171. Growing a Farm Brand with Alex Russell
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: So we will
get started with the fast five.
First question, what's your name
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
My name's Alex
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: and
what's the name of your farm
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
Farm.
Name is Chucktown Acres,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717:
and where are you located?
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
Charleston, South Carolina.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: And what species
or livestock do you have on your farm?
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
We have, we have grass fed
beef cattle that we buy in.
We have Berkshire hogs that we raise.
We do Cornish cross broilers, we've got
laying hens, we do Thanksgiving turkeys.
my wife bought a couple of ducks
from Tractor Supply the other day,
so they have to go on the list.
We have two dogs, one cat one feral
cat, and then, Did I say geese?
We
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717:
I don't think you did.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
have one female.
Brown Chinese goose,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh, yes.
Well,
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
Four humans as well.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: so it sounds
like you have quite the zoo going on.
Yeah.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717: Yes,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: What,
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
a zoo
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: yeah.
What year did you start grazing animals?
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717: Oh.
I reckon you could say
that I started in 2016.
It feels a little bit cheating because
I started my internship at Polyface
Farms in Virginia, so they kind of
brought me into their own thing.
I had
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh yeah.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
I was doing, but I did start
working with livestock then.
So, if moving broiler pins every day
counts as grazing, then let's say 2016.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717:
I, I think it counts.
You're out there, you're doing
something, and when you moved
it, there was less grass there.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717: Yes,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: sure what
the chickens did to it, but Yeah,
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
A lot
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: it qualifies.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
a little less grass.
Cal: Welcome to the grazing grass podcast.
The podcast dedicated to sharing
the stories of grass-based
livestock producers, exploring
regenerative practices that improve
the land animals and our lives.
I'm your host, Cal Hardage and each
week we'll dive into the journeys,
challenges, and successes of
producers like you, learning from
their experiences, and inspiring
each other to grow, and graze better.
Whether you're a seasoned
grazier or just getting started.
This is the place for you.
Speaker 4: Calling our ranchers.
If you're looking to optimize your
grazing operation and boost your bottom
line, Noble Research Institute can
help the noble approach to education
pairs their own infield research
with the expertise of ranch managers
and advisors to find practical
solutions to your unique challenges.
Now's the time to register for
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Noble will be in Jefferson City for Noble
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of Grazing, June 24th through 26th.
Noble Research Institute ensures that
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solutions that work, not just theories.
Visit noble.org
today to learn more about
these courses or to register.
Today we're talking with Alex
about his journey from interning at
Polyface to his own farm, Chucktown
Acres and what they're doing there.
For the overgrazing section
we drop into marketing.
With a rebrand and how
he markets his his farm.
And then we talk about the
different social media channels.
Finishing up with the famous
four, and then he has a
couple questions for me today.
For 10 seconds about the podcast.
Thank you to those who voted in
the poll last week at Grazing
Grass Community on Facebook.
If you're not there, I
encourage you to go join.
Uh, I am working on the grass-based
genetics website as well as the
Grazing Grass Resources, and I hope.
I was hoping to announce one
of 'em was available this
week, but it's not quite ready.
So hopefully next week one of 'em
be available and the following week,
the other one will be available.
For 10 seconds about the farm.
I've talked on the, on the podcast before.
The I'd like to get some hogs,
raise 'em up, finish 'em out,
sell some pastured pork, and also
use that pork for our family.
Well, I wanna say thank you to Jared.
I found some, went over and visited
his farm and purchased a few pigs.
So we'll see how that journey goes.
I'm excited to try it, but also as
I'm doing that, I'm thinking we have
not had a pork producer on the podcast
lately, so we need to change that.
So if you're a grass farmer and you're
raising pork, let's talk about it.
Anyway, enough of all of that.
Let's talk to Alex.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: So
you mentioned Polyface there
and you didn't have experience.
How'd you end up at Polyface?
Did you grow up wanting to get
into agriculture, or when did
the regenerative bug hit you?
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
Yeah.
It's a long story, but I grew
up a, a suburban knucklehead.
Basically
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: I.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
Homeschooled one of five.
my dad was a cop, mom
homeschooled all of us.
And I played a lot of music.
I'm a, a drummer and then my my
family's very athletic, so I was a
played a lot of sports growing up too.
We actually had pretty
good homeschooled sports,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
up in Richmond.
It being in a big city helped that.
We
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717:
Oh yeah, it would.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
so we would play.
Private schools kick their butts
and I mean, we play public schools
and they'd kick our butts but I
didn't know, I didn't growing up.
No, no, no experience of any
kind of knowledge of food at all.
I mean, we were, we, my mom was
a great cook, so we all loved, we
were all like little mini foodies.
we would all try to compete
cooking against each other.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
was, I mean, you gotta think a
family of seven on a cop's salary.
We were just buying the
cheapest food possible, you
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Um,
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
and we were trying to make
gourmet hot dogs, you know, so
I didn't, I, I didn't have any.
Thought about farms at all growing
up, except for when we would go
strawberry picking in July at the
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: oh.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
patch.
So I, I carried that aura into college.
I, I, I went to Bible college
to learn how to be a pastor and
while I was at Bible college.
I made some hippie friends, some
of like your like Christian hippies
you know, back to the earth types.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
I actually had this one friend and
he was way, he was way past crunchy.
I don't know what
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
You've got crunchy people and you've
got granola people, and then you've got
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Right.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
He was he was like toasted out.
He only ate raw meat, like his diet was
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
He would do vegetables,
fruit and meat, all raw.
he was the guy who
introduced me to raw milk.
And so,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
in a band with this guy, he's
in my electric guitarist.
And we're whatever, some kinda like
Christian, math rock band trying
to be cool and tribal and stuff.
All my band mates are like into natural
eating and like gardens and raw milk.
And I'm over here with
ramen noodles and hot dogs.
So
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Washing
it down with a Mountain Dew.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
well on my way to putting
on my freshman 15 that
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh, yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
I'm like eating the cheapest stuff
possible and all these guys are
over here like walking me through
their gardens and these are like
20-year-old dudes and I'm just like,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: What?
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
is, this is weird guys.
You guys are really weird.
And so.
but I'm a very, I'm a naturally curious
person, so I ask what the heck's going on?
Like, why are you guys just eating
like whole papayas at a time?
Like,
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh yeah.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
what's happening?
And, and so they started educating me the,
the, the whole food industry as a whole.
It's, it, it, it's darkness,
it's it's corruption.
It's, it's all this greed
mixed into it and how.
Basically, the food at the grocery
store is basically just a low grade
poison that doesn't kill us all
right away as soon as we eat it.
But it kills us over years and years
and years, and it's not good for us,
and they've stripped the nutrients
out of it, and they've adulterated
it and they've made it shelf stable.
And all of
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Yes.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
I'd never thought about before
when I thought about groceries.
And so my mind started to alter.
In, when I thought about nutrition
and food I started seeing food as
a way to be healthy, I thought it
was just basically like exercise.
You know, if you wanna be healthy.
And I
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: Oh right.
squadcaster-ac08_1_05-09-2025_134717:
anyway, so I was like whatever
I exercise all the time.
And so, I started connection,
connecting nutrition with health.
I was kinda weird because
when you're like 20.
Caring about nutrition is just like,
unless you're like a bodybuilder
or something, that's just not
something you naturally think about.
cal_1_05-09-2025_124717: I was not
thinking about that at that time.
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: So your
friends, they were into health food,
they were talking to you about it made
you more aware of it was your next step.
Did you get fully into
health food at the time?
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: Yeah, I started
I started being the guy walking around
campus with a a bundle of kale in my hand.
Because I just thought like,
oh, kale's really healthy.
I'll just, I should just eat this stuff.
And so
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yeah.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: around eating
raw kale everywhere I went like a weirdo.
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849:
Oh, that, that is great.
You don't see too many people eating kale.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: like long
hair, long beard, kale in hand, barefoot.
I, I just took this total
180 to be this like.
natural guy within like a year.
I just, I was like, I was so into it.
I just thought, this is crazy.
I, you know, when you discover something
new, like, I think a lot of people
go through this when they discover
that the food in the grocery store
is like terrible, then they like
have this, revelations that happened
to them and they're like, oh my
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yeah.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: I'm gonna
change everything about what I eat.
