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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?
Welcome to the grazing
grass podcast episode 132.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
the biggest part that we changed is our
quality of life going into this system
You're listening to the grazing grass,
podcast, sharing information and stories
of grass-based livestock production
utilizing regenerative practices.
I'm your host, Cal Hardage.
Cal: You're growing more than grass.
You're growing a healthier
ecosystem to help your cattle
thrive in their environment.
You're growing your livelihood by
increasing your carrying capacity
and reducing your operating costs.
You're growing stronger communities
and a legacy to last generations.
The grazing management
decisions you make today.
impact everything from the soil beneath
your feet to the community all around you.
That's why the Noble Research
Institute created their Essentials
of Regenerative Grazing course to
teach ranchers like you easy to follow
techniques to quickly assess your forage
production and infrastructure capacity.
In order to begin
grazing more efficiently.
Together, they can help you grow
not only a healthier operation,
but a legacy that lasts.
Learn more on their website at noble.
org slash grazing.
It's n o b l e dot org
forward slash grazing.
On today's show.
We have Bryan Phipps.
Of Phipps livestock.
They are located in Eastern Montana.
And they graze stockers and sheep.
They started transitioning from
traditional grazing, farming, and hay in
2015, and we cover their journey today
and what they're doing on their ranch now.
To really good episode.
The part that that really sticks with
me is when we discuss quality of life.
I think that is so important.
And sometimes as farmers
ranchers, we forget that.
A really good episode.
However, before we talked to
Bryan, 10 seconds about my farm.
And we were going to wean the calves.
Now we were not going to wean
the calves off my dad's cows.
We've talked about it and I
did not do it last spring.
Because of my rebreed rate.
And so I did some things,
a little different there.
Uh, so we had talked about dad and I,
and we were not going to wean calves
off his cows, his fall calving cows.
However, We were out there other day and
we've got a few calves still nursing.
And we're getting close to them
start calving so we went
ahead and weaned them.
, maybe in the future, we'll try that.
, we got a little too gun shy there.
If you've had any experience with that.
, jump over to grazing grass,
community and share your experiences.
It's definitely something we've looked at.
But, , We just got a little scared because
we had to meet calves, still nursing.
On 10 seconds about the podcast.
We add a new sponsor today.
For the overgrazing section.
Welcome Redmond.
Redmond's coming on as a sponsor of that.
And I have to think Karson
from Redmond for helping me get
this episode set up with Bryan.
He put me in touch and I
greatly appreciate that.
Enough of the updates.
Let's talk to Bryan.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Bryan, we want to
welcome you to the Grazing Grass podcast.
We're excited you're here today.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
thank you for having me.
I'm excited to be on it.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Bryan, to
get started, can you tell us a little
bit about yourself and your operation?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Okay, so I'm on the family
ranch that I grew up on
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Brusett Montana which is rural
post office on a dirt road west of
Jordan, Montana, and so grew up on
the ranch went to college came home
to help my dad he actually passed
away from cancer when I was 22 years
old.
Oops.
Over the operation at that point I still
had a younger sister in high school and
then my mother was still on the ranch.
So, I took over and started running it
and then Got married to my wife Chelsea
in 2005 and then shortly after that we
started buying the ranch and then we have
two children Gracie is 16, Tegan is 12,
and so, yeah, been here basically my whole
life except for a couple years of college.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, very nice.
So, Bryan, did you always think
growing up on the ranch you were
just going to continue doing that?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I always knew I'd be involved in
agriculture in some shape or form
and I always enjoyed cattle
and ranching and so I always
wanted to be involved in it.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: And what
did your dad run on the ranch?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
He ran he was a cow calf
operation with farming and haying.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
And how has that evolved
to what you're doing?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Okay, so when we started out, we were
doing the cow calf and then farming,
haying, and so we were custom haying and
custom combining to help forage equipment
literally going seven days a week
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
and it got to the point where my
kids were in bed when I left and they
were in bed when I got home at night.
So we decided we needed to change
things up and so we headed into the
regenerative direction from there.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: About
when was that when you made
that little paradigm shift?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
In 2015, we went to a
holistic management course
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
and then started changing things up and
looking at our operation differently.
And started doing
infrastructure, water, fence.
And then in 2019, we went to Ranchi for
Profit and got more on the financial side.
For to help us out.
And so we no longer hay.
We farm a little bit.
We, we plant annual
cover crops for grazing
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: and,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Quick
question on those courses.
We just had a episode out the
other day and discussing holistic
management and ranching for profit.
Do you think the order you went to them,
holistic management followed by a few
years later ranching for profit, do you
think that was a great order to go in?
Do you think that was a good timeline
to go in, go to those conferences
or not conferences but schools?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, so I think any order is fine,
but I would do them closer together.
holistic management is great on
the grazing side, and figuring your
forages and, and helping you in that
direction towards the regenerative.
And then I would recommend the Ratchet for
Profit right away on the financial side.
Just to, figure out how to run
those numbers and make your,
make everything profitable.
