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


What is The Regenaissance Podcast?

Hosted by @Regenaisanceman with the mission of reconnecting us back to where our food is grown & exposing everything that is wrong with our broken food system. We are more disconnected from our food than we ever have been. I sit down with ranchers and farmers to give them a voice and hear their stories, helping paint a picture of what it really looks like to support humanity with food. I also will be talking to others involved in the agriculture space as there is a lot that goes into it all. My hope is that from hearing this podcast you will begin to question what you eat and where from.