Grazing Grass Podcast sharing Regenerative Ag Stories

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: we'll
get started with the Fast five.

Our first question, what's your name?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Bruce Shanks,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: And
Bruce, what's your farm's name

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sassafras Valley Ranch.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
and where are you located?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I'm located in Ozark Hills in a

little town called Bell, Missouri.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Okay.

Where is Bell relativity to?

Like Springfield?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Be about two hours and 15 minutes

up the interstate from Springfield
right between Jefferson City.

Ca Yeah, about 20, 20 miles off I 44.

Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah we we're, we farm in Osage

and Mary's County here, so

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh yeah.

We've got a Osage County in

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Correct.

Yeah.

And Kansas.

Yeah, that's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

Not surprising, huh?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: What
livestock species do you graze?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
We've got 300 registered

south Poll cattle.

That's kind of our centerpiece.

Those would be owned and partnership cows.

And then we also have today
about 150 commercial catto

and uses goats in the past.

But right now we're
outta the goat business.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

And what year did you
start grazing animals?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Well, we bought this farm and in

Bell, let's say in 2003, so a little
over 20 years now on this place.

Something like that.

So, yep.

Cal: Welcome to the grazing grass podcast.

The podcast dedicated to sharing
the stories of grass-based

livestock producers, exploring
regenerative practices that improve

the land animals and our lives.

I'm your host, Cal Hardage and each
week we'll dive into the journeys,

challenges, and successes of
producers like you, learning from

their experiences, and inspiring
each other to grow, and graze better.

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For 10 seconds about the farm, I have
grown a great crop of weeds this year.

Uh, some of our pastures look
great, but others I've, I've

done really good with the weeds.

In fact, I'm thinking I will mow some of
'em and that is not something I wanna do.

I don't think it's a effective
use of my time nor a money.

But I think I'm going to mow
'em just to try and cut down

on some of the seed production.

For 10 seconds about the podcast.

Uh, I am going to the South Pole Field
Day and auction this weekend, so Friday

and Saturday in Perryville, Arkansas.

So if you're in the area.

I encourage you to go.

Great speakers, you can see some
great cattle, and then if you

get bored, come say hi to me.

So I look forward to seeing you there.

Also, later in this episode, we
talk about Greg Judy, and we talked

about one of his books, and I
said the name of the book wrong.

The name of the book is How
to Think Like a Grazier.

In in the conversation.

I believe I said how to
think like a rancher.

No, it's how to think like a grazier.

I just wanna clarify that.

And with that, let's get back to Bruce.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Did you
grow up wanting be in agriculture?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

I was I definitely always wanted
to have a farm and I grew up

on a small livestock farm.

I wanted to be a veterinarian, which a
lot of a lot of folks young folks wanna

do that, and got into college and didn't
get through the chemistry very well.

And so, switched gears a little bit.

But yeah, my passion was
always always to farm.

You know, quite frankly, I wasn't
ever sure that I'd be able to

do it full time like I do now.

And so, I feel like I'm extremely
fortunate and you know, I'm really

blessed to be able to do that.

You know, obviously it was a while coming.

I've only been about five years now
where I've actually not had a, you

know, an off-farm job, but so anyway,
but yes, that's always, my wife says,

that's all I want to talk about.

That's all I want to do.

And so, yeah, my, you know, my
life pretty well revolves around

the livestock business, so,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
You know, I went to OSU

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
okay.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
biochemistry was 7:30.

I, as I recall, Monday, Wednesday,
Friday, I don't know, 7:30

is too early to be in class.

And I wouldn't say that fully caused
me to change a little bit of direction

on my major, but it did contribute.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, certainly.

I also worked job shadowed a vet one
day and he goes, what do you want?

What do you want to do?

I said, well be a vet.

And he said, no.

I mean, what do you wanna do after that?

And I said, well, I don't wanna, to, you
know, I'd like to have cattle or whatever.

And he said, oh, he said, last
thing you're gonna want do after

working on somebody else's cattle
all day is work on your own.

And that, that struck me, you
know, pretty hard at the time.

And that, that, that probably influenced
me to switch gears a little bit as

much as any, as much as the chemistry.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: That's a
pretty, pretty profound statement

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
it is.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: it's
something to think about.

Yeah.

If you're doing it all day.

I know, I've talked about on the
podcast, I worked off the farm for a

number of years and I was in technology.

I cannot stand doing tech support now.

My parents asked me to do tech support
quite often, and they're like the

only people that get away with it.

