179. Commercial Homesteading with Heart with Daniel and Mandie Stallings
Cal: we'll get started with the fast five.
Our first question, what's your
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Well, I'm Daniel Stallings.
I'm Mandie.
Cal: And where are you all located?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
We are in Waverly Hall, Georgia.
Cal: yes.
We have not had too many guests on the
podcast and I'm always like the southeast
has been underrepresented, so, wonderful.
I have you here.
What's your farm's name
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: What?
Perch and pasture.
Perch and
Cal: and.
just in a episode, we talked come back to
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
that sounds
Cal: and why that happened
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Cal: and what livestock species do you all
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: We
actually have quite a few we do cattle.
We have both beef and dairy cows.
And then we use poultry.
We have a sl, different poultries.
We have ducks, geese
obviously laying cans.
We use meat birds and a few
other different types of poultry.
And then we also do some small ruminants.
We have a small dairy herd of
Nubian goats, and eventually
small rum ruminants And then pigs.
And pigs.
Yes.
And pigs.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: And picks.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
How would I forget the pigs?
I, I like, I go and check pigs
like seven, eight times a day.
I not forget about dates.
Cal: I knew you all had a
lot, but you listed there more
than I, I realized you had.
So what it'll be interesting to talk
and our last question, the fast five,
and the more I talk the less fast it is
anyway, what year did you start grazing
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
We started in 2002 ish.
We really didn't get a good start until
like 2003 or 2003 20, 20 22, and then
Cal: oh, okay.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
yeah, so we've, we've, we're
fairly new at this, but we have
quite a few animals at this point.
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,
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producers like you, learning from
their experiences, and inspiring
each other to grow, and graze better.
Whether you're a seasoned
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This is the place for you.
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for 10 seconds about the farm.
It's getting a little warmer around here.
And I took Dan Frank's advice
on getting one of those twist
deals for your electro nets.
I don't even, I probably should
have looked up the right name,
but Premier One sells them.
I got it in.
I've only used it once, but I'm really
liking it just based upon that first use.
There's a couple things
I can do different.
Um, I did have a couple tingles get in
there, but I think I can solve those.
Um, so right now, very knee jerk.
I've used it one time.
I like it.
We'll see how it goes.
For 10 seconds about the podcast.
I have to apologize a little bit.
Today we're recording with Daniel
and Mandie and whenever we record a
couple and they share a mic, sometimes
it's difficult to keep that volume
the right level for both of them.
So you'll notice a little bit later it's
not quite as good as we'd like, but I
really enjoy and I hope you enjoy whenever
we get a husband, wife team on here, or
mult or partners on here, it gives us a
better insight into what they're doing.
So I'm really glad they
were able to join us.
And uh, if you'll just bear
with us a little bit of audio.
Could be better.
I don't think it's terrible,
but it could be better.
Anyway, let's get back
to Daniel and Mandie.
Cal: Growing up, did y'all
grow up on a farm or how'd you
get interested in agriculture?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: No.
Well.
Both our grand grandparents and some
great-grandparents were in agriculture.
But for us, no, we did
not grow up in that.
You know, other than
like a backyard garden,
Cal: oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
or something like that, but
nothing as big as we do now.
The main reason why we got into
it was more related to health.
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: our
youngest daughter had a lot of health
issues growing up, and then my wife also
had a lot of health issues growing up.
And then later on, once I left
the Army, we started noticing
some of my health issues.
So, but a lot of it was trying grow on
our own food and be more self-sustaining
we wanted to know that we were doing
right by ourselves and by our body.
So, we, that was really kind of the,
the, the driving force behind it.
started getting into the, that's where
my research and my And then Mandie's
went a whole different direction than
what mine did for Well, we like to
say we're not, I wouldn't classify
as, as first generation farmers.
I would say we're just the
first generation in a long
line that has picked it back up
because it really skipped like a
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
a generation like our parents and our
grandparents you know, they grew up,
well, our grandparents grew up in ag
but then they didn't take that over.
Right.
So we're just the first gener
generation to go back to it.
Cal: yeah.
Returning
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
exactly.
We're returning to farming.
But we're, you know, some of those skills
were passed down, but a lot weren't.
So now it's like we're fresh in having
to learn, but we're going back to yes.
Where our family lineage started, right?
Where YouTube Universal comes in.
Cal: Which as you, as you think
about it, as I think about, and
I think back to my grandparents
farms they had, or if you go even
a lot of them weren't as specialized
conventional as today's farms are.
So actually skipping that portion
could be beneficial ways because.
you homestead, it's much more what,
what they did in the thirties,
than what people did in the seventies
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Exactly.
Yes.
Yeah.
Cal: So when you all decided to, to start
your farm, thinking about health reasons,
were you thinking just a homestead,
I'm going to do just enough product for
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Yes, yes.
That's where it started.
And then we finally kind of grew
into this commercial homestead.
It's what I jokingly call it which
is kind of, it's gotten bigger.
And as we kind of got bigger, we
were thinking, well, we can, you
know, support a few other families
support a few more families.
we got dairy cows realized how many
families we could actually support.
So, and then it just kind of
just kept growing from there.
And we just kept learning people's
needs and what they were wanting
areas that were lacking, for food sources
we just started filling in those
gaps the Yeah, his career ended.
Little earlier than we expected.
Yeah.
So his back and head
were like, we're done.
No, no more.
And so it kind of sent us into a little
bit of like, okay, what do we do now?
'cause that was a little bit
unexpected you know, three years
earlier than we had expected.
And so, you know, I just was
like, what do you wanna do now?
You know, and he was like.
I think I wanna go into farming.
I was like, okay, you know, let's do that.
Yeah.
He was like, I can't see myself
sitting at any desk, job anywhere.
He was like, I have to
be in, you know, motion.
And he was like, I just
love being outside.
And, you know, that's a huge,
that's a hard transition.
You know, when you go from
infantry, airborne, you know,
that adrenaline being outside.
I mean, he was literally
outside almost every day.
And he was like, I just
can't, I can't do it.
I can't sit behind a desk.
So it was literally like,
okay, what's the next dream?
What, what is next?
And he is like, I an alarm.
It was like, okay.
Love, let's do it.
You know, and he started working
on a farm locally to getting some
experience and like you said, YouTube
University and just really dove into it.
And we were already still
like, you know, I was a health
coach already at that point.
And so it was really hard in our local
area to find well produce we could find.
It was really hard to
Cal: yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
and source the meat that we wanted,
raised the way we had wanted.
You know, and that was just a gap in
our area that we did not have locally.
So it just kind of became, okay,
how do we fill that gap for us?
And that was where we got started.
It was like, okay, let's do this.
Let's learn as we go.
And it quickly, quickly grew and now
it's like there is a huge gap in the
market and we're able to fill that.
Cal: Two, two things on that.
First, are you all full-time on the farm?
Do you work off the farm at all?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
So he is full-time on the farm.
I am too, but I work from home
so I see clients, so I'm here.
But it's full-time for both of us.
I do mom and he goes, daddy,
you know, and then I work with
clients, but we're both fully here.
Sometimes, you know, if I'm on with
clients and he's gone to run an errand or
do drop offs and, you know, you see the
cow walk down the driveway out the window
and I'm like, hang on, I'll be right back.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: You know,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
You know, it makes working that second
job a little interesting, you know?
Mm-hmm.
It's like, I'm so sorry.
Hang on just a second.
I'll be right back.
Gotta go put the cow back.
Cal: Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
In fact, as my, my wife and daughter
ran they said, you got goats on are they
in the garden or just on the driveway?
Big difference.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yes.
A
very big difference.
Exactly, yes.
It's just something that
you learn on farming.
It is like, okay, let me
clarify where exactly are they?
So therefore are, is this a rush
or can it wait like 10 minutes or
Cal: Right.
If they're in the garden, I don't
want 'em to get another bite.
in the driveway, I'll,
I'll get 'em moved in
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: yeah.
They're just cleaning
up the driveway for you.
It's a little less grassy.
Have to cut.
It's, it's a matter of, do you,
do
I have time to put my actual boots
on to go outside or is this like,
we're going barefoot, let's go.
You know, running out the door,
we're the world famous Crocs.
Cal: Yeah.
Well, I, I don't have any Crocs now.
I've been told I should get some,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I, I, I still have a pair that want,
they're about as old as my hat actually.
Cal: Oh, yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Holes in everything.
He loves those cracks.
They still holes.
In fact my mother-in-law
tried to buy me some for I
for a birthday present.
I think it was a birthday
present or Christmas present.
I'm not sure what it was recently.
And they showed up and they
were like, three sizes too big.
And I was like, well,
this is perfect omen.
Like I can't throw these things away.
Like I have to keep 'em longer now.
Cal: oh yeah, exactly.
refuse to be replaced.
Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yep.
Cal: with with going to or
becoming that commercial homestead.
And, you know, while ago when, popped
to the segment, I said, I got two One of
them, I remember the second one fleeted
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: That's
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: how
it's, it's with the goats.
Cal: yeah, it's with the goats
so you, you'll never find it
down.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
exactly.
Cal: Yeah.
y'all got started on your homestead
and you landed in Georgia, is that an
area you all grew up in familiar with?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
yes, yes.
So we actually both grew up in
the same vicinity, both county
went to the same church, and we
kind of separated, not really.
We had different French groups.
And then I used to make a lot of trips
home, just kind of reconnected from there.
But yeah, we, we grew
up in the Georgia area.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And when we, we were stationed back here
in Georgia, down here at Fort Benning.
And it was nice after being gone, you
know, being back closer to our families.
And we actually
looked all over Georgia.
Like, we were, like, we knew we wanted
to San Georgia to be close to family.
We love our state.
And I, well at least the southeast, I
was like, I, we are southeastern people.
Like we can't leave to the southeast.
And.