It being the guy who, who now
feeds people, I hear it a lot.
People are like, oh my God, you won't
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yeah.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: the bread,
the meat, the cheese, the crackers,
everything's poisonous, what is going on?
And then they come to me.
So I'm now getting to receive the
people that I became in the beginning.
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yes.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: so I'm like
reliving my own transformation all
the time when I meet my customers.
Anyway.
I still am not thinking
about farming at this point.
I'm just thinking like I just want to be.
and natural and get all the crazy.
I started like trying to try, I
still remember trying to do shampoo
differently and that didn't work out.
Like vinegar is not a good,
it's not a good shampoo.
It doesn't work.
But I went, I tried to go as hardcore
to the crunchy side as I could.
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yes.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849:
It was a trip, man.
People were, people there had seen me in
freshman year, you know, the hotdog guy.
And then sophomore year I'm like
walking around in sandals and
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Eating Cal.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849:
drinking, drinking yorba mate
and eating kale off the stick.
And
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: I.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: and so that
was just, that was a crazy transition
for me to go through as a person.
I'm also.
I moved halfway across the
country to go to college.
I'm away from all of
my friends and family,
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yes.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849:
time for me to come up with
like a new identity basically.
And so
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Right,
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: happened to
run to the natural health thing as I'm
kind of looking for a new identity for
myself, and I'm really grateful for that.
It could have been a whole host of
things that I would be regretting now.
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Right.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: But
instead it put me on this path
to really care about food.
And so I start talking about this and
you meet all kinds of interesting people.
And I ended up coming I, I ended
up getting a mentor and this guy I.
Really, really cared about the same
stuff with nutrition and health and food.
But he wanted to start his own farm.
One day he had taken it to the next
level, so he starts telling me about Alan
Savory, Greg Judy, Joel Saladin the Rodale
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Grass Podcast.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849:
Heifer, international Acres,
USA Mother Earth News.
And I'm like.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What is all this?
Because I am just, I'm
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yeah.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: over here.
What?
What's all this farming stuff?
And he
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Right.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: think about it.
It's not just the, it's not just
the food companies that are the
evil people here that are trying
to do terrible things to us.
We've actually got a whole
agriculture system where the food
starts that's destroying the planet.
and it's eroding all the soil
and it's poisoning the water
and it's ruining the air.
And then I had a whole nother like
revelation that happened that I was
like, oh my gosh, it starts with farming.
That's crazy.
So he said, as soon as I showed
any interest in, like, so how
does, how has food actually
grown in the first place anyway?
Because I had never thought about how
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yeah.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: Especially.
On like a livestock side
or with a protein side.
I never thought about feedlots
and commercial factories
and all this kind of stuff.
And so he says, you gotta read this book
by Joel S called Folks, this Ain't Normal.
And it's gonna tell you, it's
gonna answer all your questions.
so I remember on summer break,
this is between sophomore and
junior year, I read this book.
I'm a very slow reader, so it takes me
all summer break to read this book and
I come back and I'm, and, and I start my
junior year of Bible college thinking,
I don't want to be a pastor anymore.
I wanna be a farmer.
Like,
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: Oh yes.
alex_1_05-09-2025_140849: to me,
but something is going crazy here.
And all of a sudden I want to be a farmer.
I want to be a part of this,
of this group, this movement of
people that's trying to fix the
broken parts of our food system.
At the very base level,
which is agriculture.
cal_2_05-09-2025_130849: So Alex,
when you had that thought, when, when
it dawned on you finally, you know,
I think the path for me is farming.
How did you think I'm going to get there?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yes.
And we, so you had, you'd connected
to, to raw food basically, and more
of this health journey and you made
that decision like, Hey, I want to
farm now rather than be a preacher,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
So I'm a very stubborn person, so because.
I basically came into junior
year of college thinking, I
wanna be a former, not a pastor.
I was like, well, great.
I'm screwed because I have two
more years of bible college left.
'Cause I'm not quitting now.
I've just gotta finish this thing.
And so I spent the next two years
still getting my degree and,
and finishing well and all that.
But I started working at a pumpkin
patch while I was at school.
So after school I would go 20
minutes south of Kansas City
and I would work at this pumpkin
patch called Johnson Family Farms.
And in the spring we had massive
greenhouses that we would
sell flowers and stuff out.
So I was basically just
like a flower boy, just like
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: the fertilizer
and the plugs and just working like.
Eight hours, just brutal
hot heat in the greenhouse.
And then in the fall, things got
really fun because I was a tractor
driver for the hay rides that went
out through the pumpkin patch.
And then I did little tours for the, the
school kids that would come, you know,
I would put on like the NSYNC microphone
headset with the little, the little
speaker you had to lock under your belt.
And I'd walk around with 48 year olds
telling them about these little animals
that we had at this like little petting
zoo that we had basically going on.
So that was my first like,
experience with any livestock at all.
I mean, these are confinement
animals that are just like, you know.
Three pigs and one Brahman cow.
And like, I think we had some goats
and I can't remember what else we
had there, but I would basically show
them around and do a little tour.
And I love that, like any kind of
public speaking thing that I could do.
I just love it.
Even if it's eight year olds listening,
like, just gimme a microphone and a
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: and a
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah, exactly.
Who cares what age they are.
So I, during this whole
thing, I'm doing school.
I'm working at this pumpkin patch.
I'm still reading a lot about farming
and I'm getting into Greg Judy I'm
getting into reading a lot more.
Joel Ston.
Learning who Will Harris is and then
Gabe Brown's book dirt to Soil Books like
that really, really got to me and I was
like, dude, I've really gotta do this.
And I remember reading one of Joel salad's
books where he talks about interns and
he describes his internship, I think
this is in his book, called The Sheer
Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer.
Which what, what a name for a book.
He, he talks about bringing interns
in who know nothing about farming, who
have no experience, but they have a
passion, they want to do it, and they
wanna have their own farm someday.
And how exciting that is for
him to bring these people in.
And I was like, dude, I,
I had this aha moment.
I was like, I think this is it.
I think this is what I'm, I think
I'm supposed to be a Polyface
Farms intern, and that's how I'm
gonna get into this because I.
I don't know anyone who has a farm.
I don't know anyone who has land.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: right.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: negative money.
I have no way to start my own thing.
I gotta join someone who's already doing
this thing, learn how they do it, and then
they'll go replicate it somewhere else.
So, I, it, it takes me a little while.
I figure out when their applications
are, and they actually only have a 10 day
opening for their applications to go in.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh wow.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: you need to
be at the right place at the right time.
Put your application in.
The year that I applied, there were 171
applicants and they only take 10 people.
So, and I saw, and I was like, there's
no way I'm getting picked for this man.
This is crazy.
But I got an email back from
them based off my application.
I was one of the 50 people that they
were gonna have for their, their two
day tryout period where they get to
know you, they see your attitude,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: see how you
are socially how hard you work, and you
work for them for two days basically.
And so I went there and they put you up
and, and you worked for them for two days.
And I had a blast.
I was like, we, we, we built an
egg mobile and took two days and
we, we saw some lumber and I was
like, this is so awesome man.
I would love to do this as a career.
And I was lucky and blessed enough
to be one of the 10 that they
picked out of that group of 50.
And so then it's May of 2016, i, I drive
up there and they're only two, two hours
away from where I grew up in Virginia.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: So,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
Let's stop right there for
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Alex, I,
I, I wanna, when you think about
that process and going through the
process, you're applying with no
experience, which sounds like from
his book, that's kind of what they
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: What.
What do you think?
Got you The internship.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I tried to keep
a couple things in mind while I was there.
'cause I was, I was prepared for this.
I knew this was really competitive
and and I've read, I had read enough
of Joel's books to know things
that would drive him crazy and
then things that would impress him.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I went
in with, I knew he really loves his
family and I know he really loves
positive attitudes and he loves
passion and he loves curiosity.
So I tried to focus on this two days.
I tried to focus on getting to know
his family and being really just kind
to them and asking 'em questions.
I still have this memory of playing cards
with his grandkids and because we were
having dinner at his son Daniel's house,
and the, they, they have three kids.