I come home, I don't
wanna do tech support.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: a few years.

I've got way too much

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That makes sense.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: way it goes.

So what prompted you to
move to the Bell area?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
So, this'll be, take a little bit

of a little bit of a longer story.

So I met my wife in college
in Springfield, and so we're

both natives of Missouri.

This is home.

But I did I did pursue a master's
degree at Montana State University.

I, you know, I think the romance of
the West is pretty strong in a young

Missouri kid that, that loves cattle.

And so, that was a great experience.

And from there I actually went on
worked on a PhD in animal science slash

meat science at South Dakota State.

So we made a big circle.

And from there my wife got a teaching
job in Bell actually, and and

so that brought us to this area.

We weren't, neither one of us
are, you know, originally from

here, other parts of Missouri.

My wife about 40 miles from here though.

And anyway, I I was farming with
my in-laws and we couldn't we

thought we'd find a rent house in
between and we couldn't find one.

So we ended up renting a little
house here in Bell for a few months.

You know, really loved the community
and ended up buying a farm here and.

And here we are.

So a little bit of an accident.

It really started with my wife getting
a teaching job and we just never left.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: It.

It's amazing how those little
occurrences accidents happen in

life and they've fully shaped where

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, that, my, my whole

story is nothing but a just a
chain of those type of things.

That's exactly right.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: You mentioned
there, you bought some land in Bell.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: we really
talk about your journey with that,

let's talk about what are you looking
at types of land there in that area?

You mentioned the Ozark Plateau earlier.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

Yeah.

We're you know, this is mostly
cattle country and so about half

of the ground around here will be
wooded ground that's, you know, too

steep or too rough to be pasture.

And then

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
of the rest of it would be pasture.

We do have, you know, some crop
ground along creeks or something

like that, but that's fairly.

limited in this area.

And so, it's gonna be mostly thin soils.

Pretty rocky one, one of the farms
we lease is actually a rock quarry.

And I like to take people down there
and it gives you a real idea of just

what's under our feet once they strip
what little topsoil we've got off.

So, but, you know, predominantly fescue
country and gonna be a mixture of pasture

and woods and of course some may ground
but you know, a fairly tough country.

It's made for cattle and, you
know, and sheep and grazing

and that sort of thing, so,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Where I'm located, I'm just

west of the Ozark Plateau.

It extends just a little ways
in Oklahoma and I'm west of it.

Our creeks, the closest lake
to me is UGA Lake, and it's

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: not
a pretty lake, you go to,

because the water is just dirty.

Just because we have run off of soil.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Vergris

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Rivers is the muddy river.

But you go east and you hit that Ozark
plateau, you start getting there.

All the water's so clear and pristine.

All those rocks are doing a
wonderful job of filtering.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

Yep.

And we do have that here, and
there's springs in the area

and that sort of thing, so Yep.

That's very much the type of
country we, we operate in.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh yeah.

So you get down there and you
like the community bell and you

all decide to buy a farm there.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
that's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: What
was kinda your, I know you'd

mentioned you'd always loved cattle,

so the goal was, Hey,
I've always loved cattle.

Let's buy a farm.

Let's run some cattle.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah it was we yeah that,

that's really my passion.

However I've had sheep and
goats since I was a kid.

Managed the sheep unit at Montana State.

Raised sheep at South
Dakota when we lived there.

And so, we had some brushing weeds
and so it was pretty natural that

we get in a small ruminant business.

Also, my son we wanted to give
him kind of a place to start.

And so we we got in the sheep and
goat actually goat business first but

followed quickly with sheep actually
quite soon basically about the same

time we got some commercial cattle.

So, you know, there again, that was that's
something that was a fairly easy thing for

us, just 'cause we'd been around it and
that curve wasn't maybe quite so steep.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: L Let's
talk about the small ruminants first

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
get into the cattle.

So you had experience
managing the sheep flock.

Well, you'd grown up

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
had sheep and goats.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
the sheep flock in Montana.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: that wool sheep

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
A yeah, absolutely.

I you know, growing up it was just wool
sheep, even in Missouri, basically.

And goats were kind of, mostly when
I was a kid, it was a dairy cross or

maybe a Spanish, and they were just
kind of a byproduct of brush control.

There was some angoras in Missouri
at a time there, and I remember took

a sheep and goat production class at
Missouri State University and we spent

as we should have, we probably spent
five minutes talking about hair sheep.