Run gross margins and all that.
So they're both great courses.
I would do them closer together.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
Yeah.
Now with the holistic management, you
already mentioned a while ago that you
were leaving when your kids were asleep
and you got home they were asleep.
And that really prompted
you for some other changes.
What caused, was there anything else
that really caused you to look into
holistic management and go towards that?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah.
The other thing was so I was working
all the time and my wife helped a
lot and we had kids in car seats,
in tractors and swathers and,
but the other part of that
was I was gone all the time.
I was spending the money.
My wife was trying to track finances.
And so there was, obviously
some heartache there
because I didn't have
time to deal with it.
She was trying to figure it
all out, and we just, we just
weren't going in a good direction.
So, that was a lot of it just so we
could have a better quality of life
and enjoy more time with our kids.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: I think that
balance of farm and life, whatever
you're farming or ranching is so
important and sometimes we forget it.
I grew up on a dairy, so,
we had very long hours.
We spent a lot of time with the cows.
Yeah.
So you go to the holistic management,
what was your biggest takeaway from it?
Maybe a better word, Bryan, to
work, better way of word that,
what'd you do when you got home?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Oh, well, the first thing we
did when we got home, So, so to,
we decided to go to this class.
It was in Lewistown, Montana, and
it was in January and it was cold.
And we literally just brought
our cows in and fed hay all
winter and supplemented them.
We had some grass left, but that's
just what we had always done.
So the first thing we got home is
we kicked the cows back out on grass
started bale grazing and grazing grass.
And we started feeding a lot less hay.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah.
Initially, did you find your cows
work great in that situation?
Or was there some heartache and, or some,
not heartache, but more
hurdles to go through?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
It was okay, we kicked them out, and we
were still supplementing them with hay.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: We
just made them eat a little more grass.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Now,
before we continue along that just
a little bit, you're in Montana.
What kind of rainfall
are we talking about?
What kind of growing season do you have?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we are in a 12 inch rainfall,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: and
so, we're, May 1 we start grazing, to it
starts, 1st of August, the grass starts
curing out, but we'll, we can graze.
into September, it's kind of part
of the growing season, especially
with
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
annual cover crops and stuff.
And then by October, we're into stockpiled
forages that are, they're cured out.
So, a lot of times maybe
supplement with some protein.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: And is
that, when you think about your
wintering program now, is it bell
grazing and grazing stockpile now?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: So
we've actually went away from cow calf
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We're all stockers and sheep,
and the stockers are only here
during the growing season, and
the sheep, we only winter sheep.
And so we winter the sheep on stockpiled
forage and a little bit of protein.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: And those
winter requirements for wintering
sheep's a lot less than wintering cattle.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Right.
Yeah, no, water requirements too.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah, right.
And I would assume you have
more difficulty with frozen
water than I do in Oklahoma.
Yeah.
When did you make the change to
stalkers and move away from cow calf?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
so, starting in 2019, we had grasshoppers
move in and hit severe drought.
And that drought continued until 2023.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, wow.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So fall of 2021 we, that summer
we'd only had three inches of rain
there was no hay in the area and
hay prices went through the roof.
So we
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: So
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
de stocked our cow herd and then we kept
all of our calves and wintered them and
grazed them and sold them as stockers.
And then the next year we bought some
calves, brought in some custom grazed
stockers And then this year we're a
hundred percent custom grazed stockers.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: How
has that transition been for you
going from cow calf to stockers?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: It's
been great so in our system we move the
stalkers twice a day, it's much easier
to use a, to move a stalker than it is
to move a cow and a calf twice a day.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, easier to, on water, sometimes it
was tough with calves to get them a drink.
On an intensive grazing system.
And we really enjoyed the stockers,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: So jumping
back to your cow calf when did you
start managing their grazing more?
Was that after your holistic course?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And were you moving those?
How often were you moving them?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So our cow calf, we were
moving every four or five days,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, Yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
that was intense.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah.
And when you were you when you
decided to go from cow calf to
stockers, were you still using
that four to five day rotation?
But when you made that change,
or had you increased it?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We were still there.
And I part of that was severe drought
and we were just, we
give them bigger areas.
And,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
And you mentioned this, so how much
rain have you gotten this year?
Because you're not in a drought this year.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So, so far this year starting
from May one till now, we have
probably had around 10 inches.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, nice.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So big change.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah.
Now I was talking to Karson the
other day and he was saying in
Utah they had just gotten a fair
amount of rain over a couple weeks.
And they were dealing with some flooding.
Did you all receive some
of that rain as well?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, we actually have.
Lately have been getting some rain and
last night we just had an inch of rain
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
Yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
for us to get.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Nice.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We've probably had oh, probably three
inches of rain in august and for us to
get any rain in august is pretty amazing.
So
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes that's
never something you're like no more.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: well
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah.
Okay.
So one thing you made the
decision, I think you said in
2021 you sold your cow herd.
You all had been in a drought a long time.
But making that change from cow calf
to stalkers is difficult for a lot
of people if they're going that way.
