The Regenaissance Podcast

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
Why stocking density, not just rotation, is the key lever in regenerative grazing
How cows' hooves act as seed planters and why "weeds" like thistles are actually healing the soil
What rumen fill and manure consistency tell a herd manager about animal health and forage quality
Why cattle genetics matter as much as grazing method, and what "adapting to the system" looks like
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
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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