
about my farm, you can check that
out on Facebook, Laukant Farms.
We, we should pop right up.
Or if you're looking to look at some
shade, you should be able to Google
search serrated, serrated shade, LLC.
But we do have a Facebook,
uh, for that too.
So if you message e either one of
those, you'll, you'll be talking to me.
Cal (2): Wonderful.
Connor, I appreciate you
coming on and sharing.
We'll make sure we get those
links in our show notes as well.
Thank you Connor.
Connor: yeah.
Thank you.
I, I had a great time find we
were able to finally make it work,
Cal (2): for the listeners out there,
not only did we have the power outage
in the middle of the first recording.
This recording got pushed
back because I had sheep out.
So appreciate your flexibility, Connor.
Connor: Yeah, no problem at all.
I'm just packing for the trade
show, so I was in, in the house
anyway, so it wasn't an issue.
I had a great time, so
thanks for having me on.
I sometimes, some days I don't know
if I'm quite qualified to, to show
up on one of these podcasts, but
it's exciting to get the invitation,
Cal (2): Well, I'm not, and
they let me come back every week
.
Connor: yeah.
Right.