Charles and Heather Maude are 5th generation ranchers in South Dakota running a direct-to-consumer beef and pork operation built on land their family has worked for over 115 years.

This tour covers the full operation - cattle, hogs, grain storage, equipment, and the irrigated river bottom at the center of a federal land dispute that drew national attention.

Watch this alongside the full-length podcast episode for the complete story behind what you're seeing on the ground.

Key Topics

• Direct-to-consumer beef and pork - how it actually works
• Cattle finishing and feeder calf production
• Farrowing crates - the honest case for and against
• Why feed quality determines meat quality in hogs
• Grain storage, forage systems, and matching stocking rate to grass
• The disputed river bottom and the federal land dispute

What You'll Learn

• How a small ranch runs multiple livestock enterprises on limited acres
• Why weaning date is a range management decision, not just an animal one
• What farrowing crates are actually for and why a skeptic changed her mind
• How monogastric and ruminant digestion produce fundamentally different meat
• What 115 years of private land management looks like - and what happens when it's challenged
• Why boundary disputes in the rural West are common, and criminal indictments are not

Connect with Charles & Heather

Website
Instagram
Facebook

Timestamps

00:00:00 — Introduction and context
00:02:00 — Cattle paddock: finished beef and this year's steer calves
00:04:00 — Weaning early — a drought and range management decision
00:06:00 — Grain bins: what they store and how they work
00:08:00 — Farrowing facility: why the crates exist
00:13:00 — Hog nutrition: simple stomach vs. ruminant digestion
00:15:00 — Pasture-raised pork: why quality and finish time differ
00:18:00 — Legacy equipment: grandfather's tractors and the 1948 truck
00:24:00 — The fence line: terrain, flooding, and where fences actually go
00:25:00 — The Forest Service dispute begins
00:27:00 — No written violation, no due process, criminal charges
00:28:00 — Working toward resolution: the Small Tracks Act
00:30:00 — Secretary Rollins, the temporary use agreement, and what changed
00:33:00 — The survey stakes, the crop damage, and the escalation
00:37:00 — What the land trade proposal was and why it was rejected
00:39:00 — What this case means for ranchers and private landowners
00:41:00 — Final reflections

Joel Hollingsowrth has spent years doing something most people wouldn't dare try - building a regenerative cattle ranch from scratch, with no money, no inherited land, and no roadmap. And yet, it has become one of the pioneering regenerative farms in the nation.

Joel is joined by David, who left an Ivy League PhD program to ranch in rural Mexico before landing here, and Daniel, the herd manager responsible for translating Joel's system into daily practice.

Together they walk us through mob grazing at extreme stocking densities, a heritage genetics breeding program built for a world without antibiotics, virtual fencing technology, and a community ownership model designed to solve the financing problem that stops most regenerative farmers before they start.

This is a conversation about what it really takes (the stubbornness, the financial creativity, the ecological thinking, and the human community) to build something lasting and that works.

KEY TOPICS

• Ultra-high-density mob grazing and how it mimics bison impact to restore soil and seed banks
• Heritage breed genetics (Piney Woods, composite bulls) and building "zombie apocalypse" cattle
• Virtual fencing technology and its potential to transform daily ranch labour
• The herd share financial model and how community capital makes regenerative ranching viable
• Reviving rural community through food sovereignty, nutrient density, and local economic energy

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

1. Why stocking density, not just rotation, is the key lever in regenerative grazing
2. How cows' hooves act as seed planters and why "weeds" like thistles are actually healing the soil
3. What rumen fill and manure consistency tell a herd manager about animal health and forage quality
4. Why cattle genetics matter as much as grazing method, and what "adapting to the system" looks like
5. How Joel financed his ranch with no money down, and why the herd share model is a blueprint others could follow

CONNECT WITH JOEL

Smoke River Ranch Website
X

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome to Oklahoma: Joel, David & the Smoke River story

08:00 – What's broken in rural America and what Smoke River is rebuilding

12:00 – Fresh Rx Oklahoma: food as medicine and local supply chains

15:00 – How Joel got started: a $1/year lease, no capital, and a Twitter DM

19:00 – Virtual fencing: digital paddocks and 60 hours of saved labour per week

21:00 – Heritage breeds: Piney Woods cows, composite bulls, and the genetics program

25:00 – Mob grazing explained: why five moves a day and what stocking density actually means

31:00 – Herd management with Daniel: rumen fill, manure scoring, and daily cattle metrics

36:00 – Sick cow protocols and building a self-selecting genetics program

45:00 – Weeds as healers: thistles, pioneer species, and soil succession

Fascinating episode, touring a regenerative bison and pecan farm! A first for me.

A bit about the ranch & tour...

TLC ranch is located in Souther Oklahoma. It's ran by Cindy Sheffield (who tours us today) and her husband Tread and their two daughters and husbands, where they raise bison and manage a large organic pecan orchard. The ranch began in 1997 when the family purchased land that many others had passed on, seeing potential where others did not.

What started as weekend trips for hunting and time outdoors gradually turned into a long-term commitment to steward the land. Over the years the family developed ponds, trails, and eventually planted thousands of pecan trees, which are now grown using organic and regenerative practices.

More recently they fulfilled a long-standing goal of bringing bison back to the property. Today the ranch combines pecan production with bison grazing, reflecting the family’s focus on building a working farm that supports both the land and the people who depend on it.

What we cover:

• Starting a bison ranch after decades of owning land
• Managing parasites and animal health on pasture
• Rotational grazing and integrating chickens behind bison
• The economics and risks of pecan farming
• Floods, disease, and the unpredictable realities of agriculture

Connect with the farm:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Regenaissance Youtube Channel

Timestamps:
00:00:00 Regulations and differences between bison and cattle
00:02:20 How TLC Ranch began and why the family chose bison
00:03:40 Flooding, parasites, and losing animals in the herd
00:05:00 Transitioning to rotational grazing for parasite control
00:06:30 Plans to integrate meat chickens behind the bison
00:08:00 How bison grazing behavior differs from cattle
00:12:50 Handling bison and working animals through the chute system
00:17:00 Field harvesting a bison and the reality of on-farm slaughter
00:19:30 The challenge of finding truly clean food and produce
00:24:00 Managing a pecan orchard and harvesting the crop
00:27:00 Weather risks, floods, and the economics of farming
00:29:00 Why consumers need to understand the realities farmers face

Caden and Patrick run Cable Family Farm in Piedmont, North Carolina, where they manage a small 80 bed no-till market garden along with pasture-raised eggs and chickens. Caden started the farm at 18, and then a few years later was able to convince Patrick to join him.

Their main concern starting the farm was how would they make money? This tour shows how they produce their crops and animals in a healthy, sustainable way, along with their marketing and production approach to creating a viable small-scale farm production.

It was fascinating and productive to hear from these young farmers how they approach farming, why their not organic, the systems they run to stay viable and efficient, and understanding why they chose this career path over everything else (hint, farming food can be incredibly meaningful).

Key Topics

• Building an 80 bed no-till market garden from grass
• Tools and systems for small-scale vegetable farming
• Pasture-raised eggs and chickens
• Organic practices without certification
• Economics and tradeoffs on small farms

Connect with Caden & Patrick:

Instagram
Youtube
Other links

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction to Cable Family Farm
00:01:00 Building a no-till market garden
00:06:00 Broadforking and minimal soil disturbance
00:10:00 Weather risks and crop failures
00:14:00 Time and cost of starting a garden
00:19:00 Organic practices vs certification
00:23:00 Simple greenhouse and seed starting
00:27:00 Egg layers and rotational grazing
00:32:00 Raising pasture-raised chickens
00:35:00 Why chickens are healthier on pasture

About Rehoboth & Josh & Jessica:
This was a really fun tour. The farm has an interesting backstory. It was initially just a backyard chicken hobbyist farm, and then after feeding themselves and friends, they saw the health impact and the localized food impact - then began trading meat for land access.

Josh spent years during 2015-18 waiting for the right property top open up, with multiple failed attempts, before securing the current farm in 2018.

They launched full-time in 2019, saw rapid growth during 2020 with that demand spike, and then developed the farm into what it is today, a regenerative grazing operation and direct-to-consumer product platform.