Was that diff?
Was that decision difficult for you?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, it was very difficult.
It's very emotional.
You know this cow herd that's
it's been here my whole life
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And you're really proud of your cows
and it was really hard to load those
trucks But it was a really good financial
decision for us You And in our path
towards the regenerative and really
getting that high impact grazing,
the stockers work well for that.
and so for instance, when we were cow calf
we were running about 350 cow calf pairs
and about a hundred breeding heifers.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And now this summer on the same acres, we
have 1, 700 stockers and a thousand sheep.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh wow.
Yeah.
that's,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
we've wrapped up.
Yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah
that's a big change there.
Doing that transition I know in the
middle of it selling your cows I get
it because even I try and find follow
the Lassiter philosophy of cattle
raising if a cow doesn't raise a calf
someone's got to pay her feed bill this
year and if it's not a calf it's her
but sometimes you end up selling some
cows you like because you've raised
them and stuff so I totally get that.
Once you had made that switch to
stockers and been doing stockers
do you miss the cow calf part?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
What we miss most would be the calving,
the baby calf,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And our, and we miss branding.
So we still have brandings in
the community where the neighbors
all get together and we still
rope and drag the calves.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
it's hard to be on that.
I still go help some
of the neighbors brand,
but it was nice to trade
that help and, and have that
camaraderie with your neighbors.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357:
Oh, that would be nice.
We have a photo of my grandpa doing it,
like in, I don't know, I guess it would be
the late 30s, early 40s of horses, they've
got a calf roped, he's throwing it.
We've tried to enhance that picture.
It's really aged,
well, 80 years ago, 60 years ago
now, so it's not aged real well, but
I love that photo, but that's not
something we ever do here in my area.
We're much more smaller land pieces
here, smaller farms, so not, never
been exposed to that very much, but
I could see how it'd be a lot of fun.
Uh, Just the community aspect of it.
With the stockers, you
also are running sheep.
When did you add sheep to the operation?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
we added sheep in 2018.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We had sheep with our cow calf,
and we had about 400 sheep at that
time, and now we're up to 1, 000.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
So what surprised you when you
added sheep to your operation?
Actually, before we answer
that, Bryan, let's jump back.
Why did you add sheep?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We added sheep, so we were in ranching
for profit, and so actually it would
have been 2019 when we added sheep.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
in ranching for profit, and just looking
at, enterprises and gross margins.
The sheep had an excellent Gross
margin and we added the sheep and
they graze so much differently.
Impact was so much different that
we could add them without, really
taking anything away from the cattle.
Just with different timing on our grazing.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357:
Are there very many of your
neighbors grazing sheep as well?
Or were you the new person grazing sheep?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
There's still quite a
few sheep in our area.
Always been big.
There are lots of sheep and there's
still quite a few in the area.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
And what kind of sheep did you go with?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We went with the fine wool like
the Targhee, Rambouillet, Merino.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
So, are you all Are there shearers there?
You have them come in, is that once a year
they come in and share, shear your sheep?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, there's they have portable
shearing plants, four or five shear,
shears in their crew, and they just
back in and shear the sheep and load
up and
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: When you're
doing that, and so for wool sheep
in my area, we don't have any wool
sheep unless you're showing sheep.
We have all hair sheep here, or and
I really see the populations growing.
We've got about 150, but I would say,
There's at least two or three flocks in
just a few miles of me that's much bigger.
They really came on of late, it seems.
And I say late, last five years or so.
Because when we first got them,
we were like, no one else had
very many that we could find.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
ride it.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: But the
wool sheep's interesting to me.
So there's a few advantages to
wool sheep versus hair sheep.
One, or what I perceive as
advantages one is the size.
Your hair sheep's on the smaller size
get better flocking or herding together.
Wool sheep, I think, or
at least on some breeds.
But the disadvantage is the wool.
Or, that's in my mind, is
that a big disadvantage?
Does that end up becoming a cost item?
Or is it a net zero with the wool?
Or how does that play out?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So our wool in our grazing
system stays very clean,
and it's, and we've bred for
really fine wool, and it's high
yielding so we get top market price.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We get around 2 to 2.
50 a pound.
And it's not a runaway, but it pays the
shears and there's a little extra money.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: that
sounds like a win situation.
It pays for them to get sheared,
and there's a little extra.
You can go out to dinner.
Now, I don't even know, you
said per pound, how many
pounds do you get from a ewe?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So you will get eight to ten pounds.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh okay.
Interesting.
Does, where does the wool go?
.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Okay, so, so there is a
large wool wool warehouse in
Billings, Montana, center of the
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So you take it up there and they
have storage and they core sample it.
They send the core samples off and then
they grade the wool to see the value.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I believe the only wool
manufacturing facility in the U.
S.
is in North Carolina.
Thank you.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
Okay.
Interesting.
I know I've said this on the
podcast before, but when I was going
through Oklahoma State, I needed
one more elective to graduate.
So I took sheep production.