It just di it wa wasn't relevant.

That would've been in,
say, 1995 or something.

And of course you know, now yeah,
and had wool sheep at Montana,

wool sheep at South Dakota.

But now obviously the bulk of the sheep
in this state, including my own flock

are hare sheep and for a good reason, so,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: When I
was finishing up my degree at OSU,

I needed a elective and to try and
find a elective fit in my schedule.

And I knew the professor that taught sheet
production, so I took sheet production.

Actually one of my friends and I,
we both worked on the OSU dairy.

We both planned to go home in
dairy, but we thought we'll

take a sheep production class.

So that elective outta the way.

Very interesting.

And it all made, it all
sounded really good.

Of course back then you had wool sheep.

You had that wool incentive program.

I don't know what it was called, but
there were some other factors in there.

Yeah, hair sheep.

I don't even remember
even talking about 'em.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, no, we were just introduced

to the idea that was it.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: So when
you got sheep there in Bell, did

you go initially for Hare Sheep?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah, so we actually

started with goats first.

We had mostly brush that we were trying
to deal with, and so we started with

goats mostly just sail barn goats.

My son and I would take a, we had
a stock rack on a pickup, and we'd

go to evening and weekend sales and
buy a few, and then we'd, for the

most part, we'd cull and bring about
half of them back the next time.

And then we tried we got just a few
hair sheep just to get started and

eventually progressed almost to all
hair sheep and even today like I.

I'd said, we actually sold our goats last
fall and now we're strictly hare sheep.

So yeah,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
along your journey with goats,

you got into the Kiko goats.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
we did you know, we did what

you're not supposed to do.

We bought a, basically bought culls
out of the sale barn and there

again, ended up culling most of
those that, that, that lived anyway.

And so eventually progressed and
and started using more of Kiko

genetics, a little bit of Spanish
genetics and did that for several

years and they kind of ate themselves
out of a good home on our place.

And so we got out of the goat business
momentarily, and then we bought

another farm that had some brush
and said, well, we thought, well,

we'll get back into goat business.

And we did.

And we kind of thought we'd expand pretty
big again and do a lot of, you know,

fencing infrastructure to support that.

And ah, we ended up, you know, getting
some more land and we kind of came

to a crossroads last fall where we
either needed to get out of the goat

business or we needed to get, you
know, grow and we decided to step back.

And I've done that a few times, but
we'll see if I get back in it again.

But they're not for everyone.

And as you know, they come with a
set of challenges sometimes, but,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Th they do.

You know, I had bore goats then I
had kikos for a number of years.

Sold 'em, kind of felt like they'd
worked themselves outta the job.

some lease land and now I've got
just enough goats to give a headache.

I would I love the goats.

I'd love what they do.

I would love to expand the numbers.

I don't wanna put up more netting, I don't

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: fencing for 'em.

Really as I think about the
future with goats, for me.

I'm waiting on virtual collars to be

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
that it just pencils out for

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
It would certainly solve one of the,

one of the obstacles, that's for sure.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: It would it
might introduce some others 'cause you've

still gotta worry about dogs and stuff,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
r right, parasites but at least you'd

solve, maybe solve the fencing issue, so,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: And
that fancy one's big with goats

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: and also a
little bit with sheep, but, so you decide

on Ca Ka and Hare Sheep, any particular
reason you went with those or was

that what was available in your area?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

I, you know, I think by that time we were,
you know, we were kind of thinking along

the lines that we needed a, you know, we
wanted an animal that would kind of take

care of themselves and so the heartiness
factor, the good mothering ability, that

sort of thing kinda led us to the breed.

And we really, we've dabbled a
little bit other directions but

for the most part, we've had a.

A closed flock of those
for about 20 years now.

Really.

And certainly you know, there again,
the cattle are our centerpiece, but we

very much appreciate the complementarity
aspects of the sheep flock.

And you know, we just got done selling
some lambs that helps us out on some

cash flow and, you know, we lo we enjoy a
little diversity with the sheep for sure.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: With your
sheep, when are you aiming to have 'em?

Lamb?

What's

Marketing for them?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
sure.

So we lamb we lamb in
April right out on pasture.

And we get the sheep up once a year.

We do that this year
about the 1st of August.

We go through all the uses
checking eyes, feet, and teeth and

udders, and we get rid of them.

If they've got issues we wean
all the lambs except for the

ewe lambs that we're gonna keep.