You know, we were looking all over
Georgia, but that was also like
right as COVID was really ramping up.
And we really wanted to go to the
North Georgia Mountains and we made
a lot of trips up there, but the
market, we got priced out of the
market very quickly during that time.
And we couldn't find
property or a
house or, you know,
it's all those elements.
We couldn't find what we were
looking for that wasn't gonna
require a ton of input that where
we could just go and get started.
And that's really where we
were, what we were looking for.
So we looked for, gosh.
We were house hunting
for well over a year.
Yeah.
So, you know, and I, we joke because
he always said, when I get outta
the army, we'll build your dream
house, you know, and all this.
And we found this house it was built.
It's an old cabin.
It was built in the seventies, and I
was like, this is not my dream house.
But it was our dream property.
It was fully fenced.
We could, you know, literally move
in and literally start farming.
And that's what we wanted.
You know, it had all the things we
were looking for, you know, and we're
out in the country and we had a lot
of those storms and hurricanes here.
And, you know, we had like a
generator that was already installed.
We have well water, so we had a lake.
So it had all the, the key things
that we really wanted to operate
a farm you know, or our homestead.
And so we were like, okay,
checks all those other boxes.
We'll get to the house eventually.
And so that's how we
ended up staying here.
And we, we ended up being close to
Benning, which I think is great because we
still really wanted to stay connected to.
The military community that we have
been a part of for 17 years and
we're not too far from our family.
And so it's just, we've
lived all over the state.
So we can say like, just
picked a side, you know, we
Cal: yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
southeast Georgia and on the coast and
middle Georgia go a lot to North Georgia.
Now we're just on the west
side, so we're like, we're just
hitting all the key points in
Cal: Just Right.
a tour of
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
We can tell you all the great places,
but the great thing about Georgia
is, you know, we get our four seasons
and we actually saw snow this year.
We did actually see snow this
Cal: Oh, yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: you
know, because we get those four seasons,
but also, I mean, the summers are a
lot longer, so we have longer growing
seasons, which honestly makes farming,
in my opinion, easier, especially with
grazing livestock because our grasses.
Are in season a lot longer.
You know, we don't technically
start feeding hay until this year.
It was like December 1st, right?
December 1st.
Yeah.
So we only have to feed hay for,
you know, maybe three months out
of the year, you know, which makes
it a lot more economical for us.
You know, farmers, ranchers,
whatever you wanna say.
We're mostly, I guess, ranchers 'cause
we do animals, but, you know, grazing
animals makes it a lot more efficient
than, you know, if you're in a more
of a colder climate and you're reliant
on having to have that extra fee cost.
Cal: Yeah, V.
Very accurate Now, the great thing, you
found this location, it wasn't the dream
home, but it was the dream property.
Were you all able to get
livestock on day one?
And what were those livestock that
you all immediately gravitated
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Well
we, we started with chickens.
'cause we already had chickens.
Yeah.
We lived in the middle of Columbus
and chickens were a no no,
you're not allowed to have them.
But we still had chickens and
all, all our neighbors loved it.
'cause they, they, they got woken
up by the rooster and they loved.
Cal: Oh, yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
surprising.
But then they also got free eggs
and, you know, we, we did a lot
of bribing, but we started with
chickens and brought 'em out here.
And then we purchased probably
not the best purchase, but
we purchased Nigerian goats.
Cal: yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
first ones.
And we were told that
they weren't pregnant.
They needed to be sold because there was
a good chance that they were gonna get
bred by dad, who's also granddad that
Cal: yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: it
turned out they were already pregnant.
So we went from two goats to four
goats within a matter of like a month.
So it, it was, it was a big change for
us, but the, we, we ain't going back.
We would change that.
But yeah, those were the, those
are the livestocks we started with.
We got christened real fast very
Cal: Oh, yes.
And did you all milk those goats?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
we did.
Yes, we did.
We did milk, both we've, we've since
learned that we, we are not Nigerian door.
Goat people.
Mm-hmm.
They're, they're little,
they're little buttholes.
Yeah.
So
they
can be just, and trouble and for, you
know, we we're regenerative, so we rotate.
Mm-hmm.
And they do not respect or even
care about electric fencing.
Cal: Oh
yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
us, we have just determined that
that's not where we wanna be, though.
We did milk our goats.
We've transitioned, now we're starting
a newan herd for our milking herd.
And we have sold off our Nigerian dwarfs.
So the, the newan are
much friendlier, calmer.
They tend, they, they respect
the fencing a little more.
We won't say like fully, but
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: more.
Yeah.
They're still goats.
So
Cal: Yeah, they're, they're still goats,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
still goats.
I commend the goat people, man.
I sit here and I'm like.
People that love goats, I commend
them for that level of chaos and
crazy that they just love because
goats, goats are not my favorite.
I love my nes, but goats themselves
are not my favorite animal, but,
Cal: have to be touched a little bit in
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Cal: And I, I say that goats
are my favorite animal on
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
See, you're special.
Cal: I am, they have taught me new words.
have, they keep it exciting
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Mm-hmm.
Cal: and just whenever I think
I'm in a hurry, they tell so,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
I think from goats we
transitioned to, we beef cows.
Yeah, well, beef cows.
We got some beef cows and pigs and yeah.
And then we were like,
oh, this is going well.
And then he was like, I
really want a milk cow.
And I was like, you
really wanna a milk cow?
And he was like, yes, I do.
And I was like, you're gonna
milk this cow all the time.
And he was like, yes, absolutely.
And we got a milk cow.
She was a jersey and she was due
to give birth and we got her here.
And she had about a month
before she gave birth.
And so we were mm-hmm.
Prepping, learning all we could.
But she taught him a lot.
She, everything that she
wanted, learn from a hard cow.
She taught from the very beginning.
Cal: Oh yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: yeah.
Yeah.
But he was like, this is my
favorite thing in the world.
I love I love milking cows.
And that's where our farm took
a very different direction.
And, yeah, we went from
one milk cow eight.
So milking is his favorite thing.
So we every morning, every morning
Cal: So you're milking once a day?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: yes.
Once a day.
We, I only do once a day milking for them.
But we also cashier
that, so once a day is enough for them.
I, they don't, they don't
need twice a day for those.
We have a few that are that don't
have, we purchased from a local dairy
who'd already ca pulled the calf.
So they, there was no putting
the calf back at that point.
So, but we, we will continue
with the cap sharing and only
Cal: Let's, let's dive more into
the Dairy cow just a little bit.
My first question, it's kind of relates to
them, was the dairy products, the way you
really made that transition to commercial?
Is that where you saw the
Or was it more for meat
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I think it's a little bit of both.
I think the dairy was really
what kind of got us our name.
'Cause it wasn't as mu it,
it was a much higher need.
'cause there's only really other
one, one other person that sold
to this region and he's not, he's
not local and he's not local.
So, so he was having to travel two hours
to go to come up here and sell milk.
So, that transition, it
kind of got us our stuff.
And then from there we kind of
filled in some of the other gaps and
figured out what people were missing.
But raw milk was where we, or fresh milk
Cal: Do you think as you, you
think about your customer base,
is that kind of your lead item?
they're there for,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And it's interesting because the county
we settled in, it used to be one of the
biggest dairy producing counties Georgia.
Mm-hmm.
And they all were gone.
So we just say we're bringing
dairy back to the county.
That used to be one of the
biggest 'cause they're, that's it.
So we're just, we're just bringing it back
to how it used to be, you know, bringing,
bringing dairy back to our community.
So,
Cal: There.
There you go.
For merch, you need your farm logo
and on your syrup bringing dairy back.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Bringing dairy back.
Bring it back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That is our number one seller, though
raw, you know, we do fresh milk.
We're raw milk.
And you know, we're getting into you know,
poultry, that's a whole other topic about.
The state of Georgia, I'm sure, you
know, every state is very different on
their regulations and what's really hard
about being a producer of food these
days and how you get it to the consumer.
But you know, getting into poultry,
we've done pork, so we sell pork as well,
but dairy by far is what our customers,
you know, what our customer for.
Cal: Oh yeah.
Now, Daniel, on those dairy
cows, are you milking by hand?
You have a generated powered milker.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
No, no, I, I have a a, a a
manual or a machine milker yeah.
I cannot milk those, all
those cows at one time.
Some, some of them wouldn't actually
care to be hand milked at all.
But yeah, no, we, we, we
do the machine milk ink.
It's what we do.
Just milk two at a time
and milk two at a time.
Yeah.
So
Cal: oh, yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
way, it goes a little faster.
And in my opinion, when you're milking
with a machine straight to a bucket.
Especially if I wanna sell to
Cal: Well, yes.
And time yeah.
My, my grandparents dared,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Mm-hmm.
Cal: I forget what year it was.
It was in the early fifties and power got
knocked out to and they were out of power.
I forget how long but, and they were
milking, cows, So power was out, cows had
to be started grandpa, and, my mom and her
siblings were so I don't and grandpa says
partway through, grandma got kicked and
went to the house, said, no more of this.
He says, we didn't even finish right.
It was time for the second milking.
We hadn't got everyone milk.
He says He went and bought a generator.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah,
Cal: He's like, yeah, there's
no way I get 'em all done.
Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Cal: With your, your dairy and
just focus on that a little bit
in Georgia, what did you have to
do to be able to sell raw milk?
Do they have to inspect
the barn or anything?
Or you just able to milk and market
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: So we
sell under a pet license here in Georgia,
Cal: Oh, okay.
Under a pet
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
mm-hmm.
Yep.
And, we market not for human consumption.
Raw, you know, they did.
Legalize the sale of raw milk
last July here in Georgia.
And, but you have to meet all
the regulations to do that.
You know, your barn has
to be a certain way.
It does have to be inspected.
You know, we do hope to turn our
barn into a full milking barn
that would meet those regulations.