And the production, Professor was
very adamant a quarter of land
sheep can pay for and go with.
Of course at that time you still
had the wool incentive and stuff,
but that's completely changed.
It's always fascinated me.
It took a number of years or decades
before we got into sheep, though after
that, but I think it's interesting.
Now when you got your sheep, I hate to
admit this, but I've admitted it before
and I'll probably admit it in the future.
Sheep were a steep learning curve for me.
When we first got them, I wanted
to treat them like little cattle.
And, that's not the way they function.
And our working pens, which
are so great for cattle, was
rendered inefficient for sheep.
What were some growing pains,
or what were some things that
surprised you about sheep?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So luckily I had grown up with sheep.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I had an understanding.
And then we had built a new pipe crale for
our cattle and we still had our old crale.
It was a cattle working facility
that was made from wood.
so we just revamped that with
woven wire and wire panels
and made it work for sheep.
Yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
Yeah, a huge advantage there, having
grown up with sheep, because I it took,
we did too much sheep wrestling here
and finally we got an alleyway for sheep
that makes it so much easier, but I'd
come in and we didn't have all that many
sheep at the time and I knew I had lost.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah.
The first year we had sheep.
We didn't have the alleyway, so we
wrestled a lot of sheep and then we
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
Yeah.
So with your sheep, when do
you lamb them and when are you
shooting to market the lambs?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we lamb around the 1st of May
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: and
so, we've been backgrounding our lambs
and we built some backgrounding lots.
And we background our lambs and we
sell 'em around the 1st of January.
Seems to be a really good market.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And then last year we actually
grass finished a hundred head that
ended up going we finished them
and they ended up going to Missouri
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
to be butchered and sold, so,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Did that work
out pretty good for you, doing that path?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
it was good, yeah yeah, there was for
quality grass fed lamb, it was really
good, something hard to come by in large
volumes in the south is what the guy from
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
so, to be able to get these lambs coming
off high protein grass in the north
they were pretty happy to have them.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
I suspect so.
You talk about backgrounding your
lambs and marketing them in January.
About what size are they
when you're marketing them?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So our finished lambs were,
they were about 140 pounds.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, wow.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And then the lighter end, I
think, was around 100 pounds.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
So my, my hair ewes, when I they're going
to only run 110, maybe 120 for big ones.
Try to hold ours on grass and grow them
slow and market about that same time.
And even at that we're marketing,
I don't know, 75 pound lambs.
We're not getting near the weight you are.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, the, these wool lambs, we
have 140, 150 pound ewes, so.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
Makes a difference.
With your sheep and grazing them with
your cow calf and now with the stalkers.
Are you doing that in a flird,
as some people talk about?
Or are they each in their own
area as they rotate through?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We have them in separate
areas as we rotate through.
And then in the wintertime, we'll
graze those sheep across most of
the ranch at a really fast pace.
So we're, it's a low impact grazing,
but they, We just let them go through
all the paddocks all winter, and then
we're add a little bit of protein, so
we never let them graze anything down
in the winter, we just keep them moving.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
And what kind of fencing are you using
for your stalkers and for your sheep?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we put in permanent paddocks
with three wire high tensile.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And once we trained our sheep, we put
in training lots and trained our sheep.
It works well.
And then we just graze on a single poly
wire on our daily moves, once everything's
trained and those animals are never hungry
because we're moving them off enough
that they don't really bother the fence.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Never
really a big problem, yeah.
So how big are your enclosed area
with the three wires that then you
reduce down to the single wire?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we're, our paddock size is,
oh, from 200 to 500 acre paddocks.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: okay.
Okay.
I knew it'd probably be a little bit
bigger than what we work with here,
but I just didn't know how much bigger.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah.
we're, we're operating on 12, 000 acres.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I can't even think 12, 000 acres,
what is that, about 17 sections?
Did I figure that right?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, 640 in a section,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah,
I may went a little higher
on that section, maybe about
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
15 or
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: I don't know.
Yeah.
With your sheep, are you
running livestock guardian dogs?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: Yes.
And we've had.
Great success with the guard dogs.
We run four guard dogs, and
sometimes three of the neighbors.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
Oh, that was my next question.
How many are you running with them?
Do you have a particular
breed you like really well?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we have Pyrenees, and then
some Akbosh Spanish Mastiff Cross.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
we really like that, the
Spanish Mastiff Akbosh.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Great luck with the Pyrenees.
The Spanish massive Akbash,
they do not leave the sheep.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
They stay with the herd really well.
Sometimes the Pyrenees want to
travel a little bit, especially the
males.
But the others don't.
They stay with the sheep really well.
So,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357:
I found that as well.
My peonies wanted to roam
the whole countryside here.
Um, when I had them, I'd get
a call, Hey dogs are down here
by the lake five miles away.
I'm like, oh, well, not
where they're supposed to be.
I've got Anatolian Shepard and a
Okbosh now, and they're pretty good.
pretty good about staying.
The Anatolian Shepherd's really
good, except he's got hip dysplasia,
so he won't go too far anyway.