They just stay on the ewes and we
don't, they don't see the little corral

we've got, again for another year.

And so, real simple deal there.

The, we market our uams
right off the farm.

Most of those are gonna go
to our cattle customers.

And and we've had, we've enjoyed that's
been a pretty easy market for us.

And a handful of rams the
same way but mostly the ewe

lambs and then the ram lambs.

do a couple of different things with them.

We've never quite solved this.

We sometimes we'll just sell 'em.

Sometimes we'll graze 'em a little bit
that hasn't ever worked out that well.

It confuses the dogs and
everything, and sometimes we

put 'em in a barn and feed 'em.

And that's what we're doing
right now as we speak.

I've got a set of lambs
that are on a self feeder.

In a barn and they'll be in
there another 30 to 60 days.

We'll run 'em as heavy as we think we
can get away with and try to get this

market a little later into the fall,
although it's pretty good right now.

And we'll probably market
those through a sale barn.

That's typically what we do.

We're blessed with a couple of
sales not so far from us that that

have been really good to work with.

So that's kind of, kind
of how we run the sheep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: on the self
feeders, a full feed self feeder.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
It is.

We it's a pellet that we make
that has it actually has alfalfa

pellet ground up and as a part of
the, as a component of the pellet.

We do put 'em on a we put a
round bale in there as well.

But for the most part they're,
yeah they're self-regulated

on that bulk feeder.

And it works pretty good.

On a year where feed's relatively
cheap and we thought that land

market will continue to get better.

thought we'd, you know,
we don't do it every year.

We thought we'd try it again this year.

So, and the guy that helps
me, he's got sheep too.

So we've got his sheep on
feed, my sheep on feed.

And we used to buy some lambs too.

And we didn't do that this year, but, you
know, there's been times we'll just kind

of keep playing with that and feed a few
but that's a whole nother ball game, so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Well, I'd like
to, if you don't mind, I'd like to dive

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: a little bit.

And the reason I say that got hair, sheep,
and that's always my dilemma on, we wean

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: those

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
then we gotta do something

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
You do.

That's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I try
and just grow 'em on pasture,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: but I'd love
to get a little bit more weight on them.

But also I'm trying to
hold 'em long enough

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: to get

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: And they, cause
they just cause more problems because

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: intact.

I don't want 'em getting to the
es, they mess up my lambing season.

And my lambing season for
next year is all messed

I'll

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: it next year.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yeah.

But those ram lambs being around that
definitely that definitely adds to it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
so I don't know what the

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: It,
well, I certainly don't have the answer

either, but that dilemma, I think is what
a lot of us face, you know, when we're

laming, when we do and weaning the only,
you know, the main reason we wean, we

gotta get those ram lambs out of there.

We're gonna start breeding
es and lambing in the winter.

And so, I don't know that you know, this,
putting them in a barn and feeding them

is necessarily always the right solution.

It does solve some issues.

We have tried 'em back, back
out on pasture, and we've

got a couple of real issues.

A they're trying to get back
in with the Es is just what's

what we're trying to prevent.

Two, our guard dogs are so confused,
you know, we're trying to keep 'em

spaced apart from the es we, and now
we've got an extra group to manage.

And quite frankly, the buyers, they want
some, they want 'em a little fleshier than

what the pasture's gonna provide for 'em.

And right now we're dry.

You know it, I'm glad we don't
have 'em on pasture right now.

We'd be in trouble with them.

And so, the trouble with putting them
on feed like we do especially a self

feeder is it's hard to hold them back
because they're getting fat on me already.

And so typically we're marketing 'em
a little bit earlier than I want.

Sometimes I think the folks that are
set up to maybe do a little bit of

feeding in a dry lot or on pasture
maybe a little bit more of a little bit

more of a balance than what I'm doing.

They might be able to drag 'em a
little later yet still get 'em fat.

But yeah, there again, you know, my
mentality's low input and graze them.

But I think sometimes you know, we
gotta keep our options open and this is

just kind of a, you know, a tool in our
toolbox that, that we employ occasionally.

And last year, well, two years ago,
we'd have been a lot better off,

just seldom right off the UII think
we lost, you know, we probably cost

ourselves some money feeding them.

Last year we did really well feeding
them, you know, that was figuring our

expense and you know, kind of what we
thought they were worth on the front end.

And we'll see what this year, you know,
we'll see what this year looks like.

The health has been good so far,
and that's really the driver, you

know, you start losing a few then
you should have sold them, I guess.