But, you know, for us, if we were
to go that route, you know, we open
our farm up to the whims of the
political environment, so to speak.
And we don't know that
we're really gonna do that.
However.
We are working to become raw
Meat certified, which has nothing
to do with the government.
It's the Raw Milk Institute.
So we are working to get to where
we can be certified through them
you know, by following their
processes, which does include, you
know, testing the milk regularly
which we will be able to do at home.
We'd have a home testing area
and our barn would meet certain
requirements things like that.
But their, their standard
is actually higher
poor human
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
The main, issue we run into
the, the healthy side of them.
George is still trying to figure
out exactly how to provide a
good, healthy environment for the
animals So in order for them to
do that, there's a, there they.
They a little bit of overreach Normally
with Grade A milk, is pasteurized,
it gets put on the shelf so they can
just, they don't really worry about
the environment of the cow as much.
Once again into, into raw milk.
They really got involved with the
environment of the cow and then
it kind of got added into a bit
more of well, how do we test this?
How do we figure out how to do it?
Right?
And they haven't quite figured
their testing out yet to be able
to figure, to make it so it's less
intrusive for the farmer but safe
for the consumer at the moment.
So once they kind of
figure that out, maybe we
that that licensing.
Yeah.
Cal: Yeah, I, I think back when
we, we had a grade a dairy, the,
the rules and regulations I don't
wanna say overkill, but for someone
milking a few cows, it non-practical.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Cal: It, it's not feasible and
the things they worried about.
Yeah.
It, it had nothing to
do with cow how we're
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Our, our biggest issue we ran into
is, one of the issues we ran into is,
is that they, they do bulk testing
and then like certain states like
California and a couple others, they've
been doing the raw milk for a while.
If the milk comes back testing
positive for something that then the
address is going back problem is.
So if it's something having to do with
cleanliness, then it's a check on the
environment and figure out what's wrong
with If it's something that's a testing
based off of the cow, then each individual
cow is then requested to be tested.
Instead of George, you test each
cow and you have to turn in your
records to be tested like that.
But the state would then, in
California, they may shut you down
for a short period of time, and then
you can go back into being tested.
Individual cows, figure out where
the cow is, remove that cow from
the, the cycle, You're milking state
of Georgia, they shut you down.
You pretty much are suspended and you
could be suspended indefinitely if
they deem So, because they haven't
quite figured out their processes,
that's why we decided, hey, we're
just gonna, we're gonna wait off a so.
Cal: And, and I think that makes sense.
You know, the, the government for
the government got involved with
chicken house litter here in Oklahoma.
we at the time had chicken And the first,
first introduced bills were just a knee
jerk reaction, not feasibly sustainable.
It was gonna cost a whole lot of money
and, and eventually some cooler heads, you
know, some common sense played into that.
So it's not as bad as
originally but it, it, takes
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
it takes time
Cal: and we have so
many people that's not.
Connected directly the knowledge
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
And we try really hard with our
customer base to show our process.
You
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
this is what we do to clean our cows.
This is how they look.
This is our facility looks like,
yeah, this is where we milk.
This is how we filter.
This is how we produce your product.
You know, so we want people
to be connected to, you know,
where their food comes from.
Mm-hmm.
And show our process and be as transparent
as we, we possibly can be to really
drive that connection with our community.
It also, it leads back to
educational side, which is one of
the bigger educating the to where
food comes from and how it comes
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: so
then when, when you run into situations
like old bird the world's coming to an
end because of bird flu, some folks,
if they've, if they're connected with
a farmer, they can kind of like how
detrimental to their food system or
Cal: Oh yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
the whole thing is and how
politicized it might be.
So it's, it, that's where, you know,
letting people be involved with the raw
milk and how it's created and it helps
us to kind of educate those around us so
that, who knows, maybe we're educating
the next politician's at the, at the
state of Georgia that's gonna be like,
Hey, you know, I've seen this before.
Let me, let me add a few changes you know,
there's small changes here and there.
It's best we can do.
Cal: now you mentioned I think I
saw in one of your, Facebook posts
or Instagram posts that you all do
have some education opportunities.
You'll go talk to What
does that look like?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Well, we're ho We've held
a few classes on the farm.
Daniel loves to teach.
He's a natural, I think
he's such a natural audit.
He loves to teach and educate.
So last year we did a Turkey would
you call it a butchering class?
Yeah, a processing class.
Processing class,
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
you wanna call.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, we had, you know, people come
and, you know, he taught them through
the process, like start to finish.
How you
You know, our goal would be to
get back into the schools you
know, and start from there.
Again, it's kind of sad 'cause in
our area it's like you have a bunch
of rural counties and they have,
you know, four H and they have FFA
but then in the big city, I guess
there is no program for that anymore.
So our goal would be to help.
Get back into the schools and, more
and get people more into agriculture.
But yes, he's given gosh, he did
what that synopsis earlier this year.
Yeah, I did.
I did a we, we had a, a
local botanical gardens.
They did a, sustainable agriculture,
sustainable living type of deal
where they had a come out and some
Cal: Oh
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
are, do different things so they can
kind of help to teach the community on
how they can start being sustainable
what they can do just in their so I went
out and did speaker for that and kind of
told our story of how we came we're at.
And it was, it was amazing because
I honestly thought that I had
ruined it because I was, I had, I
had practiced and done everything,
but it just didn't feel right.
the end it was like so many Of people
wanting to know the information
that I already had, that just day to
day agricultural And that's kind of
where us getting back into for us.
It's not necessarily maybe to, to
groom the next farmer the next time
around, you know, who knows what the
that person's gonna do, but at least
maybe educate them as to what, when
they go to a store to buy a certain
type of food, what they're buying.
Like what goes into that process of
that person, getting them, I purchase
this egg, how old is this they came
from buy, farm fresh and old and at
the most, got Wonderful folks who's
just gonna put money back into And
it's just kind of understanding the,
the whole niche what farming does to
a community and why it's so important.
And it's not just there because
what they does for the whole drive
a And we used to be that way.
We're not now.
Yeah.
We, you know, I think something that
we really would've benefited from was
having the help of other farmers that,
you know, were more generational, right?
Oh, they've been in this in a long time.
And that, I think that's
definitely missing these days
is there's, there's a gap there.
A little bit of, you know, you're either.
Like us where you're going back
to it or you're just starting out.
And those that have been doing it for
a long time, they just are in their
own bubble anymore and you've got this
phasing out and it's really hard to
get that connection and hey, we're
willing to learn, you know, help us.
But I think there's this disconnect there.
So that's something we definitely want
to encourage others that are interested.
You know, a lot of exiting military want
to start their own homesteads, and so
we're always like, Hey, yeah, come out.
We would love to go through, you know,
what we did, what we wouldn't do again.
Mm-hmm.
What we've learned you know,
likes and help them like goats.
Cal: Yeah.
Well, two, two things there.
Font one, we gotta plug The Grazing
Grass When I envision the Grazing
Grass it's somewhere someone can go
and say, Hey, here's a farm doing what
And, let's contact them and see if we
relationship it's still early days on the
Grazing Grass anyone who has a farm who
may be interested in helping list your
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Okay.
Cal: it's gonna take time to get
it built up, and there's other
resources out there, but that, that's
one close, and I hope that helps.
The second thing you mentioned that
transition from military into farming.
Let's talk about y'all's
transition, and that's going to be
our overgrazing topic for today.
how that went
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danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Well,
well, for one, I, my retirement happened
so there really wasn't a retirement.
know, you dream about these
things, you plan all these stuff.
You're like, Hey, my last year in
the military is gonna be great.
I'm gonna go to sit down.
I'm gonna go through all these
classes, and they're gonna set
me up for my future because, you
know, I've, I've devoted my time.
And then of course when I leaving
the military after being medically
and I wasn't prepared for that.
But you know, you're going to clear a,
clear a building and you're supposed
to go to that particular building and
see this wonderful person who, that's
their whole purpose in life is to
tell you why they exist and have their
signature on a piece of paper saying
that you have come to them and you are
now let, ready to leave And there's a
sign up that says, call this number.
And then you call them and they're
working from home and they're
like, Hey yeah, just put JBS on
there and I'll let 'em know that you're
So, so it's like normally you would get.
transition classes, like
they would help you, you know, transition.
And that was during COVID
and there was none of that.
No.
So we didn't get any of that.
So our transition, I would
say was very, very rocky.
Also, we went from him
working all the time
to being at home.
And that was a huge family transition.
I was like, oh my gosh, you were driving
cruising.
You know, it's like, which, you know,
different roles, different lifestyle,
you know, it's like we have, you know,
the girls and I, we have a system of how
we survive, how we thrive, you know, and
here's this person that's like, he's used
to
The
adrenaline, he's used
to being busy, and now
he's at home and I'm like,
you're messing
up the system.
They're like, we love you.
Yeah.
We love having you home.
So, so, but fall in line, you know?
So I needed
Cal: Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I had to have something specific
to keep me occupied and busy.
So, I had taken a, a permaculture
class through and I started
putting some of that into practice
in our little house in Columbus
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: and
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Some hoals and couple other, like
raised beds and things like that.
And then we got
chickens then just kept me occupied,
I mean, building chicken
houses
and he was digging holes.
Yeah.
And putting stuff in the dirt,
new, dirt in and trying to figure
out how to make things grow.
And it, it, it really, really was.
I
like very important to have
that
Thing that
was mine.
And most importantly, I was able to turn
around and start to see how that was
affecting around me.
The guy across the street from us moved
in and he saw who we were doing and
he was like, Hey, how do I do this?
And I was like, Hey, let me show you
like this is, these are some things
I should have done the first time.
Let me help you to make sure
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: time.
And then the people that
lived across from us, they started doing
the same thing and then they started
asking questions and they started, you
know, getting our
extra produce and
that.