And the Ackbosh, he's not quite
as good, but he's pretty good.
Let's go ahead and transition to the
overgrazing section because in the
overgrazing section we're going to talk
about deeper into your intensive grazing
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cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: So
first off, we talked a little bit
about your environment earlier.
12 inches of rain, you're in
Montana, so how much snow do
you usually get during the year?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
It varies.
I would say most winters, we'll get six
inches to a foot and, it might melt down.
Probably every 10 years we get a winter
where you get three or four feet of snow,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
But extremely cold.
We have extremely cold
temperatures through the winter.
Not a high snowfall usually.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We'll get blizzards and then the
wind blows and piles of snow up and,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Does the
snow typically, do you typically have
snow on the ground throughout winter?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Not typically.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We'll get snow and then it'll, melt off.
the worst part is some years, if we
get early snow, it'll melt into ice.
Ice over and we can have
ice for a long time.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes, yeah.
We don't get very much snow, and when
we do get snow, usually the next day
it turns to mud and it becomes a mess.
Occasionally we will get ice storms
here, and the ice storms are never good.
And sometimes you all hold that cold
weather too long before it comes
down, then it's really cold for us.
But I'm sure it's still nothing
compared to what you all have.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We see negative, like negative 40.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah.
I'm not happy if it's
just negative one, so.
So, do you, so, You're dealing in an
environment that's on the dryer slide.
You have some extremes with weather there.
How do you manage your intensive
grazing in this environment?
And I say that before I even
want you to answer that.
Let's talk about your pastures
and what you're grazing.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Okay, so we're set up because
we used to farm and we planted
quite a few acres back to grass.
So we have tame pasture,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
But 80 percent of our place would
be native pasture that tradit
you know, had traditionally been
continuously grazed in large
pasture, so it was starting to be
bare ground and less species so.
So when we went into it,
we really wanted to repair
or heal our native range.
So we utilize the tame
in the spring to graze.
It's
green and growing earlier, and that
gives our native a chance to come
up get some seed heads, get started.
And then when we go through our
native pastures we're going through
on two day moves, and we back
fence everything, no re grazing.
And then we're shooting for an 18
month rest period on all of our native.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we're trying to give
that a good rest recovery.
And then so then we're changing
the season of use on that
native the next time we use it.
So if we graze in the spring, the next
time we graze it late summer, fall.
just so we're building that rest period
and graze it a different time of year.
So, we're primarily cool
season grasses, some warm.
And we found that change in season of
use really helps our warm season grasses.
We're
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes, yeah.
Now, when you say native
pasture, I immediately think
of the tallgrass prairie.
Are you part of the tallgrass prairie, or
are you a little bit to the west of it?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
what they call the shortgrass prairie.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
Actually, yeah, that would make sense.
So, what are some species
there for your native grasses?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So, we have western blue grama,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Kentucky blue.
We have green needle needle and thread.
We have let's see, yeah, there's, and
then we have we've got a little sage.
And then we have some
different forbs and stuff.
We have one forb called winter fat.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
It's a really high protein quality plant.
Very fortunate to have that one.
And there, so we probably have 15 to
20 species of grass that's predominant.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: And just those
few, I'm not familiar with those grasses,
and that makes sense, you'd be in the
short grass side of the prairie, yeah.
For your tame pastures, what kind
of species mix do you have on those?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we have a lot of like
intermediate pubescent type
grasses, like tall wheat grasses.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
We usually put some alfalfa with it.
Yeah, and then, of course, there's a lot
of straight crested because of highly
erodible farmland, like in the 30s,
and later
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
crested wheatgrass to hold the soils.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And it's it's a monoculture,
nothing will really grow with it,
so we really utilize that early
spring when it's green and growing.
And once that grass starts to cure,
it would be better feeding straw.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
it's pretty palatable, pretty good
protein.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: So are you
you mentioned with your native pasture
you're going for an 18 month rest period.
With your tame pasture, what kind of
rest period are you working with there?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
About a 12 month, 12 to
a month.
We're we're grazing that every spring.
We maybe would start a different
spot each time as we go through it.
So it'd be a
12.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
And with the long rest period, are
you doing some of the ultra high
density where you're moving twice a
day with your stockers, or are you
leaving more on the ground than that?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So on our native, when we're
moving them twice a day, we're not
as high of density as the team.
So we're leaving, we're always
leaving some grass behind.
We're trampling some, trying to
get the litter in contact with the
ground and get some organic matter.
But we're not going as intense and
tight of paddocks as when we do tame.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
The tame seems to respond
really well to that high.
It's real quick and
you're in and you're out
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
it's green and growing anyway.
And with the native, We're moving and
we're fairly tight, but it's, we're
giving them lots more room to to let
those plants establish and regrow
quickly.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
Do you get the same type of
grains or same amount of gains
on the tame versus the native?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: We
get better gains on our native pasture.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
It's a higher protein.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Does the native
handle the drought better than your tame?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
It does.
