Brett Chedzoy is a Cornell Extension Forester and co-operator of Angus Glen Farms in upstate New York, where he and his wife Maria graze over 100 cow-calf pairs across 600 acres with much of it wooded. He's also been ranching in central Argentina since the mid-1990s, where he first discovered his love for cattle after heading there as a Peace Corps volunteer fresh out of graduate school.

In this episode, Brett breaks down silvopasture and how to evaluate existing woodland and open it up for productive grazing. He explains why thinning your woods isn't just about letting in light, it's about protecting the long-term value of your timber while growing more forage.

Topics covered:

• Brett's background: Kansas wheat farming roots, a Welsh sheep-herding grandfather, Peace Corps in Argentina, and what the gauchos taught him about the difference between working hard and working smart
• What silvopasture looks like in the forested Northeast vs. the savanna-style systems common in other regions
• Why cool-season forages like orchardgrass can actually thrive in light shade and how silvopasture extends your grazing season on both ends
• The 10-question site evaluation tool Brett developed to assess whether a piece of woodland is a good silvopasture candidate
• How to find the right logging crew for silvopasture thinning (hint: it's a very different operation than high-value timber harvest)
• The forester vs. farmer timescale problem and how to find the middle ground
• Who to call first: land grant extension, state forestry agencies, and your local soil and water conservation district
• Why Brett recommends starting small and getting your first experience before tackling a 50-acre project

Resources mentioned:

• Cornell Silvopasture resources — search "Cornell silvopasture" or visit forestconnect.info
• Brett's 10-question silvopasture site evaluation tool
• National Agroforestry Center
• University of Missouri silvopasture resources

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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

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Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

What if your land could pay you… without selling livestock? Molly Faught and Hunter Jones from Grassroots Carbon joins today to explain what carbon credits are, how to qualify for them, and how to get started making extra money.

If you own your land and plan to be there awhile, this is a must-listen episode. If you know someone wanting to earn more money from their land, share this episode with them.

Question of the Week: If this is available to you, would you do it? Why or why not?

Find out more at https://grassrootscarbon.com

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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

How grazing works for very small acreage, all because of wanting more learning opportunities. Erich and Allison Henschel of Henschel Hof graze pigs, goats, and cattle in Virginia.

In this episode:

• Why small livestock is better for small arceage
• Why starting with smaller breeds lets you learn faster
• Why everything doesn't have to be perfect

This week's question: What did you start with for your grazing journey? Why? Join the conversation in the Grazing Grass Community | https://www.facebook.com/groups/grazinggrass

Henschel Hof on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/henschelhof/
Grazing Grass Insiders | https://grazinggrass.com/insiders

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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

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Redmond Agriculture

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Huw Foulkes runs Pentrefelin Dairy in North Wales in the UK, where he has built a grass-based cow and calf micro dairy around native Red Poll cattle while also stacking direct-to-consumer beef and other enterprises to serve his local community.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Starting a cow and calf micro dairy with a low-input, grass-based mindset
• Why Huw chose Red Polls for a dual-purpose dairy and beef system
• Managing long rest periods and mob-style rotations to build soil and drought resilience
• Farming on dry, light sandy soils and what that changes in grazing decisions
• Outwintering strategies including bale grazing and standing hay
• Building a direct local market through farm gate sales, coffee shops, and education
• UK requirements for legally selling milk, inspections, and testing
• Keeping infrastructure simple, including milking with a portable machine in an older parlor
• How beef boxes help move the whole carcass and teach customers new cuts
• Adding poultry, pigs, and trees to stack enterprises on the same acres
• Using farm tours and courses to educate the public and support local food systems

Why This Episode Matters
This conversation is a practical look at building a resilient, small-scale livestock business by matching the animal to the land, keeping inputs low, and connecting directly with local customers. If you are thinking about micro dairy, direct marketing, or stacking enterprises, Huw shares what worked, what he had to learn the hard way, and how education and transparency can turn customers into long-term supporters.

Resources Mentioned

• Food Standards Agency (UK)
• Denbighshire local council food business registration (mentioned as the local authority process)
• Pasture for Life (study tours and farm visits)

Find Out More

• Instagram | @pentrefelin_
• Website | www.pentrefelin.com
• YouTube | Pentrefelin Dairy

Looking for grass-based breeders?
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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

Visit our Sponsors:
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Redmond Agriculture

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Mike Guebert of Terra Farma in northwest Oregon joins Cal to share how he and his wife built a multi-species, direct-to-consumer farm over more than 20 years, from early days as first-generation farmers to running meat CSA sales, improving grazing systems, and teaching others through the Oregon Pasture Network.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Starting a first-generation farm from a blank slate with invasives, no fencing, and rough infrastructure
• Moving from vegetarian to raising and processing poultry on-farm
• Building a multi-species operation including beef, pork, sheep, goats, poultry, and more
• Managing grazing in a high rainfall, dry-summer region without irrigation
• Chicken tractor evolution, daily moves, and using a winch system for efficiency and injury prevention
• Marketing changes over time including launching a meat CSA in 2020 and the plan to transition away from it
• Stopping raw milk sales after losing liability insurance and regaining time and flexibility
• Moving toward a more seasonal, grass-only beef model to reduce winter feeding
• Teaching and producer support through pasture walks, cohorts, mentorship, and events with Oregon Pasture Network
• Conservation district work including farmland protection tools like conservation easements

Why This Episode Matters
This conversation is a practical look at how farm enterprises, marketing, and even personal capacity change over time, and why building community learning opportunities like pasture walks and cohorts can help producers avoid common pitfalls while improving grazing, profitability, and quality of life.