And,
and then they would grow
what we didn't grow.
Exactly.
And then we swap back and forth.
Cal: yeah,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
you know, then he got, you
know, a job working part-time.
At another local farm, and that was great.
The hardest transition was we literally
closed on our farm in November of 2021.
We all got COVID,
like
right as we closed on our house.
Like that
day, like everybody
was started dropping.
But then in January he started having
seizures
and he could no longer operate the
machinery safely at the other farm or be
around that level or number of livestock.
It just wasn't a safe situation.
So he ended up losing
that job and well had
to quit,
you know, that job.
And he started having
multiple times a
day and that was really hard.
I you know, that would just compound
it on that transition of what was
already hard leaving the military
and trying to find a new, purpose,
you can call it that.
A
new purpose.
Yeah.
You know, a new way to serve and, 'cause
he's very much, he has a servant's heart.
He just wants to, to serve.
And I think that was really hard.
And then it
was
like,
now what do we do
You know, here we had all these animals.
And so I think one of our
biggest.
I think that was the hardest
part is seeing, it was like
he started
having these
seizures It was like,
we thought we had many, many years.
So he has, you know,
multiple traumatic brain
injuries
and, you know, they always
said later down the line,
you, they,
we fully expect you to
start having seizures.
And it was like, not even a year after
exiting the military, and it
was like,
bam.
Now we started to have seizures and it
was like,
it feels like the rug was
just pulled out from running.
You know, it's like,
here we thought we had
like
so much time and everything was good.
And so it was just tr
trying to figure out like.
How do
we do this?
How
do we move forward we're at?
And, thankfully we've gotten
the seizures figured out.
A lot of it is To diet, to diet
so that was, you know, our biggest thing.
And I think, you know, for me, you
know, one of the hardest parts was
we're we were just trying to figure
out how we operate as a family,
again, all in the same spot to,
you know,
almost not like just, I won't say like a
mental health decline, but like despair
for you of like, what do I do now?
Like, or.
You know, again, kind
of like the rugs pulled
out from
under you.
And I would say, and I think he'll
say this too, he says all the time
the animals like, saved him, gave
him, you know, not that his family
is not purpose, the whole purpose.
Right?
It
Cal: right.
But
I
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
working with the animals
really, in
essence Mm-hmm.
So us having our farm
really
was able to ground him
back and give him purpose.
And it gave us time to
really figure out our
systems.
And
I think that's kind of what sets us apart
too, is that everything we do on our farm,
every decision we make, there's an extra
element that maybe other farmers wouldn't
do because
it's always of, hey, if
his bat goes out, which it
does, and he's down
for weeks at a time, or,
you know, he's having
an like
a season of seizures, you know.
The girls and I have to be
able to operate this farm.
So, you know, where we rely on, you know,
his strength sometimes, you know, in
every decision we make, we have to go,
can the girls and
I physically
be able to you know, and the machinery
that we get, which we don't operate off
any machinery
and you know, we're hoping to get a
tractor, but a walk behind tractor.
They're really big in Europe.
We're
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: on
Cal: yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
we're, we're on small acreage, right?
And so, and we do rotationally graze
and we wanna be able to get into
our paddocks and a big tractor is
just not really feasible for that.
So, you know, even looking at
the machinery or any equipment that
we get, can the girls and I
physically be able to operate this?
Are our systems in place
enough that it's easy
for someone
to come on and help us or
the girls and I can do it.
So there's that extra
added layer of, you know.
Is this doable?
If
he is down,
you know?
And I think that's important.
I think that's something
that
a lot of veterans don't talk about
too, You is, you know.
I, this is, Superman here.
He thinks he is gonna last forever.
I will.
Cal: Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: will.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
You know, and I, so just making
those adjustments for us on the farm.
So it's never like a quick
decision for us for anything.
It's always
like, okay, let's think about
this from every angle.
Am I gonna be able to lift that?
Are we gonna be able to do that
with what we have available?
You know, can we take care of this animal?
So there's that extra added element.
Element.
But I think that's what makes
it great being small, is we can
make those decisions easy more easily.
You know, because we're not as
reliant on heavy machinery, but.
Heavy machinery would
make certain things
easier, but that's not where we're at.
Cal: Right.
yeah.
As you think about your transition
and you think about others
going through that what's your
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: I
would, I would recommend anybody to get
into some type of forming of some sort,
whether that be a homestead, whether that
just be a simple backyard guarding or just
size I think the biggest part about it
for me, and that I've seen from other you
have
to have something to you know, we, we, we
all have that dream of like, we're gonna
retire and I'm gonna sit on the back porch
and
be, be comfortable with life and so forth.
But
it, it, depending on your job
in the military depends on
what that's gonna look like for me I.
With the, the job that I did
prior to that, I, it just wasn't
possible for me to have, stop.
It just, it can't do that.
Working for certain civilian in a
civilian world, just, it was very doable.
I was very capable of doing that, but
it really wasn't what I was You know,
you're kind of, you're, you're kind of
that retirement mindset where retired.
for myself.
and do the things that I want to do.
So you don't really get
into the best mindset when
from there you go into, I can't just sit
at the house and So for me specifically,
and I think most veterans enjoy that,
is giving that themself a purpose,
but yet you're working for yourself.
And then your financial will
to put into depends on the size
if you don't wanna in, you
probably wanna chickens.
Don't go big like we did.
Cal: it, and you know, chickens, the
garden, those are great places for
not only veterans, but anyone who
wants to be more health conscious,
more wanna work towards that
homestead or even a bigger farm.
place to are
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
yeah, yeah, And find what,
and find what you love and
be okay to say, I don't
love this.
You know, just like for us,
we don't love Nigerian
and you know, we love
Cal: And that's okay.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: love,
but we didn't love what came with them.
So, you know, being
able to say, okay, this
isn't serving us, this isn't working for
us anymore.
It's just like we, we bred pigs this
past year and it was great in theory
until they all dropped at the same time.
We went from four pigs to no
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: pigs,
Cal: oh,
yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
quickly, matter of month.
And you know, and then it was like, and
then it was just like, so time consuming.
And it was, for us, it was
a realization of like our
Form
of farming.
You know,
rotational, regenerative
did not work well for breeding.
And so that was a massive learning curve.
And that
was,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: that was some,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
you know,
people say, you know, I guess there's
always jokes about the things you
say when you're working cattle.
Mm-hmm.
The things you say when you're working
is what we say right here, you know,
so cattle, love cows, cattles are easy.
Yeah.
You know, we, we can handle that.
The pigs.
Yeah, working pigs at a family
that, that was a character sure.
But, but I think
Cal: I am sure.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
to tie back
to the veteran side
of it for understanding that
is that
like for us, like growing
and learning the things
that we can and can't do, that's
just the mindset You you, you
don't want to ever give up.
You can't give up.
That's just not really in our
Cal: Right.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
But then on the other end of that,
you also know your limits of when you
can and can't so you're gonna give
it the absolute hardest try and at
the end know exactly what you can and
and move on to the next thing.
But I think it's the logistical side
of it and the fact that I can put so
much time and figuring out a problem
it just gives me something veterans
it's just keeping that mind active
and not back to the things that you
may or may have done in your past.
And that's a, an important
thing to some veterans.
Be you just have a purpose and
something that's, I, that's the
reason why I would say farming and
agriculture
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: is probably the
most important thing for veterans to get.
Cal: and I know
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
hours.
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
When, when, when you start hearing
chickens screaming at two o'clock
in the morning and you're like,
okay, well I've done this before.
Let me go take care of this problem.
And, you know, you're going outside
and there's, there's chaos from
a coyote or a fox trying to get
into your hen house, you know, so.
Cal: I know you mentioned in your journey
YouTube was really beneficial for you.
What are some other resources that
you found useful, or, and we'll cover
some of this in the famous four, but
where should veterans who's looking
at this transition look to help 'em
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: So
YouTube University, that's, I call it
Justin Rhodes kind of gave it that name,
at least I believe that came from him.
It, it, so the reason why I say
YouTube is mostly, and, and there
are other, other resources and I'll
get to those, but one of the biggest
things that I enjoyed in the military
was having a somebody who I can learn
from who's done this before, who's
done it wrong, has done it right.
So finding those, those mentors, and
in my case, finding folks like Justin
Rose and Jill Saladin through a slew
of and of folks on YouTube that I
can And then from there it kind of
builds into other I like reading.
That's always been my thing.
So I've, I've got a slew of
different books that I get from,
and I try and find different
they have series of You're not
just picking only cover one
Cal: yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
and then you can find resources in local
colleges and things like that.
But
for me, I found that I could get
those resources at my disposal so,
I think the other other thing we had
definitely went with was, aI has been a
that's kind of a voodoo thing for some
folks, but it's really helped us along
the line of finding specific resources
that we would like, that we can go of.
So if I'm looking for, in this case, dairy
do a feed for dairy me and Grock would
sit down and have a lifelong conversation
about dairy feed and I know exactly
what questions I want can ask, follow on
So that's also a
big resource for us to kind
of break down some of the
learning curve a little faster.
And then the other one you can definitely
find is finding other, other veterans
or other folks that have been even if
it's not exactly the farming you I, I
was lucky enough to go to regenerative
farm, but they still didn't quite
follow all the practices that I so, but
going to work for them, even if it was
just a small paycheck, it's, it's very
beneficial to local farmer, but it's also
very 'cause me, I was pulling retirement
so money was not necessarily
going to it even though it
was nice to get a paycheck for
your time.
It was more the knowledge base.
So,
and in this case, a local farmer didn't
have to lot
of money to,
to get a hardworking person
that's just there to so
those are other, those are some of the
bigger resources that I've used over
years.
Well, and the biggest resource that we
have now for dairy is reverence Farms.
Yes.