And it we also
found,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: think that
is probably a softball question there.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
also found our native pastures the
grasshopper impact was a lot lower
on the native than it was the tame.
Yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, interesting.
Yeah.
we Have had a ton of
grasshoppers here this year.
In fact, I was walking through one
of my pastures other day and I saw
this tree with little fruit on it.
And I'm like, what kind of tree is that?
And it took me I thought, is that a plum?
We have wild plums.
But, not too many, have to look.
But the leaves were almost
completely gone on the tree.
And I was like, what?
Then I looked at the bark.
No, it's a persimmon tree.
Which is fine, but the
grasshoppers had almost consumed
all the leaves off that tree.
And this is, I don't know, a ten foot,
twelve foot tall tree, so not a big tree.
But, interesting.
Now, you mentioned, Earlier I think
with your stockers and you're bringing
them in to graze around May 1st
and then holding them Do you do any
kind of conditioning and when I say
conditioning that probably the wrong
word But to get them set up and ready
to go out because I would assume they're
not used to electric fence and stuff
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we built two high tensile
lots high tensile electric lots.
So those
Off the truck and we unload them,
and we check for health make
sure everything's good there.
And then we put them in those lots
overnight, let them settle down, give them
some hay, and then those lots are hot.
And then the next morning we trail them
out, and then we'll put them in a bigger
area that's mostly the three wire.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yes
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Start introducing them to the polywire,
the single poly, and then as, after
about three or four days, they get
used to that fence, and then we start
tightening it up smaller and smaller,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Once they're trained.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Do your stockers,
where do they typically come from?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So, all of ours came from,
uh, one guy, and they were all
out of feedlots in this area.
And
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
they were all purchased
from ranches in this area.
So they're all, they're acclimated
to our area, which works really well.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: So, for cattle
in your area, you see a lot of Angus
base, larger size, larger frame animals?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah.
Yeah.
A
lot of these are Angus, red Angus base.
And then with
some cross breeding in them, maybe
some Charley or different Simmental
cross,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yes.
Yeah.
Okay.
Very interesting.
One thing with your moves the first thing
with your moves and doing that is water.
And I think you talked about when
you all came back from Holistic
Management, you really looked
at that water infrastructure.
How, can you tell us about your watering
infrastructure to, so that you're able
to move cows or stockers twice a day?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
right?
So after in 2015, when we came back
and started doing some fencing and
put our, all of our herds in one
we found out right away water would
be the biggest limiting factor.
So we started.
infrastructure projects.
So at this point we've put in
about 12 miles of pipeline 24
permanent 2, 000 gallon water tanks.
We've put in storage tanks.
We've tied wells together.
So we did a lot with water.
so
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
we're, this, we're able to
water, so we split the stockers.
We have one, but one herd
was 800, one was 900.
this summer, we have not had
any water issues with those.
So, we're able to water that many
and probably could water more.
So, we're seeing where our limit is.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I think our system would handle
about a thousand per herd.
So, yeah, it took a
long time to get there.
And this is the first year we've really
wrapped up and had everything ready.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And so, so what we did is we put.
Water tanks in central
locations, we'll have about four
paddocks coming to one tank.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So then we can graze around that
water tank and use the single poly
wire in each of those paddocks.
So we can graze a long
time off of one water tank.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
And with that paddock coming off the
water tank and you're moving a single
wire, are you not putting a back
wire so they can go back to water?
Or are you putting a lane back to
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
we put water?
alleys so they don't back graze.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
Okay.
Yeah.
And the other thing with your grazing.
I see back there on your wall
you have a giant grazing chart.
Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And then, and underneath it, maybe
you can't see it, but there's,
there's some maps underneath too,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: oh, I see
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
our paddocks, and yeah,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
So tell us a little bit about
your grazing chart and i'm gonna
be Real honest right here Bryan.
have played with a little bit of
a grazing chart on a spreadsheet.
Not very much Talking to tom Kravix,
other day, he really, he's like, you
gotta use a grazing chart, so I'm
trying to force myself to, and I see
some benefits to doing it, I just
haven't, that's just, we just haven't.
So, when did you start using a grazing
chart, and how's it work for you?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: so
we started in 2015 with a grazing chart.
And then we, we do on the computer also,
but I really like that, that visual,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
the grazing chart.
And so, so the thing to think about
a grazing chart, it's not a set
in stone plan, it's just planning.
So you're looking at your paddocks.
where we want to start,
where we want to end up.
Well, as you're in it the
days change, longer, shorter.
Like this year was raining, so we were
getting more time the whole way through.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And then, so you just go with a different
colored marker with the actual days,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
change it as you go.
And the nice part about the grazing charts
for us is that then you have a record
of, when you're looking at those rest
periods, well, we were in here this time
last year, we need to move it to here,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
type of stuff.
So, yeah, it's been a great, I
started out by hand, and then we
went into the online one, which is
great, but I like having that visual.