And I love, I love kids.
You know, I've done all the field
trip tours and all this stuff at
this point, and so I'm like, I know.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: It
takes you straight back to
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
Yeah.
It takes me back to the home compassion.
I remember playing cards with them being
like, I think they just need people who
they feel safe around, who will work
hard and have a really good attitude.
So that's what I focused on on those days.
I asked questions, but I
didn't ask too many questions.
I didn't wanna be annoying.
And when it was time to work.
Now I've worked hard my whole life.
I built, I built fences for six years
in like six summers, you know, through
high school and then through my, when
I was in college, I'd come home and
I'd build fences all summer long,
so like working hard's, no problem.
So I, when it was time to work
and nail and screw and cut
things, I was like, I'm on it.
I'm gonna work so hard
and just put my head down.
And I don't know, there might
have just been 49 other real
knuckleheads in that group.
And I just saw it was one person
wasn't gonna drive him crazy, you know?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Right.
Well, I, I think in any of
those cases it's just a matter
of being authentic and true to
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: and to
obviously having the work ethic
and making the connections.
But yeah, I think, I think Afin
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Authenticity.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: AU authentic boy.
I think that authenticity a
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
you should put that on a poster
so you can read it every day.
Practice
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: go.
Well, you know, I'm not sure I'm that
great a reader, so that'd be a lot of
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
you put your rain glasses on.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
you there, put 'em on.
Thanks for outing me.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Oh, sorry about that.
I shouldn't have said that.
That was so rude.
Edit that part out.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
Oh yeah.
You know, I told you, I think I told
you I edit this to make it seem like I'm
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
That's really good.
I, it's really good idea.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: but
you know, I work on that,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh, man.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: so.
So you get the internship
and you show up at Polyface.
How's that go
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: it is hard.
I mean, it's, it's you go right into
the very beginning of their broiler
season, so we're talking about.
Thousands of chicks that
show up when you show up.
They've already got thousands
of birds on pasture.
And you know, the salads in
the salads in shelters, there's
only 75 birds in every shelter.
And you gotta drag every single one
of those puppies every single day.
And you, you're probably responsible.
I think it the field we were responsible
for had like 22 to 24 of these
shelters and we had to drag every day.
And you know, you get, you wake up
before sunrise and you work until
sundown and you are getting a fire
hydrant of experience and, and a reality
check when you're there because this
is how hard you're gonna have to work
when you have your own farm someday.
And so this isn't working at Applebee's.
This isn't.
You know, I, I remember I, I
worked at a frozen yogurt shop
one time for like three months.
And most of the time I just sat around
' cause no one ever shopped there.
And and it was not frozen yogurt, it
was like live action all day, every day.
There's always something to do.
There's always a job to complete.
Even if it's raining, you're
either gonna go work in the rain
or you're gonna organize a, a barn
somewhere or something like that.
So it was, it was a great experience.
I've never worked that hard in my
whole life and I've worked some
pretty, I had done roofing before that.
Fences, decks, I'd worked pretty dang hard
and that was the hardest I ever worked.
I still remember hay season coming
around and we're talking June,
July, August and we're bail.
We're out there bailing and
stacking small square bales.
Hand stacking small square bales
for hours and hours and hours.
And it, it was a real test for like,
are you really sure you want to,
this is basically a way to ask over
the course of five months, are you
really sure that you want to farm
because this is what it's like.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: actually
that, that makes me wonder,
so you were there with 10
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I would
assume y'all built pretty good
relationships during that time.
I don't know if you've kept in touch, are
they all still in agriculture or did some
of them say, Hey, this was enough of that?
I'm get, I'm going back to whatever I was
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
You know, we built we built some
pretty good relationships there.
And that's been nine years from now, so I.
I, I'm really bad about talking
to people who I'm not around.
You know, I'm like a outta
sight, outta mind kind of guy.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I, I get
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: And so some
of these people I haven't talked to
since I left, and some of them I send
funny Instagram reels to every day.
And so, I've got 1, 2, 3 of these guys
that I'm still really close with, and
two of them are in agriculture, and one
of them is coming to visit my farm next
week, the one that's not in agriculture.
And he's, he's got the itch again.
So he's, he's coming to my farm next
week and we're gonna, we're gonna
talk about it and he's gonna, he's
gonna try to reevaluate to see if
this is what he really wants to do.
He already had a kids and a family and
stuff during that internship and and
so he, he worked harder than all of us.
But he had a pretty successful
IT company at the time,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: so,
he decided to stick with it,
but now he's got the itch again.
So I'm gonna try to convince
him to get back into to some
kind of regenerative ag somehow.
But yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: When you had
finished that internship and down the
road a few years now, from that, what
was the biggest takeaway that has has
affected you throughout the years?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh man.
I think that the, the amount of hard work
that we did there set a, set a standard
for me where now, like, if I gotta get up
at five to go catch broilers, it's fine.
Been there, done that.
Not a big deal.
It's a mental state for me now if I
gotta stay up late moving, laying hands.
From one egg mobile to a hoop structure or
moving pellets from one place to another.
No big deal.
Been there, done that.
So there, there was a, there was a
work ethic thing that I now know my
potential to be able to work at, at
high levels for long hours, because
I've already been there and done that.
So that's probably,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
probably number one.
Now number two is a little bit more broad
because I, everything I do here is based
off of what I learned there as far as
the, the husbandry, the management side.
I mean, I got the same Gallagher reels
for my polywire that I use there.
Like I still use those same kiwi
tech posts that I was using there.
I use them here.
The, the poultry netting,
I still use that stuff.
I still.
Move my egg mobile to fresh ground.
I still move the broilers
to fresh ground every day.
I move my cows every single day.
I move my pigs once a week and
it's just like everything I got so
inundated with, with the benefits
of how to run a regenerative farm.
I got inundated there and it's
stuck with me nine years later now,
and I'm still doing the same exact
practices that I learned there.
So,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah, so those,
those practices have proved to be useful.
They work, so let's
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: absolutely,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I have one more
question about Polyface, then I have
one more question about your equipment.
You,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: there on Polyface
and going through that journey, there's
other farms out there to do internships.
There's Polyface and tons of others.
Would you recommend that
for someone wanting to
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: 100%.
Absolutely no doubt.
The last thing I want someone to
see, the last thing I want to see
someone do is they read a book,
they watch a documentary, and
they think I'm gonna go do it.
And they go buy a farm and they
go get into a hundred thousand
dollars into debt to buy cattle.
And then
stuff hits the fan and they don't know
how to get your cows back from the
neighbor's yard or, or they don't know
how to work a head gate or they don't
know how to work with cattle in a corral.
God forbid you get in a corral
and you don't know how to work
cows, you are screwed in there.
You know, if you don't know about
flight zones, what are you doing?
Your, your pigs get away.
You know, your, your, your,
your broilers are limping.
What do you do?
You don't know because
you don't have experience.
And, and an internship is gonna be.
The cheapest education financially, but
the most valuable education you can get
for your experience that's out there.
You're, you're basically gonna go out
there and learn from someone else.
You can ask them every question
you can think of, come up with
every scenario where things can go
wrong and bounce it off of them.
And you've got an expert at your disposal.
And it's just, it's just, I
would absolutely set, tell
anyone if you're interested at
all, go to an internship first.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Okay.
That brings me to my next question.
Do you offer internships at your
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: We do.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
plan to in the future?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: We do.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
Yep.
Mine's a little different.
It's gauged more towards
high school and college kids.
And it's just one day a week.
So I have them drive.
I don't have anywhere for them to live
basically here, so I can't have this
full immersion wolfing type of thing
that you would see at some places.
But we're mostly reaching
out to local people.
Either they have a teenager with too
much energy and they need them to get out
and, you know, cut grass for six hours.
Or someone who's probably in college
who's very interested in sustainable ag
and they want to know what it's like to
work on a real a real farm, you know?
And so we offer that
during the summer month.
So we actually just put out our
newsletter about it last night.
It's funny you asked me that.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
So we offer that and we have, we have
about five to six interns every summer.
And we hand select those as well.
I don't have 170 applicants a year, but
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
I, I get about 11.