But anyway.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: We've had
last two years we've lambed about half

the flock or a third of the flock in
February, which I know is not what

you should be doing, I really like it.

prov, you know, if weather
cooperates because then you, I can

wean them directly off to ewe in
May and take 'em to the cell barn.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: And I feel
like those are doing better for us

than when we lamb later in date,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: April 15th,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: lambing.

I feel like those early lambs serve
us better than the others that

we end up trying to hold till,
well, I always try and go to the

first of the year, but that's not
always how long I can take them.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Cor correct.

Yeah, that's what we'd like to
do too, but with putting 'em on

feed, we'll never make it that far.

They'll get way too big on us, but
yeah, it's a, it's actually a, you

know, it's a pretty good dilemma.

Lambing outside in good weather doesn't
always, it doesn't necessarily match

the best market on the other end.

And

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: right.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
buddies at lamb quite a bit later to

try to help that but then they fight
some parasites and tall grass and you

know, that, that has its challenges too.

But hopefully you'll get it all
figured out and you can let me

know what we should be doing.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh yeah.

There we go.

One of us will

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
there you go.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
get it figured out.

The other thing you mentioned you
bring in some feeder limbs sometimes.

My dad and I talked about that, but I'm
a little apprehensive about doing it

because I don't want to bring in, a lot
of parasites cause a bigger problem for

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yeah, we're pretty aware of that too.

And we do it in the confines of a
building on concrete and that way yeah.

And we'll actually take and spread,
we'll go through the trouble of

taking and spreading that manure
on a a different farm that doesn't

even have sheep or goats on it.

And so yeah, that's
definitely a challenge.

And we haven't seen the opportunity of
feeding in the last handful of years.

This lambs have gotten pretty,
they're pretty high and kid goats.

And so to me the risk has been a little
bit tough, but when we could buy 'em, oh,

I don't know, maybe five or six years ago
was probably the last time we bought some,

in some feeder lambs and feeder kids.

And, you know, when the market was
a little bit softer and we thought

we could add some value to 'em.

And so we, you know, I think we'd
still consider doing that but I think

the stars gotta align a little bit.

Right.

You know, that's not our main
deal but you know, we're always

trying to find a way to, you know,
make an extra buck if we can.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Right, exactly.

Yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
kind of our thing.

Could we make some money doing

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah.

Right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: the trade-offs?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Well that's the trade offs.

That's right.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: The other
thing you talked about focusing

on kata and genetics, for the
most part, pretty close flock.

Have you considered some of the, might
say, the hair carcass breeds, you

know, as doper or something along that
line to improve your carcass size?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
What,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
not need it at all?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
you know, we consider it, but

we don't want to trade off that
toughness and parasite resistance.

And not that there's not probably
individuals in those breeds that would

work, but you know, I'd have to be, you
know, I'd have to be really sure that,

and then second of all, we just talked
about one of the challenges is for me to

drag those things later into the year.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: for
me to make 'em bigger earlier, you know,

it might work against me a little bit.

And so, the market that we're selling
into once a 55 to 70 pound lamb, and

so, my little user are, you know,
more than capable of doing that.

In fact.

You know, with the way we're
feeding this group now, we'll have

to watch or we'll get 'em too big.

We may even go to Iowa.

We can sell into a couple of sale barns
in Iowa that won't pick on us so bad if we

get 'em up in that 80 or 90 pound range.

we may just keep on feeding along
and get 'em a little heavier than

we should and, but we'll have to go
a little different place with 'em.

I think so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah, because
I don't want mine getting, don't

want the average being above 70.

I don't

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
no not typically.

We'll have to market 'em
different if we do that.

That's right.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I did run a doper
ram on my ewes last year, and I thought

that really made that early set of lambs
really nice because they came off the ewes

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
oh, I, yeah.

Where you were needing to kind
of push 'em a little bit in

that case to meet your market.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I could see that.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: are keeping some
ewes out of that and we'll see how that

goes because I'm very concerned about
how, what they're going do to parasite

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
resistance.

Sure.

Well,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: handle

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
and that would be my concern too, but

I don't like to ever say never in this
business because you know, I don't like to

know, I like to keep all my options open.

And so, I don't I like to have a
full toolbox, so, we'll see what

happens in the future, but right now
that's the direction we're going on.

The sheep.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Now, when
you were running sheep and goats

and then also cattle, that three
different herds you were managing?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
sheep and goats, we

always ran those together

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
up until, yeah, up until

we bought this other farm.