Hang in the office,
see where we're at.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
Now, with that, and I look back there,
are you, so each year you have a
new grazing chart, so you have the
old one that you can go back to,
or
It?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I have a smaller paper version
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
so we can put it in a file.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
That big one's just the visual.
So, you walk in the office
and we have a hired man.
And so like on Monday mornings, we
have a ranch meeting, it's a visual
for him, everybody's on the same page.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes, yeah.
Very good.
So, you bring up something right there,
so every Monday morning you have a a
meeting, or a planning period is, would
you consider that the, I'm trying to think
of the right word, working on the farm?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So, yeah, we have a meeting.
So there's working in the business
and working on the business.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357:
Right, right, there you go.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So we have a meeting with the
hired man working in the business.
So it we discuss the
week, what needs done.
It's so then we, my wife prints
out what comes out of that meeting.
So it's like like a checklist for
everybody and everybody knows where
everybody's at and when they're doing
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: oh yeah,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
And so then our hired man leaves
and he's got his to do list.
Well, then we do a
working on the business.
So that's where we can dive
into the, um, whether it be the
grazing plan, the financial side,
the profit loss all that stuff,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
cash flow, whatever phone calls that
need to be made stuff like that.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: How long
does that typically take on that day?
Is it, do you have it scheduled for just
a certain amount of time, or do you?
Just go until what needs done
gets done for that portion.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: So,
the portion with the hired man is probably
15 20 minutes, because, because of the
planning we have everything in order and
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
so that's pretty quick and then you
know, the financial side is more of a
like maybe my wife's gonna work on the
cash flow and I'm gonna Call this guy.
So we're just planning that out.
We're not, so it's pretty quick.
Just Let the need done and then after that
on your own time, you're looking at Making
those decisions or doing that planning
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
Do you look at financials every
week or is that like once a month?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
It's probably more of a once a
month that, we bring it up and
make sure everything's up to date,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
what's done.
We're definitely it's on the
plan every week, just a reminder
to keep track of everything.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Was
that a pretty easy transition
to start doing those meetings?
Oh, yeah.
For one thing, you're
working with your wife there.
Is there any extended family involved?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
No, it's just my wife and I and our hard
work.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah, which I
would, I'm gonna make an assumption here.
That's a little bit easier to
get those going than if you've
got extended family in there.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: I'm
sure it is because being in ranching for
profit so, like, and being on the Yale
board, there were some younger family
members that were on the Yale board
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
and they would try to take a
plan home to convince the parents
or uncles or, that's tough,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
especially if you haven't been
through Ratching for Profit.
And we're very fortunate so my
wife and I both went to holistic
management together and Ratching for
Profit.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: very
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: It's
great because it put us on the same page.
I think it would be really
hard for just one try to come
home and explain everything.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
And is she highly involved
in the ranch as well?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: She
is, yes very involved in the ranch, and
she also works during the school year.
She's a speech language pathologist, and
she teaches volleyball
but very involved in the
planning.
We do, and
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357:
My wife's a teacher.
She teaches first grade.
She's been teaching kindergarten.
She finally was able to progress
and go beyond kindergarten.
Now she's in first grade.
But she's not as involved on the farm.
Now, I'm going to go on a
tangent for just a second.
And so listeners don't want
to hear about non ag tangent,
just skip forward 30 seconds.
When I went back to college I got my
animal science degree at Oklahoma State.
And then came home and we
dairied for a number of years.
And then we sold out the dairy and I
went back to college for education.
Part of getting into teacher
school, I had to go get my, I had
to go through a speech assessment.
And going through that speech
assessment, I was 30 years old.
I found out I did not pronounce TH's.
I did F sounds or D sounds
in places of them all.
So, as a college student, going
back to college at 30 years old, I
went to speech lessons twice a week.
To learn how to produce the th
sound, which is, I'm glad that
was pointed out to me, but I,
that's an interesting thing to me.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yeah, absolutely.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: How'd
I get to that age and not
realize I wasn't doing it?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Right.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Well, Bryan,
we wrap up with the famous four
questions, anything else about your
journey you would like to share?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: I
guess for us it's been a great journey.
And the biggest part that
we changed is our quality of
life going into this system.
And so, we're, everything we do as
a family, they go help move fence.
We have more time to go.
We're not far from the
Fort Peck Reservoir.
We have a boat.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Fish or play on the boat.
Those things that weren't possible
during the summer when you were so
busy and we plan our grazing Well,
we'll go out early this morning.
We'll move the fence and we'll go
to lake and we'll come back this
evening And move them again, type of
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
so really when we're doing our planning
We're always you know, looking at
quality of life is a pretty high score
obviously your enterprises needed a
good gross margin, but So we weighed
that part of life pretty heavy.
And that's something we learned
is just enjoy what we're doing.
It's been a great journey.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Excellent.
I think that actually feeds into our
third question a little bit about advice.
I think that quality of
life is so important.
And sometimes we forget it on the farm.
My haying equipment.
Because.
Haying just took too much
time, too much mechanic work.
I was pretty happy to sell that.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: Wow.