But it's great because there's so much
going on on the farm during the summer
where you got so much grass to cut.
You have so many broilers to process.
You've got so much, so many moving parts.
You've got, you know, we don't do
our own hay yet, but like we plan
on doing our own hay and there's so
much stuff to do during the summer.
You need a lot of extra hands that
you don't necessarily need in the
wintertime, so it's nice to bring an
influx of help get you through June, July,
August, and then you can kind of cruise
through the fall and get to the winter.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
Yeah, that's true.
Yeah.
Well, very good.
That's that's a wonderful opportunity for.
Teenagers in your area?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: My, my second
question pertaining to equipment.
You mentioned you use Kiwi
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
I've never used them.
I use O'Brien
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: post.
like them.
They're by far superior to anything else
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
tried, but I haven't tried the
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Ooh.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: post.
So me why I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
I've got O'Brien's as well.
And and I, if I have to choose
between a stack of Kiwi tech posts
and a stack of O'Brien's, I'm going
with Kiwi Tech every single time.
These things are so awesome.
They're lightweight.
They don't get, they don't get like,
bunched up and bundled up with each other.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Like the
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: the O'Brien
scan, they don't, they have a a sliding
insulator that adjusts up and down
on a single skinny fiberglass post.
Has a really awesome double
step in tread at the bottom.
And they, you could carry way more
of them in one hand than you can.
The O'Brien post, the Brian
posts are a little more bulky.
They've got all this options on there.
The, the, the thing about the
O'Brien's is I like all the options
that they have, but I don't like
the whatever that one side is.
It's like the horse tape side.
'cause my polywire always gets stuck
in there and you gotta yank it out.
But the, the Kiwi tech ones are amazing.
I get, I get, I order extra
insulators so I can have two because
I do run double strands sometimes.
And so, they're, they're super cheap.
To get those, to get the extra
insulators, they last forever.
And the only way I've ever busted one
is by running it over with a bush hog.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Well, you know, I, that's the
reason I love the O'Brien's.
I tried some other brands before
I tried them and they just
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: And now
the O'Brien's have most of them
The ones I don't have are because I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
I lose them.
Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yeah,
they, they're in great shape.
I've, I've only got a couple that
I've ever broke part of a hook off
of or that little connector off of
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
maybe you've convinced me.
I ordered a Kiwi tech reel,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh, cool.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: to try that,
and I just had talked to Kin Cove
about the carry pack because the carry
pack will hold some those kiwi tech I.
Post in them, but I don't have Kiwi
tech posts and I didn't think I wanted
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
But I may have to try 'em.
Based upon your
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I would
say get 20 and try those out.
You're gonna fall in love with them.
They're so awesome, man.
It's just like, the same thing with like
the, I mentioned the Gallagher reels.
I just, I've tried every other reel,
the speed ride ones, the whatever the
other red and white ones are interrogate.
I just, the Gallagher ones are so
freaking awesome and they're, it's
just almost impossible to break.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: see.
I don't like the
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh, come on.
Why not?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: They,
they got too much because there's
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: on them.
I don't need it to protect my hand.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: the deal
to, to I flip to hold it on the wire.
I just feel like they're,
they're over-engineered
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
I like my, I think the.
I think I like the O'Brien reels best.
The interrogate reels.
gonna have to look and
see which reel it is.
I've had some reels
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: or mess
up with the gears inside them.
And I do have a Gallagher reel
and I've never had that problem.
And I think the O'Brien's,
I've never had that problem.
The interrogates I've
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
problem with, they're probably
the smoothest feeling one.
But those gears mess up.
And I know, I've talked to, I talked
to Powerflex and I've talked to
people and they're like, just fix it.
I don't
I want it to work when I go
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I
probably, I probably wasted about
five hours trying to fix one, and I
gave up and threw it in the trash.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
I, when, when I'm out there working, I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: If
I wanted to be in the repair,
the, the fence real business, I
would be in the repairing fence,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I They do.
They're not designed to be taken
apart and then put back together.
Goodness.
No they're not.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
In fact, I've got the internal parts.
I got to fix one of them
and it just rides around in
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: with me.
I'm waiting on that day.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Wait for a free ride.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: celebrate
it's third birthday pretty soon.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Bake a cake for it.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: you are right.
Yeah.
But, but that's, that's good to know.
I, I may have to get me some kiwi
tech posts and try those out just so
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
And I might have to get me an
O'Brien reel and try that out.
'cause I've never tried one of those.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah, I I
will have to, to make sure, because I'm
pretty sure I have that the right way.
I, I've got some reels
with two hooks on the
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Why would you need two?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I, well, it's
supposed to hang on a fence better, even.
But then it doesn't work with,
I've got one of those power posts.
The
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: so
I can't use it with that.
And in fact, when I got 'em, they
said it was recommended you can
buy this little dildo, go in there.
So I bought one waste of money
because I planted it somewhere
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: at all.
And so I never have
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
hang right when I hang
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: to, to wrap
my braid or my poly braid around it to
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Mm-hmm.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: it hot.
It doesn't wrap around the two pieces
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: No.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
I just don't like them.
In fact, they spend all
their time in the back of
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: except
when I've got enough rules reels out
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: to use them.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I've
got one reel that has lost the the
guide, and that's the same thing.
I'm like, God, I hope I
never have to use that thing.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: that I, I've
got one without the guide and actually
I think it's one of those double hook
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Ooh, double time,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: but man.
Not having the guide on there
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: dude.
It's so terrible.
God forbid you miss when you're
reeling up and it misses a, a beat
and slips over the, over the rail.
Oh.
And it wraps around the handle.
Forget about it, man.
Forget about it.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: right?
Yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh, I like
nerding out about gear every now and then.
I've done that in a while.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I, yeah, it,
it's always an interesting subject.
I think that sometimes,
you know, we need to dive
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I out what works
because if you not mentioned those kiwi
posts, and in fact, I just talked to
kin Cove, I guess it's yesterday, about
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cool.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: very timely
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I was really
happy to see them pick them up because
they didn't have them back when I
bought 'em and I had to buy them from
Mennonite guy in the mountains of
Virginia who was literally shipping them
from New Zealand directly to his store
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: and he was
the only guy I could get him from.
And so I was so happy to see Ken Cove
pick him up because like, thank God
if I just wanna order a couple more
posts, I can just do that easily now.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: oh, yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Big time.
Thanks Ken Cove.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: let's,
yeah, I'm, I'm glad they have 'em.
I'm, I'm gonna
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: You get, you
got that bug, and we're gonna skip
over just a little bit because you did
that internship in 2016 and I, and then
obviously we're about nine years later.
What do you have
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
So now,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: And we, we
did kind of cover that with all the
livestock, but let's, let's dive in deeper
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah, so we
launched this farm here in Charleston,
South Carolina in June of 2020.
And so do you wanna know the, a
little bit of the story behind that?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I,
I do, and I wanna know name
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Chuck Chucktown acres?
Yes.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: So
where did that come from?
I, I have a guess, but go ahead.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
So the nickname for
Charleston is Chucktown.
So when people are from here, that's kind
of like a way to, because it's such a high
tourist area, it's kind of like we have
our own little secret language where we,
we know different names for different.
Parts of Charleston.
And so you can kind of say, I'm
a local, you know, I'm, I know
Chucktown, so it's kind of a,
you know, silly little fun thing.
And so I
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I guessed
it was some way related to Charles,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: you know, St.
Charleston, so,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: exactly.
Because it used to be called
Charles Town and then they just
sh kind of shortened it, made it
easier to say by Charles to, and
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Charleston.
Yeah,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: so yeah, I
knew I wanted to do the Chucktown thing.
I like really loved, thought that was fun.
And then basically I wrote down the
words that I could put after that.
Farm Farms, acres, pastures.
There's not a ton of options out there
if you're gonna use like the farm
thing in the name of your business.
So
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: right.
To use
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
I just said all of them.
About a hundred times.
And I was just like, which one do I like?
The way it rolls off my tongue better
and Chucktown Acres was just my favorite.
I liked it a lot.
And, and I'm kind of a non-conformist
too, so I didn't see a ton of like
something Acres farms out there.
So I was like, let's just, let's
go with that and see how it goes.
