The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast

In this remastered episode, Dr. Allen Williams challenges conventional thinking around livestock genetics by making a bold case: true genetic performance begins in the soil. Rather than focusing solely on EPDs, DNA markers, or breed selection, this episode dives deep into how regenerative agriculture and soil biology drive epigenetics, animal health, and productivity.

Dr. Williams explains how functioning ecosystems—built on living soil, active microbes, and adaptive grazing—unlock the genetic potential already present in livestock. This episode connects soil health, forage quality, and animal performance in a practical, systems-based framework that producers can apply immediately.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Why Genetics Start With Soil
Healthy soil biology determines whether livestock genetics can fully express themselves, regardless of how “elite” the genetics appear on paper.

The Four Ecosystem Processes
Energy flow, water cycle, mineral cycle, and community dynamics—and how damage to these processes leads to broken genetics and poor performance.

The Soil Food Web & Microbial Balance
Why 90% of soil function is mediated by microbes, and how fungi-to-bacteria and predator-to-prey ratios influence epigenetics.

Targets for Healthy Soil Biology
Specific benchmarks for bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms, and insects per acre—and what regenerative systems are achieving in real-world conditions.

The Role of Mycorrhizal Fungi
How glomalin improves aggregation, water infiltration, nutrient uptake, and carbon storage—while supporting stronger plant and animal performance.

Shared Microbiomes Across Soil, Plants, and Livestock
In healthy ecosystems, the microbiome beneath the soil mirrors the microbiome in animals and people above it.

Hidden Costs of Chemical Interventions
How dewormers and other inputs harm beneficial organisms like dung beetles and earthworms, weakening ecosystem function and long-term resilience.

Indicator Species That Signal Soil Health
Earthworms, dung beetles, insects, arthropods, and spider webs as visible signs of balanced predator–prey relationships.

BRIX Levels & Livestock Performance
Why higher BRIX equals greater nutrient density—and how every 1% increase above 3% can boost average daily gain by 0.1 lb.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Focus on rebuilding soil biology before investing heavily in genetics.

Measure and improve fungi-to-bacteria and predator-to-prey ratios in your soil.

Reduce reliance on chemical dewormers to protect beneficial insects and soil life.

Use BRIX readings to evaluate forage quality and animal performance potential.

Apply adaptive grazing to increase microbial diversity and nutrient cycling—without changing plant species.

📌 Important Note:
This episode is the first module of the full course Grassroots of Grazing, available on DVD and streaming in our store.
👉 Be sure to check the show notes for a special sampler price if you’d like to go deeper.

👉 Tune in with your favorite podcast app to the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast and continue building resilient soil, healthier livestock, and more profitable grazing systems—straight from the pasture. 🌾

In this episode, Rebekah Pierce, author of Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food, joins Carolyn Nation to share her hands-on experience with agrovoltaics—the practice of grazing livestock under solar panels. Rebekah currently manages seven solar grazing sites across four counties in upstate New York, transforming underutilized land into productive agricultural systems while providing vegetation management for solar companies.

The conversation explores how solar grazing works in practice, how farmers can find and secure contracts, and why sheep have become the go-to species for these systems. Rebekah also addresses common concerns around farmland loss, food safety, and soil health, offering a grounded, farmer-first perspective on integrating renewable energy with agriculture.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Getting Started with Solar Grazing
Rebekah explains how she landed her first solar grazing contract in 2022 and how farmer-to-farmer connections opened the door to rapid growth.

Finding Opportunities in the Solar Industry
Solar grazing requires “detective work”—from tracking construction projects and attending town board meetings to navigating the divide between solar builders and maintenance companies.

Land Use, Soil Health, and Public Concerns
Many solar sites are built on non-prime or previously degraded land. Through managed rotational grazing, these areas can improve significantly while remaining in agriculture for 20–40 years.

