Spud Lemmel has been making management decisions on the prairies of western South Dakota for nearly 70 years. I sat down with him to discuss how ranching has changed in that time and how it has stayed the same. We talk about living in sheep wagons, and fighting fires, as well as why it is more difficult to get started now.
David and Janet Paul have been partners in life, agriculture, and family for nearly 60 years. They have been through lean times and times of plenty. We sat down to document a portion of that history in part of a new series.
My Beautiful Wife, the mother of my children, and my best friend Miranda Conry joined me today to talk about some of the challenges we have been facing in the 2021 drought season. We talk about grazing strategy, culling strategy, and custom grazing strategy.
Shanon Sims a rancher from McFadden, WY. He joined me to discuss the motiviations and process of starting to raise the bulls they use in their operation.
Dallas Mount, CEO of Ranch Management Consultants, joined me to discuss some strategies and resources for succession success. We talked about how to start the conversation, restart the conversation, and when to start the conversation. We also touched on an upcoming opportunity to attend a Succession Planning Workshop hosted by RMC and taught by Dallas Mount and Dave Pratt.
Craig Guffey of Swearngin Angus in Lawrence, KS joined me to share his perspective on the EPD. We talk about it's origins, how it has been misused and misunderstood. We also talk about the alternatives and what to look for in a profitable cow.
Steve Campbell joined me again to talk about an out of the box approach to delivering minerals to cattle. We talk about the things affecting cow health as well as the things to avoid when looking for quality cattle minerals.
Troy Bishopp is a farmer, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He joined me to discuss the process of moving from a dairy with forage to a custom grazing business in central New York. We talk about the differences between farming in the East and ranching in the West. We also touch on some the myths about the differences between the two regions.
Austin Troyer is a first generation rancher in Ohio. He and his wife have gotten their start by finding undervalued land and putting the work in to make it usable. We talk about the process of obtaining these leases as well as getting them ready for livestock and finding the right class of livestock to take advantage of the topography and forage.
Greg Christiansen of Grandview Livestock in Eastern Kansas joined me to discuss the benefits and challenges of incorporating goats and sheep into a commercial cattle operation. We talk about how goats are good for land than trends toward brush as well as the opportunities that exist to incorporate goats into land that is currently only being grazed by cattle.