It's, it's been five
years and I still love it.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
Oh, that's the important
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yes.
I,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: And I
think it's unique enough too,
for your customers that that it's
gonna stick with them better than
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
another possible name
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
It's never gonna be perfect.
We still have plenty of
people that go, oh, I went to
Chucktown Farms the other day.
You over there at Chucktown Farms and
I just let it, it's like, yep, sure.
I'll be Chucktown Farms if you
want me to be Chucktown Farms.
That's totally fine, man.
I'm not too picky about it.
Yeah, I teach a, I teach a marketing
class for farmers and one of my favorite
things is when we talk about the need to
rebrand, if you hate your farm name and
so and so, I'm like, just think, just try
to have some fun with it and think of a
farm name that you could say a hundred
times on the phone and not be tired of it.
That's my test.
Like, can you, can you say your
farm name a hundred times in
a day and not be sick of it?
And and so far it's been
true for me with Chucktown.
So that's, that's been a little fun
little thing about our business.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: So getting
started there in Charleston.
How'd y'all get started?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
It's a crazy story.
I was we actually moved to Charleston
in 2019 and did not have anything
lined up in the farming world.
I tried, I called a few guys that are
operating farms here but they were all
so small that they couldn't hire anybody.
And so I was like, well, I guess we're
gonna have to start our own thing.
So we actually kind of just
went out on faith and just said,
we're just gonna go move there.
I had a buddy that owns a business here,
like a landscaping design business.
So he, he said, you can have,
you can just work for me until
you figure out the farm thing.
And so I worked for him for six
months and then one day at church.
I was talking to this guy, you
remember I'm a drummer and this guy
was a guest worship leader at the
church that I was, I was drumming at.
And I was just asking him
who he is, what is he doing?
And he said he's starting a farm.
He's starting a regenerative farm, 30
minutes north of where the church was.
And he actually told me that the, the
next day Monday, he was going to put out
a, a, a flyer for a livestock manager and
he was looking for a livestock manager.
I was like, don't put it out.
I am here.
I am here.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: And so
I started working at that farm the
next week and, and it was crazy.
It was owned by a third guy that wanted
his own farm, wanted his own healthy food.
I.
But didn't necessarily
want to do it himself.
He needed someone with some expertise.
So, so we were growing vegetables
and livestock, and then within
about six months that the owner
said, Alex, I'm moving to Colorado.
I'm not gonna be here anymore.
I don't want to own this business anymore.
I'd rather you take this over and so can
you just be the new, the new chief here?
And I was shocked.
I, I couldn't believe what was happening
because I was just gonna, I was just
working for somebody else and, and now
I'm the sole proprietor of an LLC and
everyone that I started with is gone.
And it's just me.
And so the land is still there.
He moves to Colorado, but he keeps
the ownership of the property.
And he says, pay me a percentage
of your profits, and we'll, you
can, you can use this land and
you know, the tractor and stuff.
I was like, wow, what a blessing.
What a, what a way to get into
this because when people ask me
like, how do I start my farm?
I don't have very good answers for them
because I'm like, I got really blessed
and lucky and all this all the same time
and, and I was basically handed this
business in its infancy stage, to be fair.
But I was still handed this and
given a great lease on a property
that had equipment ready to
go and, and a couple of cows.
And so we, we launched
with that in June of 2020.
I actually did a rebrand because I didn't
like the name that they had going before.
So I rebranded when I became
the new owner of the business.
And it's been five years now.
We actually don't even, we don't even
work over at that property anymore.
It sold two years ago and we moved
across the street to this one.
There's only two farms in our town and
we just moved over to the other one.
We're not, I mean, we are
in coastal South Carolina.
There's no farms out here like this
is we, we bump up to a national forest
that is hundreds of thousands of acres.
You know, I don't even know if
it's, it might be half a million
acres and there's no farmland for
about 45 minutes to an hour from us.
So we are in this really
unique little pocket.
We've got a little village here where
all the shrimp come in for South Carolina
shrimp and, and so like, it's, I'm the
farmer in the town, and then everyone
else is shrimpers and fishermen.
And so when we go to the bar, it's
just all these shrimpers and me,
and so I'm, I'm the farmer in town.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: great.
Yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
So, like I said, we, we, we,
we started with some cows
and then we went laying hens.
We went broilers, we added
Thanksgiving, turkeys, and
then we added the pigs as well.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Those
first two years were crazy, totally
crazy because we, we were adding
so many different enterprises.
To kind of match my dream of like,
well, we don't have any pigs.
I want pigs.
Let's go get some, let's
go get some feeder piglets.
And that's added on.
And then they would get out
and run to the neighbors, and
then the cows would get out.
And then the, the eagles would
kill our chickens every day.
And the, and it was like, it was, I
had done the polyface internship, so
I had learned how to solve Virginia
problems, but I hadn't figured
out South Carolina problems yet.
The foxes, the coyotes, the hawk
pressure out here is so crazy that
I can't let my LHINs, they're in
a egg mobile with poultry netting.
I can't let them go more than a hundred
yards away from the house or else I will
lose two, I will lose two chickens a day.
Guaranteed to the hawks.
Yeah.
It's, it's like a war zone out here.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
Do you still use the
Polyface Chicken Tractor
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I don't, we
we, you went with the mobile range coops
that you can put like 600 broilers in.
They take like a week to build, but
with like four guys, but they are
so worth it, man, just going out
there and I can move the whole thing.
Me and my 2-year-old with a tractor and
we can move 600 birds in 30 seconds.
It's like, oh, this is a no brainer.
And our land is flat as a pancake, so
there's no, I don't have to worry about
hills and bumps and valleys and stuff.
It's just all, it's like
a beach flat out here.
So we can, we can get away
with something like that.
I know on some places you, their people's
farms are on slanted ground and slopes
and they can't do those big mobile range
groups, but ours is 20 by 40 and we've
got three of 'em and they are so sweet.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
Yeah.
And works out really
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I got
burnout on the south and shelters.
I couldn't do it anymore.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I would think
you could get burned out on those.
That's a, a lot of work that's
efficiency comes into being
an issue there with the number
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes.
When you're doing it yourself every day,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: it's,
oh, it wears you down, man.
For sure.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
Alex, let's shift gears again talking
a little bit about your farm, but
let's shift to overgrazing section
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cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: and we wanna
dive in more about marketing and sales.
And you mentioned something earlier just
about a rebrand, which I thought was very
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Let's
talk about your marketing
efforts, how that's gone for you.
The first thing it sounded like
you did when you were in charge,
you said, Hey, we've gotta do a
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: How did
that re did your customers have
any problem with that rebrand?
I know the business or the farm was in its
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
so it wasn't like huge.
And you were trying to do a
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
thank God it was, it was still young.
When we did that, I think it was a little
awkward for, it was awkward for a couple
months because we had already been at
a farmer's market with the old name.
We'd already set up our online
sales platform with another name
MailChimp with the other name.
So we had to get in there and like
Dena everything, and people were
getting invoices from the old name.
And so it was a, it was awkward,
but it was, it was so worth
it and I'm so glad we did it.
Now I try to encourage these young farmers
that if they don't like their name,
they can rebrand and it will be painful.
It's like cleaning your room.
It's so worth it, even though it
kind of sucks for a little bit.
So, I, I, I, I to say, you, if
you're gonna be an entrepreneur.
And you're gonna run your own company.
You've gotta love your name.
You just, you just have to love, you
just have to love your business to
be able to, when you have really bad
days and really tough days, things,
little things like that really help.
They help you get through tough days if
you're like, I just still love this thing.
You know, even though this was
a tough day or whatever ever.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: For marketing,
what do you do for your farm?
And along that line,
what do you recommend for
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: So
I am, I'm blessed enough to be
able to teach a marketing class.
We use barn to door for our sales
platform, and they, they've got a
lot of stuff that they do as far
as like community oriented stuff.
And one of the things is these
academy classes they've got a
MailChimp one, a social media one,
and I teach the marketing one.
And so I get a new group of farmers
every month and I walk 'em through.
About three hours of content total
over the course of three weeks.
Different ideas that we
will run them through.
And the mo most of it is get as many
email addresses as you can focus
in on collecting emails and doing
email marketing to these people.