Their stockholders
Cal: Oh, yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Love the caramels learned
a lot from them and we.
We have all their resources
and they are a huge help and a
huge
resource for us.
And we've, I think we've
learned the most from them.
Mm-hmm.
Especially regarding dairy.
And they've been very active
and they're great mentors to
have in your back pocket them.
And something that he touched
on is the military now has a
program called the Skill Bridge
Program.
And we are hoping, hoping, we hope
to be part of that,
to partner with them this fall.
But essentially it helps
veterans transition
to the workforce.
And
so you can, companies
can partner
and basically
what it does is they provide.
They're still paying the paycheck of
the service member, the military is.
But they can go and intern
in a sense
at, in whatever field they're interested
in at these corporations and they
can learn and gain those skills
so that way when their separation
time does come, they can go field
of expertise that they've gained.
And we're hoping to partner with them.
It's a brand new program only in
the last two or three years, years.
So, you know, we need more farms on
there 'cause there's none in Georgia.
Yeah.
There's only a handful across the
country, you know, but to give veterans
that time and that skill so they can
go and learn and they're not just like.
As soon as they're out,
just out there free filling.
Okay, I'm gonna figure this out.
So I think that's a great resource and
we need more farmers to sign up for
that program to help, you know, other
veterans gain those skills so they can.
And we're also hoping that we might
be able to to help maybe some of
these resources doesn't necessarily
have to career, but maybe to a new
Cal: Oh
yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
case, maybe for, for coming for us,
if we're part of this program, we may
get a veteran that comes outta here.
They just wanna learn the basics
of understanding farming so they
can go back at or just go to make
a transition outta the military
into something that they may or
may and I think that would be
really important to have that
program across the board for all of 'em.
And I think that's something Skill
Bridge program should definitely find
as many local
farmers as they possibly can
and just put them to work.
Most of 'em are gonna be working
for veterans anyways, and some of us
may not necessarily have background.
They can build a set of program
up that's gonna be like, teach
these folks do a specific thing.
But at the same time, most of these
veterans, especially me, we learn by fire.
Like it's, Hey, put me to work.
I'm either gonna get it right or I'm
gonna get it wrong, and if I get it
wrong, I'm not gonna get it wrong again.
Maybe not, not as badly as
Cal: Right, right.
Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: time.
But you know, you're definitely gonna
learn something from the process.
So I think it, you know, even if you don't
get involved with Skill Bridge, it's just
getting involved with a farmer and just
going out there it, it, it definitely
Cal: Yeah, I, I could see how that
tremendous I have a couple more
questions, not necessarily concerning
the transition, but to famous force.
So do you have anything else you'd
like to add about that Okay, so, so two
things I wanna loop all the way back
to the beginning, and if you follow the
podcast, you know, I'm terrible about You
know, the, the question doesn't come up
then, but later my mind's working in the
background and it's like, oh yeah, you
should ask You, you talked about health
being a driving and the way you all take
care of your So are you all grass based?
Do you all go beyond grass based are.
Soy GMO free.
Where do you all fall on
that spectrum of what you
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: So
most of our roommate animals are on a
grass diet now, gra dairy cows and dairy
ruminants are a little bit different.
You know, you, you can't just
throw 'em out there on a bahe grass
Bermuda and expect them to be big
producers or even to just live.
So.
We do our best to supplement
other types of grasses into their
diets to kind of help build that.
So in our case I use like chaff hay,
which is it's an alfalfa hay that's been,
the chaff has cuts and things like that.
Fermented has been
cleaned out and then it's
fermented.
And we either get, there's two
different versions that I use.
Ones that of fermented ferment
announced apple cider one's fermented
Cal: Oh, okay.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
which allows it to be a high
energy producer for the molasses
side or just simply a very good
balance for so that way they can
build a help, produce what they need,
they're getting the nutrients they
to be able to keep our business
going for one, but also to make sure
that it's nutrient dense as too.
When it comes to our poultry
and our swine we do a non GMO,
Cal: Oh
yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: diet.
Our pigs are on pasture which is a
little different than most places.
Most people had to put 'em in the woods
let 'em root around and stuff like
that.
And it works great,
you know, if you're trying
to build sobo pastures like that.
But in our case, we already have the
pastures but.
I want them to be out
eating
things that they would typically
eat in nature, and then we would
supplement from there anything that
they can't possibly and so ours, they get
all the grass, all the bahe the, seeds.
But what's really good about them is
sometimes you, you can't get as much
rotation going on as you would like.
So you, there's certain areas that the
cows just don't get to, so it gets a The,
the pigs love it.
They can eat the seeds, they tear it up.
They, they, they end up knocking down
soil of the grass, things like that.
And then occasionally they
do turn over the soil.
And our case, we just kind of
find a balance of where to put.
So, I didn't want to have the, the
pigs in a small space for too long.
'cause then they, they really do make
but then finding a large enough space
that they're still gonna root, they're
still gonna move the, the soil around
and,
and, but they're still gonna
mostly eat grasses and not
really tear the pastures up.
The positive to the
having them do the rooting
interrupts the so the grasses and
things like that, they're gonna grow.
And if they've got a huge boost of energy
in this case, you know, grass is knocked
over, fecal matter, things like that,
it can actually increase the parasite
load so it needs to be broken up and
that cycle needs to be changed a good
bit.
And that's where the pigs come into And
then along the same, same thing with the
chickens.
The chickens do the same thing.
they they'll eat the grasses a little
bit here and there, but they're not
really picky about Those, they're mostly
after the, the, the fly, the larvae,
the, bugs things like that.
And they keep the pasture under for the
pest.
But along with that, we also do a non
soy feed for them.
And it gets a little rough in the
summertime, so it kind of gets a
little bit tricky and I, there's
a lot of things we've had to learn
with trying to keep our chickens
summertime, especially in the southeast
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: in the heat.
But the heat and the
humidity, it gets really bad
and they just stop laying.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
So we, and it's, it's hard to
source feed too because Yeah.
I don't know if it's the same out there.
Probably probably bigger out there,
but corn is everywhere down here,
and so all the feeds contain corn.
And that's really hard to source
non GMO feed, but that's where
the community comes into place.
So we try and find some places that are.
They're gonna produce
that.
We found as close to local as
we possibly can get for feed
that they produce type of
food, and they use the type
of want supplement and then we try our
best not to add any type of grain into our
but you know, the biggest thing is that
you have to understand where the balance
So dairy cows, because they're, they're,
they're special animals love 'em to death,
but their nutrient requirement high.
So it's just an understanding
like, are you producing enough
groceries for them to eat or not
produce enough groceries for them?
Do I need to
add
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
anything to their
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
And so, so far we've done pretty good.
We've not had to add any type of grain
our, diets for our cows to improve on.
And I'm not, I'm not opposing grain.
I'm not saying that grain is bad.
I mean, obviously we use grain for our
pigs our but the, the main reason why we
try our best not to get into grain and try
and keep them
grazing is one, is it's really
good for the soil the soil, which
then improves for the animals.
you know, getting the minerals back in
provide for themselves through them.
But the biggest thing about it is
understanding the immune system
of a cow
and how that works.
And I think the biggest
misconception that folks run into is
that,
you know, I, I'm, I give my cow
all this gear grain, they're gonna
get big, they're gonna get fat,
I'm gonna make lots of money.
But what they're missing out
of it is understanding that
when a cow is on a high grain
diet, it becomes, it's ru
it becomes extremely acidic.
And then of course in an
acidic environment, most
things are not gonna survive.
So all the really good stuff,
the vitamins, the the good
fats and things like that
are gonna get devoured
because they can't survive
in that super acidic region.
And then of course, from there, when
you're doing a highly cranked diet,
though, it's good, it can be good
for dairy not necessarily as great
for beef cows because at that point
they're gonna end up growing fat
because your body wants to store the
all the extra stuff that you're getting.
Or if you've not giving it, and then
you all of a sudden giving it to them.
In some cases, like you,
you're you get cows, on pasture
getting green grass on a food
line.
so
much fat, they're gonna
store all that as fat.
And
so the
idea is, is slow.
is not quick.
And, and that's
just, that's, you know, it
takes discipline regard.
But is to make sure the cow
is getting the most nutrient
dense things that it can have.
And
it'll eventually get to the point where
it's gonna provide what but I know that
at the end product, it
is going to be something
that I can
that is
gonna be perfect for the
consumer so that's kind of our,
our
take on grain.
And I'm sure you guys probably, you
know, probably know raising an annual,
so, so cows for instance, solely on
pasture, takes longer to finish them
that way than if you are supplementing.
it's a long game.
It's not a quick game.
So we have people all the time
going, do you guys have beef yet?
Is it ready?
And we're like, not yet, you
know, because it takes, it takes.
On average a year longer for us to
fully finish them to solely on grass.
So it's, it's a long game.
Cows are a long game.
It's not a quick game
for sure.
But, but the good thing is,
is if if
you stick it out and you're in it for a
long enough time in our case, like
we're, we're coming
up on
you, you eventually
start to build your
herd to the point.
that continuously have some
type of something for them.
And it, it,
this is where folks
get annoyed and they start
trying to little quicker.
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
like, Hey,
I can make $7,000 or $20,000 off
of accounts if I just go purchase hurry
up.
But, being
time and breeding in the genetics
we want because Yes, absolutely.
Genetics are a
huge part that we've,
that we've learned mm-hmm.
Is, you know, to really raise
a cow that can thrive well.
On grass
and finish
well on grass.
I mean that there's a lot to
that and genetics and choosing
your breed appropriately.
Down here, I, I'm gonna
assume Oklahoma is a subway.
It's pretty much straight Angus.
That's pretty true here.
In the south, you know, you, everybody's
got black or red Angus which are
great, but they don't thrive well
in our very hot, very humid climate.