So, so I was just in Redmond and so Karson
asked me because he was asking about it.
He said, well, how do you stop haying?
How do you do that?
I said, Karson, just sell
your haying equipment.
That's a
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
cool answer.
Like, oh, well, I'll have
to go tell my dad though.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
It's a tough change.
In fact, talking, we were looking at
some pasture a while back and dad's like,
Oh, I wish I had the haying equipment.
I just run in after you
move cows and I'll just.
Go in and chop it down,
wrap up what little's there.
Like, we do not want any haying equipment.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Right.
Yeah.
You're
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Of course
I guess if you enjoy it and dad's
like, it'd just be a little bit.
Well, that's not the
way it used to be, okay.
I could see a little bit there.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
enjoying it, yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Well, Bryan,
it's time for our famous four questions
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cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: They're the same
questions we ask of all of our guests.
And our first question, What's
your favorite grazing grass
related book or resource?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So I really like the Stockman
Grass Farmer the paper.
There's a lot of good articles and
then, it comes you know, every time
you get it, there's something new.
So there's a lot of good information
and then that gives you, that might
give you information or you go on
and look at another article or look
more at a person or a book.
That's one we've really enjoyed.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: I think
that's an excellent resource.
Getting the digital copy as well, but I
find, and this is me, even for as much
as I love technology and my e reader
because I can upload that PDF to my
e reader and read it on that, I don't
read it as much as the paper copy.
Which has been interesting because I
thought, oh, the digital would be great
because I can read it anywhere I am.
I'll just have it on my tablet.
It'll be great, but I find I
don't use it as much as the paper
version, which I always have
sitting next to where my chair is,
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
yeah, that's the nice part.
Yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah.
Our second question.
What is your favorite tool for the farm?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Probably our favorite tool probably is
these wire rollers that we got to go on
an ATV they use an electric drill to wind
the wire because we put a lot of poly
wire out every day and reel it back up.
So those wire reels compared
to doing by hand have saved us.
A lot of time.
It's because so.
many times you're in, and you
wear your arm out, so those
have been really awesome.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Do you string
the wire out with the wheeler as well?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Yep, yep, it's on the
same roller, and then we set them up so,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
you can sit sideways on the four wheeler,
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Yeah.
Well
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
you can just grab a post,
step it in, and drive forward.
And, or if my kids go, I make them do it.
I'll put the post in on foot.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357:
they need to do it on foot.
So that they can appreciate
the four wheeler at some point
in their life, but not yet.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Not yet.
Yeah.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Our third
question, what would you tell
someone just getting started?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I would tell them to one, educate
yourself, find like minded people.
Join a group.
Like we have EMRA Eastern
Montana Regenerative Ag group.
So we get together, we have meetings.
We have speakers like this
summer, we had Alejandro Carrillo
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
in Ekalaka.
Just find those, get
together, talk to people.
And then the other thing is start
with your very best ground and
start grazing that because you'll
see results quicker than if you're
trying to fix something that's poor
and you, it'll make you want to give up,
But if you start with the best, give it a
rest period even if you split one paddock
to start with and just split it, graze
it, let it rest and see what happens.
Out.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Just, don't get discouraged.
Find someone that's been doing it.
There's so much information on
fence and all that stuff, water.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
And just find like minded people that,
it's any of those seminars or any of
those deals, it's very encouraging and
it's, it's a safe place to ask questions.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: yeah.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
So that would be my that's
what I would recommend.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, very good.
Excellent advice there.
And Bryan, lastly, where can
others find out more about you?
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
I don't know.
I had out pretty good.
We
do have a Facebook page
We don't do enough on it.
We need to do more and then also
through the Through that EMRA
Eastern Montana Regenerative Ag.
It's on Facebook
There's they do like a producer
profile of people involved in that
and there's of course, there's
some videos and pictures I would
like to get better at social media.
My wife tells me I need to
and take more pictures.
I just haven't done that yet,
but we go forward.
We're going to try and we'll also,
uh, be speaking at the oh, what is it?
The Ag Symposium in Billings in January.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357: The
symposium they've been having put NRCS.
So we'll be asking
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: very good.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
One of the breakout sessions,
my wife and I for that, so.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
Royal Health Symposium
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, okay.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
in Billing.
Yep.
That's a really good one.
It's yeah, it's a really good conference.
So
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, very good.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
There's lots of other good speakers
if you don't want to listen to me, but
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Oh, I think
they should go and listen to you, Bryan.
Bryan, we really appreciate you coming on.
And just for our listeners, Bryan
came on here at a very short
notice so we could have an episode
coming out this week because we
were running a little bit behind.
And a hat tip to Karson
for putting us in touch.
So thank you, Bryan.
I appreciate you coming
on and sharing with us.
squadcaster-2i4c_1_08-25-2024_131357:
thank you for having me and
Definitely shout out to Karson and
the Redmond natural mineral salt.
cal_1_08-25-2024_141357: Very good.
Cal: I really hope you
enjoyed today's conversation.
I know I did.
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