Write them real emails.
They don't have to be elaborate, they
don't have to be big, massive newsletters
that you send out once a quarter.
I, I encourage farmers to send
out a weekly email, just tell
them a little bit about something
that's going on on your farm.
But I try to match it up with the
frequency of when people are shopping,
because we have our, we do a home delivery
system that we, people can order on
our website and we, they just put in
their address and their credit card.
We bring it to their door.
So I, I need to get in front of
these customers at least once
a week with a little message.
A, a sales promo, an encouraging
thing about regenerative farming.
Anything that I could
put in these newsletters.
I won't keep it long.
I'll keep it short.
People's attention spans are really short,
but it needs to be on the same device
that they're gonna be ordering from.
So it needs to be, you know, so it's
not like I can, I can I do flyers
and stuff like that too, but they're
gonna be ordering from their phone or
their laptop, most likely their phone.
So I need to get on their
phone somehow once a week.
And we know, this whole social media
algorithm thing drives me so crazy
because there's, you can have, we've
got 8,000 followers on Instagram.
That's not a lot.
It's not a little, but I know every
time I post on there, it's not gonna
go to 8,000 people, it's gonna go to
1% of them, like one to 5% most likely.
And so if I have a really important
message to send to my customers, I
can't rely on social media alone.
I, I still use it, I still put stuff
on there every day, every other day.
Because it is a, it is a nifty tool,
and it is, it is useful, but the
email marketing is gonna be a private
invitation directly to your customer
with links that they can click on.
And you could, you can sell them
ground beef in about two clicks and
it takes about 20 seconds for them.
So it's about trying to make, trying to
take the friction out of the relationship.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: So to,
to get those email addresses.
you, you have barn to doors, so whenever
you make a cell online, you're capturing
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: address.
How do you capture it outside of.
A
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
clipboard and a signup sheet.
Old school, I'm I,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: at two
farmer's markets and so when we're
there, we prioritize the clipboard.
We worship the clipboard at the farmer's
market, if nothing else, if we don't
sell, we don't hit our numbers at this
farmer's market, we better hit our email
signup numbers because for me, those
email addresses are the new currency.
If I can send these people an email a
week, year round, and I can deliver this
stuff to their house, who cares if it
rains at the farmer's market that week?
Who cares if the farmer's market's closed?
Who cares if my wholesale.
Customers don't put an order in this week.
I'm going directly to this person's
house and I'm sending them an invitation
to buy my stuff as at the same
frequency that they would be going to
the grocery store to buy that stuff.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Okay, so I
know when you're doing it for barn
to door and doing this training,
those people are already in the
process of getting a website set up
they're going to have products ready
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: What about
for someone who's not quite there?
Should they already be starting
and working on their email
list and how would they go
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Ooh, that's great question.
I wanna put myself in that, in those
shoes, you wanna be trying to build
up as much hype as you can to get
people excited about your, your launch.
And thankfully the excitement should.
Becoming naturally if you're gonna
be launching something, you've got,
you're excited about this already.
And you haven't experienced any
of the downsides of farming yet.
So it's all, it's all sunshine
daisies at this point.
So you could you could literally
go set up at a farmer's market with
nothing and try to collect emails
that way for your future farm deal.
Obviously social media is gonna help,
but if you don't even have a farm
yet, or, or maybe you're not selling
anything yet, it's a little bit
trickier to try to get in front of
people, but is this, the social media
algorithms are gonna reward you for
being consistent and on their daily.
So try to do that as best you can.
And then, gosh, I, I think another
great way to do that would be to try to.
Partner with some local businesses
that are privately owned, that
that, that attract the right kind
of buyers that are gonna be looking
to source from a local farm.
So, I love using the CrossFit
gym as my number one thing.
Go to a CrossFit gym, ask to speak
to the owner, or you could send them
a little like Instagram DM first
to set up a meeting with them and
just ask him, can I set up like a
clipboard and a email signup form?
And maybe like, I talked to this
one farmer who did a fishbowl idea
for when he launched his farm.
He said, after the first steer
that I process, I'm gonna give
away $200 on that ground beef
to one person in this fishbowl.
And the, and the guy got 150 email
addresses from one fishbowl at a gym.
I was like, dude, that
is such a crazy idea
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: it up.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
and it really worked.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I, I
love that al the box thinking.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
There's also little independently
owned grocery stores, like health food
stores little baby Whole Foods, if you
will, but they're all privately owned.
Those people love local farms and so
if usually they're, they want clean
meat, you might be able to even use
them as like a pickup location someday.
But they would probably be willing to
work with you in some form or fashion
to try to either get email addresses
or put out flyers or something just
to help you get your farm started.
There's probably a hundred other
little things you could do, but those
are probably gonna be the three most
efficient ways you can go out there
and get it, get in front of people.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yeah.
I, as I think, I think
those are great ideas.
Social media.
Social media drives me crazy.
You know, I deal with social
media with the podcast I've really
been lax lately on it because.
It's something
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: and sometimes
it just doesn't feel like it's doing
what it, what you want it to do.
And like you said, you push, push
out a post or something and you've
got this X number of followers,
but you're looking at a 1%
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
Yep.
And I think, I think they are making
it more and more difficult for
businesses on social media, on purpose.
I did just notice that I'm getting asked
by Instagram to join the Blue Check Mark
Club, but I have to pay $15 a month.
To get the stupid blue check,
and I'm such a nonconformist.
I'm like, they're never
getting that blue check mark.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Right.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I even turned
down the blue check mark when it was free.
I just like, no way.
Probably shot myself in the foot
with that one because now it's $15,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: There.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
To sign up for it.
But yeah, they, I think that they
are realizing how much they have
helped businesses in the past.
This is, you know, the meta world.
And they, I think they're looking
for a little bit of payback now.
So, they're, if they haven't started
charging businesses, they are going to
because it's been a really effective way.
It's the number one thing you always hear.
How do you know when you ask someone,
how can I get in front of other people?
They'll immediately tell you, Instagram,
Facebook, TikTok that kind of stuff.
And I, and it's getting less
and less effective as we go on.
So we're gonna have to get more
creative with different ideas on
how to get in front of people.
Though it seems like the only time I get
a really popular Instagram post now is
if I say something really controversial.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Well, and and
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: true.
You, if you can be a little
controversial and cause people to.
To to argue
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: online, you
can get a little bit more exposure.
That's not really my personality.
I don't wanna
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Mine neither.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Because
yeah, so that doesn't work
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: But on the, on
social media, are there, you know, there's
a few new networks that have jumped up
trying to be the new Twitter with issues.
Are you using Blue Sky
or Threads, or, know I'm
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
No,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: you using any of
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: no.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Are you
sticking to the, I hate to use the word
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: with
social media, but the, the usual
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: That
is such a great way to put it.
Yes.
These standards.
Yes, I know.
I, I am I describe myself as a caveman
with a MacBook, so I am, I'm like,
don't tell me about the new one,
because I have a hard enough time
keeping with the traditional ones, the
classics, you know, I don't even have
Tik, I don't have TikTok or Twitter.
I mean, I just Instagram and Facebook
and I have LinkedIn together, so
I only have to do one and I'm,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
And it just gets
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I'm
barely getting to the one.
Yeah.
I'm like, don't tell me no blue Sky stuff.
I, I don't have time for this.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I
don't know how much good that
stuff is for, for your business.
I, I, I don't know.
I feel like you could spend
hours and hours on there.
I.
And I, I just think I spend way too
much time plugging tires and, and
setting up paddocks to be messing
with all that kind of stuff, you know?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Right.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Fixing fences
is gonna be a little more important
than your blue sky account, so,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
I, I think I have blue sky.
I think I have threads, Instagram,
Facebook, TikTok, of course,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: for the
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: And the, the
only ones I really post to is Instagram
and Facebook, because that's a one deal.
I kind of do it and it
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: places.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: But I've
not been real good about that lately.
as I look at downloads and
measuring that, I do think there's
been, I, been a decrease in
downloads, not new downloads per
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Mm-hmm.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: There's
been a decrease in overall
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Interesting.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: that tells me is
I don't have as many new people finding
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: but I can't
contribute that all to social media
because I haven't been on any other
podcasts lately and, and trying to
get in front of some new people.