Well, I mean, they do because they produce
that, but you know, they finish well
if but we chose for our beef herd, we
chose British whites, which are not, you
know, a very well known breed right now.
But they thrive really well on grass.
Only they thrive really
well in this environment.
They heat and grow well.
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
because they're lighter, they're white,
they do well in our more southern climate.
Yep.
The, the, the biggest issue
that folks is that they, they're not like
full
graziers, they, they,
get up in the morning, it's
nice and cool, or throughout the
evening time they graze them.
But as soon as that
sun hits about 10, 11 o'clock,
even when their white
coat, they're, they're, they're finding
as much shade as they can possibly have.
And they just lay there all day.
'Cause
they're happy and
they're, they're not
in a rush just like me.
Yeah.
Cal: yeah.
The British whites look really nice.
I've got a neighbor
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Oh, okay.
Cal: I really like the looks
I do wonder how much she feeds
hers, but I, I've seen them thrive
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Yeah.
We're hoping to, they
used to be a dual purpose
cow,
so they used to be milkers as well.
They were like the
cow.
And
here in the US we've
kind of bred that out.
They're more cow.
But we have bred some of ours, some
of our jerseys with a British white.
And so we're hoping to see how that
turns out if we can bring back some of
those milking genetics in this sense, you
know, gen genetic modification that was
actually intended genetic modification,
like natural genetic modification.
Yeah.
We're, we're gonna
explore those adventures.
Not, not the, you know, I'll see
if I can make this cow fat or
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
because stuff it with
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
something.
Yeah.
But yeah, we're, we're curious to see if
we can get a good a pretty decent producer
Mixing, mixing Jersey and British White
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
even, if I can't get it right, where
it's a milking at least if I can get it
right where they're producing more milk
so happy.
Just 'cause they can get that
higher dense, more nutrient can
get from a jersey with a higher fat
count content than I would
get from a British
white, But
more.
Quantity for the babies
that to, to live off.
I, I would, I would just thrilled.
And let's face choosing animals
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: for the farm,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
have to be
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
pretty and cute.
That's
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
finger up, that's, I was gonna get.
That's the compromise.
Right?
It's gotta be aesthetically pleasing
for the wife to look at every day.
Yes.
Cal: Well, so my wife does not
like the, I'd love to zebu, just,
just outta curiosity, thinks
they're ugly, so that's not
like the miniature herefords too.
Of course, the miniature, now the
miniature Herefords look like, I think
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Cal: she doesn't like the
look of harfords either.
So those are a no,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Yep.
It's, it's called Compromise in marriage.
Yeah, exactly.
Cal: it, it is.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: yeah.
Cal: One.
One more question before we hit the
famous four, and that's your Where did you
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Still a
topic of, so discussion.
Cal: Yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
so I think that's like,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: like,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I think that was one of the hardest
things.
Yeah.
Just coming up with the name,
Um, because
like.
we wanted something that
wasn't our family name.
We didn't want our name in that.
We wanted it something that wasn't
necessarily location based so that
if we ever did grow or expand, you
know, that could go with us if we had
to move.
And
yeah, that
just made it really hard.
And of course
I would come up with Nays
and he'd be like, no.
I think the other thing is,
is we're a house of girls, so
he's outnumbered over here.
And so we also wanted something
Cal: Yeah.
Don't take a
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
No, no, no, no.
Well, you know, we wanted it
to be something that could
grow and we could branch out
into
other, so we didn't wanna be
like cattle company or, you know,
something, you know.
livestock
specific.
And we wanted to be able to
branch out into other areas.
And I wanted it to be somewhat
masculine.
' cause I was like, you know, can't we, we,
gotta give him something.
I'm, I'm outnumbered all the way
around, not just in the household.
Like, I think there's, like, you, we
have a bull, there's, there's like two
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: boys
Cal: yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
herd of cows that are out there.
And even, even when the calfs drop,
I'll still, we would be well outnumbered
those cows go to the processor.
So like, yeah.
But we, we came up with this name and
we were like, oh, we really like that.
We really like, you know,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: humor.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
like things to be catchy, you know, I
like simplicity and like, Hey, perch
and pasture.
What I didn't realize though, when we
did it was that he was gonna shorten it.
Well, in, in fairness, I went
to open a bank account and the
bank that we were using said they
couldn't put perch and pasture
On the, the BS on the card, credit So
they said, can we put
Ppco?
And I said, absolutely.
She didn't know
this had happened until we
got the new credit card in and
it said Ppco.
So now when we go sign for anything
at, well
it's local food store 'cause you
know, I try and keep everything
local can and the local food
store up there we have to sign
the book for showing tax
exemption in tax instead of So it
slowly turned into Perch and Pasture co
being put on there to now Ppco.
And so now when I go up there,
because they know this,
the issue between the
two of
us.
Cal: Oh, yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: we
go up there, go buy feed, it's generally
a fight of who's going to check me out.
'cause one of them wants
to put Pee PCO in the book,
I'm gonna rebrand, but now it's too late
to rebrand 'cause we've already built
a customer base and I'm like, golly.
Yep.
Can't do it.
So note to self, anyone choosing
a farm name, make sure it can't
be shortened to something.
But then at the same time I'm
like, I guess people would never
forget
it.
Right.
Cal: Yeah, it
it's it's more unique.
I can see the hat right now.
You know, you have two big
peas small pasture small and
coast.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: This,
Cal: Yeah.
Yeah.
Perfect.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Cal: know, naming anything is always
difficult for the reasons you all mention.
Uh,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
And something I wanna touch on is,
for new farmers, something, one of
the areas we've kind of struggled
with is for us, for ourselves is
you know, this is our family home.
Our farm is our family home.
And a lot of the bigger
farms around here, right?
Like, they've had it for generations,
they have farm stores, you know, because
it's not connected to their home.
And that's been kind of hard for us.
But
with
this year we're like how do we get
our goods to customers, you know,
where we're not just delivering in
our, you know,
our back of our pickup truck or SUV,
you know, and people can recognize
without us having to like lug all
this stuff to farmer's market.
Yeah.
Like the farmer's market and
you're trying to pull out
like 10 or
coolers to build a fill
up on the space and
then you've got,
yeah.
That's just a lot of work.
And
then once
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
to like,
can she do that?
Yeah.
Like, can she pull 50
pound
coolers outta the back of a, of a SUV
or a truck and take, tote them all the
way to the middle of a farmer's market.
It's just not possible.
But this year we came up with,
and I hope other farmers can
start using this as well.
We bought an old food truck.
It's actually an old Coca-Cola vintage
Coca-Cola trailer back from the eighties.
And we're redoing it.
And you know, we're putting
freezers and all that in there.
So we're able to take that out
to the markets to get to And
it's a great way to have like a
moving a mobile farm store, right?
It's a mobile market to get
it to the community without,
you know, having to have
the
community on
property, property
or, or in some cases you end up
with a farm stand where
folks like to put the
little farm stand at the end end of
their driveway and they, they keep 'em,
and trying to
use honest against it like that.
And some folks don't
live in an honest you know,
they, they really wanna.
Who to provide for the community,
but they're not sure if
they're gonna, you know, lose two
dozen, 20 dozen eggs because someone
just drives by and takes them.
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
So for us it was like, how do
we get as much product as we
possibly
can to our customer base without having.
to Do so much extra So
that's where the trailer came
into
place.
And
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
it's actually, it's
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
exciting.
We got a lot of folks who
are really excited about
it for, for,
our sake and And hopefully
other farmers can use that.
Absolutely.
But PCO is not going on the trailer.
Cal: Why not?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
She doesn't know it yet.
There's a couple, there's stickers
being
made right now.
No, no p.
Cal: Daniel, I still think you can
make it where up close it looks
like the full name, but when you're
block away, like pee
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: yes.
You know, you know you gotta get
really close to see the urch and the As
Cal: Yeah,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: humor
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Everything has to be humor.
It absolutely does.
It does.
If you don't have humor in a form, then
you just, you, you're a miserable person.
Cal: I, I want to GI wanna
generalize that out in life.
You've got to have it.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: yes.
Gotta be able to laugh at everything.
'cause.
Things are inevitably gonna go south.
Mm-hmm.
At some point.
So, and then of course, you
know, and, and then you add
then farm humor on top of that.
You just, there's such,
such, you just can't get it.
It's like, you know, people talk about
military humor and, and how, like when you
talk to a civilian or someone who's not
in the military and you start
mentioning all these like
things, you're like, oh, I guess
you just It's the same thing for And
that's, you know, that's why veterans
should get into this because it's just
a different type of community that
just mirrors what the military is.
And you can just have the best
humor in the world and no one will
really get it except for farmers.
Cal: Oh yeah.
Humor's so important.
It's exciting to see how
y'all's trailer go goes.
I, I have a question about your trailer.
Is that just gonna be set up at your
farmer's market or wherever you go, will
be the people going into the trailer?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Just us.
It's just big enough for us.
But we'll have, yeah.
So then we'll just have, you know,
on our board out front, like what
we have on the trailer available.
And then we also, through our website,
we will have, you know, pre-orders
so people can pre-order it, Hey,
we're gonna be at this location.
You can pre-order, come to
the, the window and pick it up.
So yeah, so like more like
a, like a mobile concession
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: stand than,
Cal: right and
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: But
it gets us out into the community.
It gets us recognized a little more.
Like, Hey, we're here.
That's the hardest part is like
people don't like, I feel like people
really do wanna support local farmers.
They just don't know how to find 'em.
Exactly.
Or they don't know that they're there.
Or the biggest issue we run into is
we go to the farmer's markets and
it's not really farmers' There's not
really farmers there, and I don't.
I don't know if it's just
'cause they, the, you know, the,
the, the amount of logistics
to
carrying all of your stuff there,
keeping it cold, things like that.
