#229 – Ben Minden – Training Cowboys and Buying a Business
Ben Minden is the founder and president of Bear Hug Cattle Company, a non-profit organization that trains retiring military members on the basics required to work in the cattle industry in the West. In the second part of our conversation, Ben shares his unique...
#229 – Ben Minden – Training Cowboys and Buying a Business
Ben Minden is the founder and president of Bear Hug Cattle Company, a non-profit organization that trains retiring military members on the basics required to work in the cattle industry in the West. In the second part of our conversation, Ben shares his unique experience of purchasing a...
#184 – Kit Pharo – How to Evaluate Bulls
Kit walks through the process the Pharo Cattle Company team uses to evaluate over 1,000 bulls every year. He explains the different traits they evaluate, as well as their importance in selecting good low-input maternal genetics. For more information, check us out at...
#183 – Steve Kenyon – What You Need to Know to Custom Graze on Leased Land
Steve Kenyon shares what he does about fence, water, and corral infrastructure to manage his several-thousand-acre custom grazing enterprise in Canada. He discusses his unique calculations to determine how much time he can afford to spend on a particular farm and much...
#182 – Jeremia Markway – Complimentary Grazing Enterprise
I really liked how Jeremia has matched his enterprise mix to his unique ranch context. Custom cow/calf allows him to vary his stocking rate to take advantage of the spring flush, sheep utilize grass and graze cover crops on neighbor cropland without damaging the...
#181 – John Wagner – Taking Over a Non-Family Ranch
In the last episode, Pete Ferrell shares his experience buying back the family ranch and his perspective on passing on the grazing business to somebody not in his family. Today, we talk to that somebody, John Wagner, and hear his story of taking over the business and...
#180 – Pete Ferrell – Continuing a Ranch Legacy to Non-Family
Pete Ferrell shares his story of building his ranch and buying much of his original family ranch back from other family members after it was split up in the past. He shares his decision to move largely to custom grazing and explains why and how he found a non-family...
#179 – Jared Faubus – Building His Own Ranch
I often wonder if the best route into agriculture might be to get a job with a high income that can then be used to reinvest in land and livestock. Jared followed that route and has been buying land and livestock while working full time off the ranch. Resources...
#178 – Eric Bailey – Doubling Down on Stockers
Eric Bailey shares his experience and research comparing a full season-long stocker operation and a doubled stocking rate for half the season. You may be surprised at the results. We discuss them and all the other benefits from this method of doubling the stocking...
#177 – Duane Thompson – Crop/Livestock Integration at Scale
Duane and his family have done an awesome job of integrating livestock and cropland in a way that benefits both. Piling and grazing crop residue keeps cow winter feed costs low, and rotating cropland into pasture has resulted in organic matter increasing by several...
#176 – Dr. Trey Patterson – Padlock Ranch
Dr. Trey Patterson manages the Padlock Ranch, a large family-owned diversified cattle and farming operation in Wyoming. He joins me today to talk about their management and marketing strategies, family ranch ownership dynamics, and much more! Resources Mentioned: The...
#175 – Tony Malmberg – Ranching Success Story
Tony Malmberg started his ranching career with enough setbacks to make most people quit forever. He faced bankruptcy, the death of his father, and divorce. But by being willing to think differently and ranch differently, he ultimately had a very successful career in...
#174 – Rory Londer – Bonus Episode with Crack Addict Who Broke Free
This is the first bonus episode, which admittedly has very little to do with grazing, livestock, farming, or ranching. Rory Londer shares his story of dealing with addiction, homelessness, prison, and more, but breaking free and creating a successful business and real...
#173 – Steve Kenyon – Custom Grazing on Leased Land
Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching is someone I've wanted to interview for a while, and I finally had the opportunity. He's built a business entirely around grazing other people's livestock on nearly 3,000 acres of leased land! This has resulted in a great...
About the Ranching Returns Podcast
On this podcast, we talk to farmers and ranchers who are leading the industry in so many ways. We’ll discuss the various returns they get from ranching, including, of course, the significant financial returns, but also returns to their land resources and ultimately the amazing lifestyle. That might be the most important return ranching can offer!
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#233 – Chris and Lyndsey – Solar Grazing
In this episode, I speak with Chris Moore and Lyndsey Smith, from Shady Creek Lamb Co., who share their innovative approach to sheep farming through solar grazing. They discuss their backgrounds in agriculture, the challenges of transitioning from cattle to sheep, and the importance of water management and infrastructure in their operations. They also emphasize the significance of public relations in modern farming and how they have adapted to the protocols...