So that becomes the issue
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
I need to get it out to
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes.
Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Not
if you're an old listener.
I love that you've
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
Thank you.
Old listeners.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
But yes, thank you.
But need some new
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
Right.
Yeah.
I, I bet you, I mean, do you
record the video on theses
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I do.
And we
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: and so, okay.
YouTube can be, and you
put little clips up there.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I have, I did.
I was putting shorts on YouTube
and TikTok for a while, but it
just felt like, and it was actually
getting a little bit of attraction,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: a
little bit of traction, not
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I'm
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh,
well, you gotta be careful.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: but, you know.
Yeah.
But I just, it was just
something more to do,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: off of it,
and at times I think I should get back
on that, but I, that part of it, I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: So that's a
little bit tougher for me to get out
there, so maybe that's something we
get back on, but right now I haven't.
Do you use shorts for or YouTube at
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Nothing, no.
I tried to put up a few YouTubes, but like
I said, I, I haven't seen enough benefit
from the social media as a direct farm
business where all my customers are local.
Right.
If I had, if I was Primal pastures or
five Mary's or white Oak, I understand
you're shipping across the whole country.
You need to get in front of everyone
and everyone's on the internet.
My focuses have been much more local.
And so, and so, I need to get in front of
the people that are within an hour of me.
And so if I was trying to reach
more nationwide audience, I would
definitely do a lot more YouTube
and more of the, the extras in
the social media world, you know?
But I, I think there,
it's, it's hard to say.
It's hard to dismiss it because, you know,
there's a way that people are winning
on social media for their businesses.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Right?
Yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: But also
at the same time when, when you were
talking about marketing and the fishbowl
and stuff, the book that, that comes
to mind is Get Different by Mike Ma.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Mitz.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
name's easy to say
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: As long as
I've got his name in front of me, I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
I'm reading the pumpkin plan right now.
Yep,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: oh yeah.
I love Profit First.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: me too.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: pumpkin Plan,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Napkin,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: get different.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: something
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: He's
got all, he's got tons of books.
He's actually writing a personal
finance book that I'm pretty excited.
That'll be coming out
probably in 2026, I guess.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: He's awesome.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
think they have a long.
Yeah.
And he has a podcast with AJ
Harper about writing a book
about authorship, which I love.
In fact, I was listening to it
earlier, but whenever you're talking
about that, I'm thinking about get
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: And so actually,
I was thinking earlier, I may need to
read that more as it pertains to, to the
Grazing Grass, because I see the podcast,
not this podcast, but all the other
podcasts doing kind of the same thing.
I need to do
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: But
when you, you think about it your
farm, can you get different and
be different from everyone else?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Right.
That's a, that's a, that's why we teach
the class because you know, I've, I.
I've talked to so many farmers who
are starting out and they think, I,
I'm gonna grow pastured poultry, I'm
gonna do some hogs, and I'm just gonna
clean meat and as soon as it hits my
freezer, everyone's gonna line up and
they're all gonna wanna buy it from
me if it's gonna be amazing and easy.
And then they get there and they get their
hogs back from the processor, and then
the pork sits there for three months.
And like, they just have a freak
out because they're like, oh my
gosh, they're not pouring in like
I thought they were gonna be, and
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
I need to go sign.
I need to figure out how to do this
and how to get in front of people.
I think a lot of people on are trying
to do this without farmer's markets.
You know.
There are a lot of bad farmer's markets
out there that are not worth your time.
So I get it.
Like I've done a few where it was
like we sold $200 of stuff and I'm
like, this isn't, this is terrible.
This isn't worth it.
But believe me when I say this, there
are farmer's markets out there where
you will go there and you'll spend four
hours there and you'll do $5,000 in
revenue at this one farmer's market,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: worth it.
It's, I say that being in year five of
being at that farmer's market, right?
It wasn't that, it wasn't that great
right away, but when you can do that,
you get in front of real people in real
time that actually want to buy some
groceries and, you know, and so they,
and they're in farmer's markets, they,
they concentrate a, a specific type of
person that is looking for local food.
So they're, they're kind of.
Getting out all the Walmart shoppers
and the Publix people, and the Wegmans
people getting them out of the way.
And they're just concentrating
on people who love local food.
And then you want to establish yourself
at that farmer's markets and be a
constant presence in that person's life.
That person's only gonna come to that
market once a month, most likely.
But you wanna be there when they
see, when, when they're there.
You wanna make sure you're there.
And as the years progress,
they will trust you more.
They'll get to try all your products a
little bit here and a little bit there.
And then by year four or five, you're,
you're gonna be so, so glad that you
put in the hard work on the early days
when no one knew who you were and you
were the new guy and now you are the
source for everybody's protein needs
in this, in the four neighborhoods
that surround that farmer's market.
Yeah, but it's gotta be a good one.
It can't be, it can't be a podunk
one, it can't be a rural one.
It's gotta be in the, in the
metropolitan area that's focused on
real food that's grown by real people.
So, yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yeah.
Excellent advice there.
Alex.
It's time for us to move to
the famous four questions.
Same four questions we ask of all of our
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Cool.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Our, our
first question, what is your favorite
grazing Grass related book or resource?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I am
blanking on the Greg Judy one, the
name of the Greg Judy one that I love.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: No
risk ranching or comeback
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: No
Risk Ranching was a great one.
I think probably Salad Bar Beef.
Joel Saladin.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
I, I love that book, man.
I'm, I'm a, I'm a fan boy of Joel's
saw and salad bar beef was so great.
You gotta read it if you're a grazer man.
Just learning about when his dad was
setting up paddocks, but their ground
was so hard that he had, he couldn't
put a piece of rebar in the ground
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: and so his dad
had to create tires with concrete in it,
with a rebar post in the middle and the.
That was their post.
And here I am walking around
with 30 kiwi posts in one hand.
Do, do, do.
Yeah, it is very inspiring, man.
The things that those guys were willing to
do to do regenerative rotational grazing.
Oh my gosh.
Totally crazy.
So yeah, go eat salad bar beef.
If you have haven't.
It's great.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Very good.
Our second question, what's
your favorite tool for the farm?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh,
you're gonna make me pick between my
tractor, my four wheeler, my truck,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: IR
Right, and, and all of those you
can't live without, but which one
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
I, it's gotta be my tractor.
Because we, we went ahead, we had an old,
we still have this old Ford 2000 tractor.
And she's a little rough, you know,
she's been around for probably 30 years
and so in the mosquitoes here on the
coast of South Carolina are so vicious
that you would have to go, if you're
gonna go bush hog, you gotta put on a
whole bug set a, a bug suit to, to go
bush hog without getting eaten alive.
So last year my buddy let me borrow
his Kubota for a week I had to move
around some really heavy stuff.
And so he left me the forks in a bucket
with his Kubota and a closed cab.
And the air conditioning was ice
cold and the radio was really nice.
And I was like, I don't
know how I'm gonna.
Live without one of these.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: So my wife
said when I got off that tractor for
the first time and I was so happy, she's
like, we gotta get you one of those baby.
And so I was down at the
Kubota dealership the next week
looking at closed cab tractors.
And I got an mx 5,400 and it's great.
It's a closed cab so I can go bush
hog and mosquitoes are all in the
glass on the outside trying to eat me.
I've taken videos and put 'em on
Instagram and I, it would take videos
of the mosquitoes trying to get to me.
I'm just laughing at 'em.
Yeah.
So I think, I think that's the one.
That's the one I can't live without.
Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Oh yeah.
Excellent resource.
And I keep thinking Kubota will reach
out wanting to, to sponsor something
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Come on guys,
get out there and sponsor this podcast.
Dang it.
We'll, we'll tell everyone
to go buy one if you do.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: there we go.
Yeah, exactly.
They come in.
My favorite color.
It's, it's just
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I pretty
much just did a commercial for them
anyway, so I hope I get a kick bag too.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
Have to reach
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: you all,
have you listened to this episode?
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: right.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
Our third question.
What would you tell someone?
Just getting started.
I.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Buckle your seatbelt.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Rough
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: ahead.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I hope you
really want to farm because it, this,
the work is so hard, but you, you
have to be connected to the greater
mission at hand, especially in the
regenerative, sustainable world.