Especially here in South Georgia.
But it, it, it, it just doesn't
really feel like a farmer's market
feels more of a craft store now.
So we were trying to find a way of being
able to get that out to folks and we're
hoping to eventually lead it to where
we can say, Hey, you know, you go to our
website and you say, Hey, we would like
to request the farm store to come to us.
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
you know,
we can have a local community that says,
Hey, we're gonna put together stuff.
And then we just say, Hey, this is our
minimum sales that we'll take and you
can before you come out and then whatever
that is, as long as it's met, then
we'll come to the location, if not where
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
And that's the end of the story.
But we're hoping that it
might be able to allow.
Folks to get the ease that they
used to get in a long time.
You know, they know the, the nostalgic of
having you open the front door to get your
newspaper and your milk in the morning.
But you know, you have to walk out
the you know, but something that might
allow more people to be involved with
the farmers and get to know us and get
to
know their food that we could provide.
And then along with that one of our
professors at the college that I was
at was talking about how the hi the
local community was not doing as well
Through economy wise because they,
it just, they don't have those base
he was talking about how they really
learned this when COVID And there
was not the capabilities of the
local pro farmers to produce enough
that's there.
I looking back at us, they, they
say that you, a farmer enough to
build, feed 1% of the community.
I don't even think I could do that.
Honestly,
I mean that's like
maybe 2000 people that I
would have to build a produce
in my community that I'm at.
So they understood after that, and a
lot of folks are starting to understand
this more now, is that really is
the root pay and base where if,
uh, something as simple as COVID happening
and your market is completely shut
down because, you know,
you can't produce,
you can't build a transport as
much or you can't produce as much.
How do we provide for our community?
Then they started looking into some of
the communities that were better off
and who did better during COVID and they
started realizing, hey, a lot of these
have local farmers and they have thriving
local markets and they are folks that are
trying to support locally and they're in
that,
in part
part of supporting locally, they
were able their economy and they
actually thrived than anything So,
we're, we're just trying to, it is a,
it is an all around culture change.
That's really what we're
trying to do from this.
I put made a sticker that says
the milk man still delivers.
Cal: Very good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's great.
It's time we transition to our
famous Same four questions we ask
For today's sponsor, we wanna talk
about the Grazing Grass Resources.
We just launched it and it is
built by graziers, for graziers.
It's a listing, it's a directory.
It's your go-to spot to find farms,
consultants, books, podcasts, tools,
and more, all focused on grass-based
and regenerative livestock production.
Even better, you can submit
your own listing there for free.
That way we keep it practical,
useful and a community.
Whether you've got a service to share, a
favorite Facebook group or a farm folks
should know about head over an add it.
You can check it out at
grazinggrassresources.com
or just at our main
website, grazinggrass.com
and click on resources.
I look forward to seeing you
over there and I look forward
to seeing your listing there.
Cal: our first question,
what is grass related
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Okay.
Oh, that's a hard question.
And I've been thinking about this one.
I, I read this this morning.
I've been thinking of it for a while.
I was actually in the milk extension going
through all the questions you just sent to
me.
Honestly, our fam most important resources
and the resource
we go back to, if I was to put it
in a book, it would be about Dr.
Carman from Reference
Farm.
He has, he has, has two books.
It's a blue book in the Green book.
And they
are
ideals for taking care of dairy
And, but for me, it actually kind of
branched into So reading through the
books and having those resources kind
of really helped me to understand how
Ru and animals And then from there I
was able resources of what I was gonna
do for nutrition, for the animals
from there that would So I would
say reverence Farm is probably our
biggest resource, our single location
If we were to go to for those kind
of caveat I didn't touch if I could.
It's the hard, one of the biggest things
that we struggle with in farming when
it comes
to resources is that you're gonna find
bad where you put a lot of money into 'em
and then you get absolutely I always say.
And we, we struggled with this.
We had one resource we put a lot
of the videos turned out to be girl
sitting in her front seat of her car
and they're like 15 I just totally
waste you know, from those, don't get
discouraged from any resource you pick up
or put money into as not
being Find the positive.
And in this case, we figured out exactly
how not to and
that was our positive
that goes along with it.
But for us, our main resource we
go to, that I really go back to
getting the
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
information from them.
Cal: And, and that's a, they are a Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
Boots on the ground for a long time.
Mm-hmm.
Cal: oh Yeah.
Mindy, do you have a
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I, I would say the same.
We both, you know, he'll listen
to them, but I love he'll turn it
on the TV and we'll both just sit
and watch you know, through their.
the Stockholders Exchange and their
videos, and I make my kids watch.
I'm like, science class 1 0
1,
Cal: There you go.
Yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
And then, and then of course the
good thing about it is it doesn't
just stop at the two of them.
There's the forum that's
involved with it too.
So then you have a whole
community of folks that even if
I've not experienced it, I can,
I can find an answer and I can go into
the forums and I can search like, Hey,
I'm looking for treatments
for mastitis and there's a bunch
of people who have tried
different things and there's
ways of working around
it.
So there's always, it's, it is more of a
one-stop shop.
Abundance Plus is also
another one through Justin
Cal: Oh Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
another big one too.
And it's a very big community
of folks that have been through
it but you know, I try to
stay away from the forms
as much as I try to stick
Cal: Our second your favorite tool for
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: Me.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: So
for us, it's actually, it's been a wagon.
Mm-hmm.
It, it has been the absolute biggest
multi-tool that we have ever come up with.
So we kind of did things
a little bit backwards.
Most people go buy the big truck and
they buy the tractor, and then they
start with a livestock so they can have,
they can make life we didn't have those
resources and we had enough money to
either buy the tractor or buy the cows.
So we bought the cows.
And then we started getting
into the chickens and then we
realized, hey, we need more
housing and more things like that.
So it just became this really
big So kind of a, a short list
of the things I've used it for.
I've used it for a hay wagon where we
just put square bales or round bells
and pieces off and and then it
just becomes a mobile wagon that
the cows can eat off and then I've
used it to move large pieces of
equipment from one side of the farm
to the other, but
it just made it easier for me.
So I think we we had some
mobile houses purchased from a local farm,
and a few extras,
but we would
have to move them.
And so it, that'd be a balancing
act to put 'em on the back
of this wagon and take them.
Uh, and then of course, you know,
every morning I'm
using this wagon
to go the
milk barn to be able
to get the milk in the
morning.
So like
this one
wagon, we, we, we
have upgraded to two.
We're at two now.
Three.
Oh yeah.
We do
have three.
And now that's, yeah, that's three.
That's, yeah.
So it is just
become this like, very big
tool
for us that has really changed.
I would say the newest tool that
we've gotten that has been life
changing, is
moving away from electric netting.
Absolutely.
Yes.
And we are using, it's by
Gallagher, I don't know what
you call 'em, but the fences are
like, they roll up the polywire.
I dunno if
you've seen
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: though.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Maybe.
I think so.
Cal: smart Smith.
Oh
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Smart fence or, or smart
Cal: fence.
Yeah.
With the four strands that
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
yes, yes, yes.
That has been life changing for
us to not deal with nets and be
able to set that up very quickly.
The girls and I can do that.
So I would definitely, I mean wagon
100% because we do everything by
foot in hand over here for right now.
And but that smart fencing
has been life changing.
So, we can set things up and with that.
And no more nets getting tangled.
Cal: Oh yeah,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Or, things getting tangled
in the net side in the nets?
Yeah.
Cal: right?
Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
if you, asked me what the
biggest killer was on our farm,
I wouldn't say predators, I would
say
Cal: Oh,
yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
just been horrible.
We've, we've, you have different animals
that just think they can get through
the electric netting if it's a hot day
and it could be five, 10 minutes and
you've lost an animal at that point,
or they, they struggle and they get
scared and they great wrapped up at 'em.
So for us it was, we, we lost one
goat to 'em and that was kind of
like a, an ending point for me.
And we were looking
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
at that point.
But then when the second goat got caught,
and luckily she didn't pass away, but,
you know, it was detrimental to her.
And we ended up with, you
know, vet bills from that.
We were like, I'm done.
gonna finish with electric netting.
We're gonna move on to something else.
And that's where we're, that's smart.
Fencing is great.
Even it doesn't take up,
you don't have to lug nets.
And in fact, I use it, I use it in
our, our holding pen for the cows.
I'm still kind of playing around with how
I want the holding pen to work and what I
want things to use
and it's been a great resource for us.
'cause I'm using two of them and I
can make a holding pen specifically
for the cows so I know how big I
need it or how small I need it,
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
it for shorting.
It's, it is been a, it's been a
pretty good choice too for us.
Yeah.
Cal: I know with the, the smart fence
we've had different guest on, some people
dislike it, have found it very useful It's
one of those things you've gotta try and
you're doing.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: I
think the only thing that I've, I've
found so far that I don't like about
it is that because it's manufactured.
They make so many, so many
times, like each one kind of
works a little bit differently.
So I've got one that,
you know, it doesn't reel
very quickly.
It's, it's it's a little
bit hard.
It makes some weird
noises when you're trying
to
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
but you know, when you,
it's time to reel that thing
up, there's
no fail.
It's going to work perfectly.
And then I got one that
doesn't reel up at all.
And I think that's, 'cause I put it
together
wrong, but but, but it doesn't, it is a
dream when it goes and putting it out.
So if I need to hurry up and
like close the fence in real
quick, it works great for that.
So I think that's the
only downfall to 'em.
But other than that, I mean, it's
got, it's, it's basic, really good
Cal: good.
Our third question, what
would you tell someone just
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Well first off, I think that your
biggest resour biggest thing to decide
is what, what do you want to do?
If we were to go back for
us, I would start with dairy.
That's just me because I love but if I
was to start back over with, say, beef
cows, I would not have gone the route I
did, I thought started off by buying the
breeding And it's been a very slow process
to get to that point.