Livestock Compatibility with Solar Sites
Sheep are the most practical option today, but Rebekah discusses emerging possibilities for cattle, poultry, and other livestock as panel designs evolve.

Farming Under the Panels
Beyond grazing, farmers are growing vegetables, hay, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, and even cranberries under and around solar arrays as equipment and layouts adapt.

Economics Without Subsidies
Payments for vegetation management come directly from solar companies, providing steady income that has been transformative for Rebekah’s first-generation farm.

Safety, Food Quality, and Environmental Reality
Rebekah addresses concerns about contamination, panel materials, and food safety, pointing to research showing no issues with meat from solar-grazed sites.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Start tracking local solar projects by attending town meetings and monitoring planning notices.

Build relationships with solar developers, operations companies, and cooperatives like United Agrovoltaics.

Consider sheep as a low-barrier entry point for solar grazing systems.

Use intensive rotational grazing to improve soil health while meeting vegetation management requirements.

Stay persistent—solar grazing contracts often require repeated follow-ups and long timelines.

📌 Resources & Links:

Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food by Rebekah Pierce

United Agrovoltaics Cooperative

👉 Subscribe to the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast for more real-world conversations on regenerative agriculture, innovative land use, and building resilient farm businesses.

In this episode, Dr. Anibal Pordomingo shares hard-earned insights from more than two decades researching, producing, and refining grass-finished beef systems in the Argentine Pampas. Drawing from direct experience with chefs, markets, and consumers, the conversation explores what truly defines quality in pasture-finished beef—and why perception, preparation, and consistency matter just as much as production practices.

Dr. Pordomingo challenges common assumptions about marbling, breed, age, and appearance, emphasizing that the eating experience ultimately determines success. The episode bridges pasture management with culinary realities, highlighting how grazing decisions, genetics, finishing timelines, and post-harvest handling shape tenderness, flavor, and reliability.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

What “Quality” Grass-Finished Beef Really Means
How chefs and consumers define quality—and why visual traits alone are unreliable indicators.

Fat, Marbling, and Moisture
The critical role of intramuscular fat in grilling performance, tenderness, and flavor, even in grass-finished systems.

Seasonality and Consistency Challenges
Why pasture-finished beef is inherently more variable than grain-fed, and how producers can manage that risk.

Aging, Freezing, and Handling
Best practices for dry aging, freezing, and chilling to preserve eating quality and avoid moisture loss.

Cooking Methods Matter
How heat, searing, salt, and slow cooking influence outcomes—and why chefs adapt techniques to the meat they’re given.

Genetics and Harvest Timing
The importance of early-maturing, easy-marbling genetics and harvesting at two and a half years or younger for consistent tenderness.

Hamburger Is Not an Afterthought
Why ground beef quality plays a major role in consumer perception and overall carcass value.

Story vs. Eating Experience
Why farm stories and stewardship help—but can never compensate for poor flavor or texture.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Prioritize tenderness, juiciness, and flavor over appearance when making finishing and harvest decisions.

Manage pasture and finishing timelines tightly—grass-finishing leaves little margin for prolonged low gains.

Use genetics that support marbling and natural tenderness in forage-based systems.

Pay close attention to post-harvest handling, aging, and freezing methods to protect quality.

Remember that one great steak—or hamburger—can determine whether a consumer chooses grassfed beef again.

📌 For more insights, resources, and current specials, visit us here:
👉 stockmangrassfarmer.digital

👉 Tune in with your favorite podcast app to the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast and explore practical, experience-driven lessons on grazing, beef quality, and building resilient grass-based systems—straight from the pasture.

Recorded at: SGF’s First Gathering at Polyface (2021)

In this episode, Jordan Green shares the foundational mindset and practical decision-making required to become a true farm builder. Recorded at SGF’s first-ever Gathering at Polyface, the conversation reflects on the realities of building a farm business through economic uncertainty, market shifts, and long-term growth challenges.