Resources Mentioned

• Acres USA annual conference
• Ranching for Profit School
• Executive Link (Ranching for Profit)
• Oregon State University Small Farms Conference
• Oregon Pasture Network pasture walks
• Oregon FarmLink (Friends of Family Farmers)

Find Out More

• Terra Farma website | terrafarmaers.net
• Terra Farma Instagram | @terrafarmaers
• Oregon Pasture Network | oregonpasturenetwork.org
• Friends of Family Farmers | friendsoffamilyfarmers.org
• East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District | emswcd.org

Looking for grass-based breeders?
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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

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Redmond Agriculture

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Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Tyler Flynn runs a small beef cow-calf operation in Northern California at Farmer Tyler Ranch, where he also grows hay and raises a few pigs and chickens for family use while documenting the work and lessons learned through his YouTube channel.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Coming back to a family ranch and building a cow-calf business on small acreage
• Northern California conditions, including irrigated pasture, rice country, and seasonal rainfall patterns
• How and why Tyler uses irrigated pasture rotation, including short rest periods in his context
• The shift from small square bales to round bales and what changed his mind
• Using hay equipment as a pasture improvement tool, including baling pastures after grazing
• Tackling smut grass by cutting, baling, and managing where those bales are fed
• Breed composition over time, including Hereford roots and adding SimAngus genetics for heterosis
• How YouTube influenced management decisions and helped drive experimentation
• Practical YouTube lessons for farmers, including audio, camera stability, and consistent posting

Why This Episode Matters
This conversation is a good reminder that management has to fit the place and the people running it. Tyler shares what works on irrigated pasture in Northern California, how he thinks through rotation length, equipment decisions, and weed pressure, and why consistency and realism matter when you are balancing time, labor, and livestock.

Resources Mentioned
- GoPro cameras
- Tripod (video stability)
- Microphone (audio quality)

Find Out More

• Farmer Tyler Ranch on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@farmertylerranch4399

Looking for grass-based breeders?
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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

Visit our Sponsors:
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Redmond Agriculture

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Kasie Harriet is the milkmaid at Shepherd Farms, where she and her husband Jacob are building a direct-to-consumer farm business that includes raw milk, sourdough, tallow skincare, and more, while managing cows in a rotational grazing setup and learning what it really takes to run a small dairy at the family scale.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Kasie’s path from FFA and wildlife work into farm life and dairy cows
• Why they pursued raw milk and how that led to buying their first family milk cow
• Lessons learned from a first cow that tested positive for bacteria and how they handled it
• Setting up a movable, low-cost milking stanchion and why “you don’t need a lot to do a lot”
• Hand milking vs machine milking and the real-world importance of equipment that is easy to clean
• Calf sharing, grafting a calf, and how that can add flexibility to dairy cow ownership
• Selling excess milk, managing weekly customers, and handling jars and deposits
• What to look for when buying a milk cow: testing, temperament, training, feeding history, and more
• Using Facebook to educate customers, build trust, and grow a local direct-to-consumer community

Why This Episode Matters
If you are considering a family milk cow or selling raw milk direct-to-consumer, this episode walks through the practical realities that often get skipped, including cow selection, sanitation concerns, equipment choices, customer management, and the setbacks that can happen even when you do things carefully. Kasie’s story is a grounded reminder to learn, adjust, and keep moving forward.

Resources Mentioned

• Keeping a Family Cow by Joann S. Grohman
• Keeping a Family Milk Cow, holistic and organic (Facebook group)

Find Out More

• Shepherd Farms | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087351095567

Looking for grass-based breeders?
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Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

Visit our Sponsors:
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Redmond Agriculture

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Jacob Harriet of Shepherd Farms shares how his background in wildlife management in central Oklahoma shaped the way he uses livestock, prescribed fire, and land restoration to build better habitat and a workable farm business. From starting on a small homestead to managing over 1,240 acres through creative lease agreements, Jacob walks through what has worked, what he learned the hard way, and how grazing fits into a broader land stewardship plan.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Jacob’s path from wildlife law enforcement to using livestock as a habitat tool
• Turning an over-timbered 80 acres into productive grazing and wildlife habitat
• Using rotational grazing to improve land function, manure distribution, and plant recovery
• Tree and timber management decisions focused on getting sunlight to the ground
• Prescribed fire vs mechanical clearing for controlling woody encroachment, especially cedar
• How burn associations, burn plans, and local support make prescribed fire safer and more practical
• Managing land for wildlife needs alongside grazing goals, including turkey and quail habitat
• Finding and using grants for infrastructure, water, timber work, and prescribed fire
• Building a mixed-species orchard and using chickens to manage pests and understory
• A lease model that trades professional habitat management for grazing access across multiple properties
• Tracking grazing and land work with mapping tools and documentation

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation is a practical look at connecting grazing, habitat, and land access in a way that works in the real world. If you are trying to improve a neglected property, reduce cedar pressure, learn why prescribed fire matters, or find a creative path to more grazing acres without buying land, Jacob’s approach offers clear ideas you can adapt to your own place.

Resources Mentioned

• Natural Resource University (podcast network)
• OnX Hunt Maps (phone app)
• NRCS (local office support for conservation programs and grants)
• National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
• Quail Forever
• Ty Ty Nursery (trees for the orchard)

Find Out More

• Shepherd Farms | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087351095567

Looking for grass-based breeders?
Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Upcoming Grazing Events

• Noble Profitability Essentials - Jefferson City, Mo, March 24-25, 2026

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey