Regenerative Ranching

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• Featured Guest Brent Weiss
• Background, self introduction
• What does regenerative ranching ACUTALLY mean?
• Ranching in synch with nature to rebuild healthy ecosystems starting with the soil
• Not just a marketing buzzword
• 2 types of people in regen:
• Interested in conservation
• Interested in increased profits
• Soil Health – why is it important?
• Soil has been the downfall of ancient civilizations
• Facing increased drought and climate challenges
• Healthy soils are more drought tolerant
• MASSIVE carbon sinks
• Fertilizer, pesticides, etc. are just bandaids to the soil
• Soil microbes create a great growing environment
• Soil health = increased nutrients, fertility, and water infiltration
• Rotational Grazing and Grazing Systems
• Maximum impact, maximum rest
• Stocking rates in pounds/acre, not acre/head
• Forage available vs forage consumed
• Subdivisions create longer rest periods
• Roots stop growing for 11-17 days when 50+% of forage consumed
• If roots cannot recover, eventually neither will the top
• Ease of moving cattle and implementing systems with single strand electric wire
• Forage management
• Grass farmers using cattle as a means of harvesting crop and convert to usable product
• Important to leave behind some leafy material (ideally ~50%)
• Solar panels for regrowth
• Without solar panels, must steal carbohydrates from roots (recession)
• Armors the soil
• Keeps soil temps down (helping keep moisture in soil)
• Slows down rain to increase infiltration and decrease run off
• Cattle Management
• Culling cattle that do not fit your system (they work for you)
• Defined calving and breeding seasons (45/60 plan)
• Allows you to match the growing season with peak lactation and when calves begin grazing
• Ideally a closed loop system, or even a closed herd
• Bull selection
• Heifer selection
• Use consistent sources with similar goals to your operation
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• Biodiversity – different plants and animals play different roles
• Pollinators, birds spreading seed, dung beetles, other beneficial insects
• Legume Nitrogen, Grass Roots, Forbs armor
• Mesquite in desert country
• Medicinal/Anthelmintic properties
• Secondary and tertiary compounds like tanins and alkaloids
• Minimize Inputs/Epigenetics
• Increasing Revenue is not the only way to increase profit
• Less reliance on supplemental protein, mineral, dewormer/fly spray
• Cows that do not fit the system will come up open, wean small calves, or stand out in one way or another
• CULL THEM
• Gradual decrease of each
• Personal Belief – Don’t skimp on vaccinations
• Calves will go to feed lot and be exposed to A LOT
• Implementation
• We need everyone to move in the right direction
• Do what you can in your environment/situation
• Subdivide pastures – ½ à ¼ à 1/8 etc…
• Move cattle more often between planting and harvest
• Only supplement when forage quality is decreased
• ANY step is a step in the right direction
• What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
• Summary
• Challenge