Drawing from his experience as a Polyface apprentice, Marine Corps veteran, and diversified farmer alongside his wife Laura, Jordan explores how focus, simplification, and resilience shaped their farming journey—from the late-2000s economic crisis through the COVID-era disruptions. This episode emphasizes building systems that endure rather than chasing short-term wins.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

What It Means to Be a Farm Builder
The difference between operating a farm and intentionally building a long-term, resilient farm business.

Lessons from Economic Downturns
How the 2008 financial crisis and pandemic-era challenges reshaped Jordan’s approach to risk and growth.

Simplification as a Growth Strategy
Why narrowing enterprise focus can strengthen profitability and sustainability.

Choosing the Right Enterprises
Matching farm enterprises to land capability, labor capacity, and lifestyle goals.

Building Through Uncertainty
Developing adaptability and decision-making frameworks that hold up when conditions change.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Build your farm with a long-term vision rather than reacting to short-term pressures.

Simplify enterprises to reduce risk and improve operational clarity.

Align your business decisions with your personal and family goals.

Embrace adaptability as a core strength, not a weakness.

Focus on systems that support resilience through economic and market cycles.

📌 For more insights and resources, be sure to visit us for our latest specials, live events, and monthly magazine:
👉 stockmangrassfarmer.digital

👉 Tune in with your favorite podcast app to the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast and explore real-world lessons from producers building farms that last.

In this remastered episode of the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast, we revisit a foundational session from the Multi-Species Grazing School, led by renowned grazier Greg Judy. This episode is Part 1 of 3 from the first module of the complete Multi-Species Grazing course, and it sets the philosophical and practical groundwork for building resilient, profitable grazing systems through diversity.

Greg shares his personal journey from financial struggle to becoming debt-free through custom grazing, leasing land strategically, and embracing practices others were unwilling to try. The conversation dives deep into why single-species systems break down, how plants and animals work together to heal soil, and how livestock can replace machinery for brush, weed, and parasite control.

This episode challenges conventional thinking and reframes “problems” like weeds, brush, and invasive species as opportunities—when managed correctly.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

Why Multi-Species Systems Work
Diversity strengthens grazing systems by improving soil biology, forage quality, and overall resilience.

From Custom Grazing to Debt-Free Ranching
Greg’s journey of keeping money on the farm, leasing land wisely, and building equity without debt.

Understanding Weeds as Soil Indicators
Weeds exist for a reason—often signaling soil deficiencies rather than being the core problem.

Turning Problem Plants into Feed
How plants like Sericea lespedeza can become high-quality forage with proper timing and management.

Using Animals Instead of Machines
Sheep, cattle, pigs, and goats as “solar-powered tools” for brush control, parasite management, and fertility cycling.

Parasite Control Through Species Diversity
Why cattle and sheep break parasite cycles—and why goats require different management.

Tree and Brush Management Strategies
Practical methods for controlling woody species while preserving valuable shade and long-term landscape assets.

Profitability Without Guilt
Why making money is essential for staying on the land—and how profit and stewardship go hand in hand.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

Focus on building diversity—both plant and animal—to strengthen soil and forage systems.

Use livestock impact instead of mechanical mowing to solve vegetation problems.

Match grazing species to specific forage and problem plants.

Rethink weeds as indicators, not enemies.

Keep money on the farm and be willing to do what others won’t.

📌 Want to Go Deeper?
This episode is Part 1 of 3 from the first module of the complete Multi-Species Grazing course.

👉 For just $37, unlock the complete Multi-Species Grazing School with Greg Judy and learn how to build healthier pastures, diversify income, and cut input costs. This 10+ hour on-demand course streams instantly and lets you learn at your own pace—risk-free with our 100% money-back guarantee. www.stockmangrassfarmer.digital/msg-tiny

🌱 For more insights, resources, and current specials, visit:
👉 stockmangrassfarmer.digital

🎧 Tune in with your favorite podcast app to the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast and keep learning—wherever the pasture takes you.