I would start, if I was, if someone
was to start with beef, I would start
with one or two cows, preferably
bred cows,
and then you get the rest of 'em that,
whatever else you're gonna purchase.
Beer's just steers.
And the only reason why you buy
the cows is 'cause they, they're
a matriarch community and they
have to have a, a guy, a liter.
You throw a whole bunch
of steers out there
that have lost their
testosterone, to go
but you put a couple mama cows out
there and they're gonna follow her
around and they're gonna to do.
And it, it is probably the most
efficient because then you can
build your business a lot faster
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: of
getting closer to that end but for us you
know, especially if someone's looking at
a dairy, definitely start off with dairy.
Don't try and build into
it.
Just, you know, go straight to the,
the item that's gonna produce the
most amount for you
and it's gonna produ and bring
lot
faster than trying to
Like, once you're into it
and you've got money
flowing, absolutely go as slow as
you possibly can to make sure you're
doing the best
for everybody.
But you do have to is a business.
You gotta make
Cal: Mindy, do you have anything to add?
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I mean
definitely I think
something that works for
us,
but if he did not have
this, he would have to
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: do it.
Is,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
you know, the things
that you are not good at IE office work,
building the business in the background.
Like if that's not your thing, you
need to hire somebody to do that.
Yes.
And you know, that's where
we work well together.
You know, the farm was supposed
to be his business
'cause I already had my business in will.
you know,
He's like, I don't have time to do this.
I'm like, of course you don't.
So, you know, but you know, put as
much effort into your back office
work as you do the actual farm.
And I think my biggest piece of
advice is find something that
you're good at or that you love and
then build from there, you know?
Mm-hmm.
But you are, you are essentially
a farm or a homestead, and
it needs to pay for itself.
So invest in those things that are going
to give you a return on your money.
Yeah.
But that you love at the same time.
And then branch out into maybe other
areas that won't bring you in as
much money but you love, you know.
But if you are going to be an operational
farm, you know, start with things that
are going bring you, help you joy,
achieve that goal and bring, you're,
bring joy and bring you joy too.
So, and, and then to add on to that, if,
if it's something that you're not good at.
Don't try and
do it Like
you're, you're just gonna get frustrated.
You may eventually learn it.
But find resources that
allows you to make it smoother
You're, gonna find the bad you're still
gonna find some good Like, luckily I
married a good resource so I don't have to
really
do too
much
work in that nature.
But, but even then, like there's still
things that Mandie's not been able to
do and I can definitely or I can't do.
So I'm finding other resources
to go along like, partnering
with other companies things
like that.
You not be willing to spend a little
extra money to get a good So like
for us, we're looking
Cal: Oh yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
providing for the local
community
and as a way
of, you
know, doing a lot of
the back office stuff that kind
of takes it off Mandie's plate and
puts it more back onto my plate.
So being willing to like,
You know, step
outside your comfort zone
a little bit
here and there, and accept
the, the
help, or
put the help in to be able
to
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
make the profit work.
Make
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
because
if not, you're just
gonna get and it's gonna be horrible,
and you're just gonna be a visual
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535:
person with no humor.
Cal: Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
And where can others find out more
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: So
we're on Facebook, Instagram, our website.
And I'm dabbling with TikTok.
We did a TikTok, you'd be proud
Cal: Oh, yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: TikTok.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yes.
You know, we're, we're straight
up millennials over here.
Okay.
So, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm
learning, so you can't find
us on TikTok too.
But Instagram, Facebook
and our website
are where we're at at the most.
So ww dot person pasture co.com
and
from there you'll be able
to reach all of about
us.
And then from there, our social media
websites or attached to that.
It's include TikTok.
I I think there's now for TikTok.
So yeah, you
Cal: Oh, very good.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
might see a couple of dancing cows.
I've got a dairy cow that absolutely
loves to dance in the morning.
So you might see a dancing dairy
Cal: Oh, yes.
have you all done the one where the
wife is like, I want you to like it, or,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Oh, no, but I should do that, right?
Yeah,
Cal: you, you should,
yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
We, we were trying to come up with
like slogans and I'm like, well,
cows make better people just saying
Cal: oh, there you go.
Yeah.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I mean, Ashley le
Cal: Very good.
Do you all, before we wrap it up
today, do you all have a question
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
what is your niche?
What do you like?
Obviously the podcasting is like your
big thing, but what do you, what do
you specifically do for your, what got
you into the Grazing Grass Podcast?
Yeah, exactly.
There we go.
That's the question I was looking for.
Cal: I, I, there's a couple things.
I love ag.
I grew up on a farm
when I was real little.
We had cattle, we had pigs,
we had goats, chickens.
Then right when I turned a teenager,
we started daring with I thought
was I love And then I went to
college, came home and dairy.
Then we sold out.
We still had beef cattle.
We've got beef cattle, hair, sheep, meat,
goats, plus odd so it's a passion there.
The other passion I have is I worked
in education and I feel like the
podcast is a combination of It takes
my, my passion for ag with my passion
for and helping And I think that's
where those come together and really,
Pro propel me forward in this.
Now as I think about it, I'm
always like, how can I do more?
What can I provide?
Because I do not expert.
We talked earlier about being I really
think of myself as and that I'm still
learning each day what not to do.
But you know, I do have, I've been
doing this, you know, well since I
was born, I've been around animals
and I've been trying to do rotational
therefore years, for years at first
we tried it, didn't have good luck.
We did some other but that's So I've been
time.
So you would think I would have
some knowledge, I just sometimes
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
I like to say if you're not
learning, you're not living.
Right.
Cal: Yes.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
we're always learning
Cal: So that's, that's really
the niche for their podcast.
But when I think about my farm, I don't
think I have a good one right now.
It's grazing I direct to I'm
hoping to get more there.
I'd love to dairy cows.
I'm on the fence about that.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Do it.
Just do it.
It's
like a bandaid, you know?
Cal: you know,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
you find out that it is
like the best thing ever.
Cal: I, I lo and I love dairying,
so I think I would love it.
But I, I just don't know
except the last few episodes.
We've
I'm listening
maybe I just
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
There you go.
but
Cal: some different cows.
I have
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: though.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Cows have to be
milked
every day
Cal: I know Well, that's, that's the
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
it's, it, it ties you a little more.
And remember, dairy cows are cute, so.
Cal: Yeah.
And, and that's actually been the reason
I, that's not the only reason, but
part of the I know Darien everyday So,
you do it, you've gotta be committed
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I hope we get to a point in the
future that we could bring on,
you know, some extra help there
to help with the milking and other
aspects, like hopefully we can get to that
point.
But it does tie you
to the farm more.
It
Cal: I know when we, we were
daring when we would hire, I'd
hire a high school once in a while.
It was really beneficial
to have someone available
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: Mm-hmm.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Yeah, exactly.
Cal: And Daniel, it'll be really hard
when you get to that do as good job as you
You, know, your animals
won't be treated as well,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: and
then the council will
tell me all about it the
next time I see him.
Cal: Yes, but sometimes you
just have to let that happen.
I, I know that's really tough.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased: Yeah.
No, you're, you're, he owes me a trip
to Scotland, so I told him You're
gonna
Cal: cows over to
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Yeah, yeah.
I know.
That was the other thing, you know,
when he retired, you know, he was
like, we're gonna go on a second
honeymoon.
And I'm like,
okay, great.
And then COVID hit,
and then that happened.
And then we bought a farm.
And I was like, look, you still owe
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535: me a trip
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Scotland.
I will
Cal: honeymoons to
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
I will.
Yeah, yeah,
exactly.
Cal: Yeah.
Yeah,
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
The money's gonna go to that.
Yeah,
Cal: right.
Exactly.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
it's like the house.
It's like every farmer, farmer's,
wife, you know, it's like, oh, we
were gonna renovate this house.
Oh no.
It's all gone into the farm, you know?
So I'm like, when does
the house get renovated?
Cal: wife has heard we're
going we're gonna build one.
But it's, I don't know that
she believes me as much now,
but I, we're still gonna do it.
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Yeah, exactly.
We gotta get there.
Cal: Yeah.
Well, Daniel and Mindy, so glad
y'all came on and shared with us
danie_1_07-04-2025_111535-increased:
Thank you so much for having us.
Yes.
Thanks for letting us be.
This is our first podcast.
Thank you so much.
This was a lot
of fun.
Yeah.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for making it
this far on listening.
I know the audio on this
episode was a little bit tricky.
If you're one of those people that
look at the script, the transcript
is pretty bad, I would say.
So we dealt with a couple issues.
One was we had the mic being shared,
which we can usually overcome that.
But the second thing, we had audio
recorded at a very low level.
Uh, something I should have caught.
And so in working with that and
getting the audio all together, the
transcript is really pretty bad.
There's words left out, so I thank
you for listening and we will work
to do a better job in the future.
My biggest takeaway from this episode,
you know, that transition anytime
from whatever that may be, from that
W2 job to full-time on the farm,
transition from town to country, or
transition to your first acreage or
the first time of managing livestock
on your own transitions are difficult.
Daniel and Mandie talked about
their transition from military to
their homestead, to a commercial
homestead and all the steps in there.
Uh, transitions are hard.
The second thing on the episode is
how they make decisions on equipment
they're getting and what they're doing.
What if Daniel has a health issue that
Mandie and the girls has to take care of?
So as they look and make
decisions on that, such as looking
at the walk behind tractor.
That really factors into it.
And it, it's important to, to think about
those things when you're making decisions.
What happens if I can't do this?
Um, for me on, on my farm,
that would be a problem.
I, and I don't have a answer for it right
now, so I enjoyed the episode with Daniel
and Mandie, and I hope you did too.
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.
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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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We'd love to share your journey with
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Until next time.
Keep on grazing grass.