Neither Joss or Jessica grew up farming, but health concerns, lack of localized food option and expense of quality food triggered their shift to farming.

They have a faith-driven vision for the farm, and “Rehoboth” means “God made room”.

Jessica leads customer engagement, and Josh leads the systems and operations on the farm.

You can connect to Josh and Jessica via the links below:

Website
Instagram

Key topics & Timestamps:
00:00:00 Tractor use and cutting pasture for regrowth
00:01:00 Turkey shipping losses and hatchery challenges
00:03:00 Why turkey poults are fragile in the brooder
00:04:00 Thanksgiving turkey pickup on farm
00:05:00 Broiler setup and water system improvements
00:08:30 Compost piles and feeding pumpkins to livestock
00:10:30 Rotating pigs and natural mineral foraging
00:14:00 Outdoor pig genetics vs confinement genetics
00:22:00 Moving broilers to build soil nitrogen
00:24:00 Multi-species grazing and parasite management

Our farm tour of Tony Eash's pasture raised pork, chicken and beef farm.

Tony grew up farming alongside his brother Phil in West Virginia, learning animal care and haymaking at a young age. After the sudden loss of their father, the brothers leaned on their Mennonite community for support and chose to continue farming. Tony tours us through his farm, his way of life, and you're able to see how much he cares about farming, the land and animals, and the importance of delivering quality food to consumers.

He's had a few battles with the government to get us his great food! All is shared in the farm tour. Enjoy.

Link to our full podcast episode with Tony as well:
Spotify
Apple

Key Topics

• Direct-to-consumer raw milk and nationwide shipping
• Soil temperature, grass recovery, and grazing management
• Farm economics, burnout, and scaling sustainably
• Regulation, labeling, and transparency challenges
• Genetics, pasture diversity, and animal health decisions

What You’ll Learn

• Why covered soil stays cooler and supports biology
• The difference between grass recovery and true rest
• How raw milk is tested, bottled, and shipped
• Why many dairies fail despite high production
• How farmers adapt systems to survive long-term

Connect with Triple E

Website
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube

Timestamps

00:00 — Why direct-to-consumer food systems matter
06:40 — Shipping meat and milk across the U.S.
14:30 — Raw milk testing, bottling, and sanitation
23:10 — Regulation, labeling, and legal pressure
31:40 — Dairy economics and why production fails farmers
41:20 — Genetics, grass-fed transitions, and herd losses
50:30 — Soil temperature, grazing height, and cooling livestock
54:10 — Rest vs recovery and pasture decision-making

This one was fun. Jacob and Jenna tour us through Baird Farm, a fourth-generation Vermont maple farm operating since 1918. They walk me through the sugarbush, tubing systems, and sugarhouse, and how its all made/stored/sold and its history. Fascinating stuff - hope you get something out of it.

Key Topics

• Modern maple syrup production vs traditional bucket methods
• The maple sugaring season and weather dependence
• Real maple syrup vs imitation and blended products
• Forest management, biodiversity, and tree health
• Generational farming and maintaining a family-run operation

What You’ll Learn

• Why maple syrup is produced in a short late-winter window, not year-round
• How modern maple syrup is collected using tubing and vacuum systems
• What tapping a maple tree involves and how trees are protected long-term
• How much sap is required to make real maple syrup
• Why Vermont consistently produces some of the highest maple yields

Connect with Jason & Baird Farm:

Website
Instagram

Follow the tour on YouTube

Connect with Regenaissance:

Website & Merch
Instagram
X
Substack (Ag News & History)

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction and farm history
00:04:40 – Buckets vs modern maple tubing systems
00:07:10 – What maple syrup actually is (and isn’t)
00:12:00 – How maple tubing and vacuum systems work
00:16:40 – Tapping trees and protecting long-term tree health
00:22:00 – The maple syrup production window and season length
00:25:10 – Why Vermont dominates U.S. maple production
00:31:00 – Forest management, biodiversity, and resilience
00:38:20 – Labor, infrastructure, and modern maple realities
00:45:30 – Generational farming and transitioning the farm forward

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