It's not just you and your little farm.
You're a part of a whole movement
of thousands of farms across the
country of people who are sticking
it to the man and saying, screw you.
I'm gonna grow my own food.
And then when I have enough for me,
I'm gonna grow food for my neighbors.
And then when I have enough for my
neighbors, I'm gonna go to the suburbs
and I'm gonna get all your people
that are shopping at Whole Foods
and they're gonna shop with me now.
And, and you need an attitude of,
I can do this, it's gonna be hard,
but this is totally worth it.
And so I can give you all the,
the practical advice on how,
what not to do with your pigs.
But if you don't have the right
attitude going in and if you don't
have a stick to neighbor attitude and
mindset, then you're not gonna make
it through the first couple years.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Excellent advice.
And Alex, where can
others find out more about
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh.
They could join my email list
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Exactly,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: if they want to.
Go to chucktown acres.com,
scroll to the bottom, put your
name and email in there, and I'll
send you an email every week about
what's going on with the farm.
And I do the social medias, just Instagram
and Facebook at Check Town Acres.
We're the only one on there.
So pretty easy to find.
So that's where they can
find out more about us.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Well,
I, I'm gonna go join your email
list so I can see how an expert
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Ooh,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: I
can figure out how to do it
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: pressure's on.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: So yeah.
And lastly, one last question,
but it's where we turn the tables.
Do you have a question for
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yes, I do.
But I have two questions for you.
So I'm gonna make 'em.
I'm gonna make 'em really short.
Is that allowed?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Sure.
Yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Alright,
question one is, what's your favorite
book on that shelf behind you?
Because I see a lot of amazing books
that I've read, but I want to know
which one out there is your favorite.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: favorite,
if I can see it, is right here.
The Lasater philosophy to
raising.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Wow.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: this book, I
was introduced to it at a young age.
It was um, my dad had it on his
In fact, I bought my own copy just
to have it on my shelf, then I, I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: occasionally.
It's a really short read.
It's just about his breeding
philosophy, and I really think with
livestock, if we would just follow h.
His ideas with that, which they,
they correlate really good with
uh, Johan Zeeman's as well.
Uh,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: would just
follow them, livestock would be in
much better shape than they are.
I am very much, as a Razer, I'm a
livestock first person, and I really
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: so for me, I
have to work to be grass first and manage
my soil because I'm all about the, the
livestock.
And that's, that's
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: love on the farm.
Um, that's definitely
I, I enjoy just reading.
So every once in a while
I just read it to get,
just to enjoy it.
So it has to
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: philosophy
of raising cattle and I, and it
doesn't apply to just cattle,
it applies to all livestock,
so,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Okay, cool.
Cool.
And it's about breeding
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yes.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
breeding for different genetics.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: In fact, while
he talks about the six principles of
breeding uh, and I should be better
and rattle them off my head, right off.
But, you know, a maternal
animal should raise a offspring
every year.
she
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: goes to town.
Uh, they should thrive the
environment they're raised in.
You should not have to bring in
inputs to get 'em to where you
want 'em to be.
Um,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: you should
select for traits are important.
If you're selling pounds of
meat, pounds of meat is the
important trait
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: all the others.
And sometimes we wanna get wrapped up.
Oh, feet and legs on that.
Animal's not quite right.
Oh, I don't like that top line,
that rump slope I don't like.
agree.
I get there too.
But if she produces uh,
offspring every year.
And I'm able to produce pounds of meat.
If that's my
market, whatever my
market
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: then she's
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: what I want.
And rather than trying to second
guess, guess nature, let's get out
of the way of nature and just focus
on those animals that do what we want
'em to do, and
breed from
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: props.
know, she's out there doing the work.
That's the gist of it.
He'd,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Yeah, I love that.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: puts
it more elegantly and, and
breaks it down to the six
pillars of it.
But that's
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Yeah, Yeah, that's great.
Okay, second question is.
Who's your dream guest on the podcast?
Who's the one you really, really want?
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: easy.
Obviously
it's you, Alex, but
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh, yes.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: else.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
Finally, you got to this day.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Right, exactly.
Uh, Pete from just a few acres, that
is my dream guest to have on here,
and he is probably a unconventional
guest for a grazing deal because you
immediately think Greg, Judy, will
Harris uh, Jim Garish, Gabe Brown.
Some of those we've had on the podcast.
The ones we haven't, we
hope to get on the podcast.
But to me, Pete um, I wanna
say his last name's Larson,
but he has just a few acres.
I watch his channel every week.
I catch the and he does stuff.
He manages his grass.
But out here we're all
like, if you can move him.
Once a month, move them once a month.
If you can move them a week every
week, move them every week if you can,
move them a day, move them every day.
And sometimes we get to a point and
we say, well, if you can move them
every hour, get out there and move them
every hour.
You
know.
we we
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: what's that
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I know.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: like juggling,
you know, you get three balls and you're
juggling for kids and they're enjoying it.
What's their question?
They don't, they don't come to
you and say, oh, that's great.
I loved that you did that.
They say, can you do
four balls?
And I
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
Right.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
we are kind of the
same way.
moving
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: how often?
Well, how about
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: them
twice as often?
You know,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: and
Pete's kind of pushed back on that.
And he does not do, he's more
about uh, weekly rotations.
And he talks about he was doing daily
rotations, but it hurt his performance too
much.
Hi.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Hmm.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: were finishing
at a smaller weight, so he's backed
up to um, weekly rotations, I think.
Probably, in my opinion,
I do daily rotations.
Week is a little bit
long there, but that's
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: for him.
And the other thing I think he
does so good besides just being
authentic and sharing what's going on.
When he is outta grass, he pulls
cows up and puts 'em in a lot.
Now I think it would be better
if they stayed out on grass
if you're able to do that.
But if you don't have grass
out there, you've got to give
them some hay.
And a lot of
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: get in
a drought and we try and force
it through, we'll make it, we'll
just move 'em a little bit slower.
Uh, grass will start growing.
will put 'em up and he will
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
Yeah, just get 'em off.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: And I think
there's a lot of value to that instead
of grazing your grass too short and
hurting it, he just
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
and that's not a popular
thing to do.
So.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: no.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: One is his
rotation and just being aware of what
that does for his animal performance
in his market and what he's doing.
And the second thing is when, when
you're short on grass, rather than
harming the grass, pull your cows off,
feed some hay, let your grass recover.
If you need to depopulate or destock,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
you need a destock.
Now he's not one to destock
so much, he's gonna pull 'em
up and feed him hay.
But
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: an
option there and I, I really
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: that he's
willing to do that because a lot of
people aren't.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: yeah, yeah.
It is tough with the way grass grows.
I mean, you've got four months out of
the year where this stuff is just rocking
and rolling and it's like, man, I wish
I had a hundred head in the summer
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yeah,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: I wish
I had 12 head in the winter.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: yeah.
Everyone's a great grass manager in May.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
Oh yeah.
You're killing
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: it in.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Yeah.
I've been patting myself on, myself
on my back the whole month of May,
and I'll probably continue all
the way through May,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
feel about it in July and
August
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yeah.
Right.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
September and October
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: test.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934:
a dry fall, you know?
And that's
always a worry.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
Yep.
Absolutely.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Alex really
enjoyed you coming back on the podcast
and I say coming back because we tried
to do this last week and had all kinds
of issues.
Um,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Yep.
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: Allie
'cause we won't blame Cal.
we just had issues,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Oh, it was
the caveman here with the MacBook.
It was me.
It was my equipment
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: we're,
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934:
was messing us all up.
I,
cal_3_05-09-2025_131934: and really
appreciate you coming on and sharing with
us today.
I.
alex_2_05-09-2025_141934: Thanks, Cal.
Pleasure to be here, man.
Cal: Thank you for listening to this
episode of the grazing grass podcast,
where we bring you stories and insights
into grass-based livestock production.
If you're new here, we've
got something just for you.
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Is packed with everything you need
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It gives you more information
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And next steps.
You can grab your free
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Don't miss out.
And Hey, do you have a
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We're always looking for passionate
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Keep on grazing grass.
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