And then we you know, we did split
the goats off just because they

were in a better, you know, that
was just a better spot for 'em.

So, and we haven't talked
about this much, but we.

We're spread out.

We lease several farms.

And so our home farm is where
sheep and the goats were, at least

for several years before we, we
move the goats to another farm.

Our home farm is, you know,
set up for sheep and goats.

Sheep now, and kind of what I call
transient cattle, herd bulls, wean

calves, maybe a group of cows that
graze through you know, bulls we're

developing and something like that.

And so we're kind of in
and out with our cattle.

We don't have a resident herd,
if you will that may change.

We're we just bought a farm that, that
joins us, and I think we're gonna start

calving our heifers on that place and
probably just run them together with

the sheep at least most of the year.

And so where I'm going with all that
is it's kind of been an in and out.

Sheep and goats were together.

now the sheep sometimes cattle were with
them, sometimes they weren't, sometimes

cattle were in front, sometimes behind.

We may evolve a little bit, I think into a
little bit more of a back to a group where

cows and sheep are actually together.

We like that 'cause we get rid of
a group and so, but yeah, our our

home deal is not always normal with
because it becomes the, you know, the

resting grounds for everything else
that's going on all the other places.

Like right now we've got some cattle
getting ready to go to a sale.

They're there, well, they leave
Thursday, so, I mean, it's in and out.

Yeah.

A little bit in and out there.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: With
the sheep and Lease Land.

Have you ran any sheep on lease land?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: you
know, we haven't and but I am tempted.

I do think it's pretty easy running
cattle on lease land because

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: is,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I sleep all right.

Doing that at night.

And I mentioned we were we leased
this rock quarry farm and I've often

looked at it and thought, oh man,
what a place for sheep or goats.

I mean, it is made for it.

It's very steep and rocky, and then
there's plenty of weeds in brush,

and it's pretty close to home.

And I just haven't I've never pulled the
trigger and sheep or goats lease ground.

I, the only thing I've done is put goats
on another farm we owned that wasn't,

you know, that was down the road.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
and I don't know.

Sheep sometimes I feel like they
need looking after every day.

Like I just, when I left to come up here
and do this, my wife was just going out

to feed the dogs and move the sheep.

And you know, we're, the other thing is,
you know, dealing with our guard animals.

And so, anyway, haven't done that,
but I respect those that do and I

think it might be some low hanging
fruit on, in, in my operation.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I, I
think it's very interesting, but

I have some of the same concerns.

I do have one leash property that
butts up against Dad's place, and

I do put sheep and goats on it, but
the other properties I just think

about all the bad things that could

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

I know I need to, it would be great.

But I'm, yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah I'm nervous about it, I guess, so.

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cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: So
let's jump back to, you know,

early two thousands, Bell Farm.

And when you decide to get cattle on
there, what was your thought pattern?

What'd you go with?

Did you go use the sale barn as
to source some beginning animals

or did you already have some.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

Yeah.

And I may back up to a, you know,
a moment, and we talked about that

earlier, these moments in life.

And that, that probably
put me on this path.

And there, again, this was a little bit
of a little bit of a long story but when

I was at South Dakota and this was a
big day for me, a really big day for me.

I know, there again I'd went
through the university system.

I grew up wanting livestock and,
you know, I'd taken classes and been

around cattle and worked at, you
know, I worked on cattle farms all

through college and anyway, I take a
a group of students that I'm supposed

to lead them down to Nebraska, to the
Sandhills, which I love that country.

That is great cattle country.

I fell in love with it that day.

Just went through there last week and
went right by this place by the way

that I'm gonna tell you about last week.

And I went to the Rex Ranch among
others but this was a large commercial.

Operation owned by the Church
of Latterday Saints and at that

time managed by Burke Teichert.

And so I go to this,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

go

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: to

this outfit.

I haven't been there before.

you know, I'm thinking that they're
gonna tell us all about how great their

cattle are, and they're gonna brag
about weaning weights and this and that.

And instead, I heard grazing management
and I heard run this like a business and

labor efficiencies and moderate cattle and
not too much milk and not too much size.

I thought, wait, you know what?

This is the opposite of what I, you know,
kind of had in my head up until that time.

And you know, I just can't say
enough about what a wake up

call that very day was for me.

And I, as I,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I reflect back on that day often as I.

As I go about my my work year and and so,
you know, that, that day really stuck with

me you know, run things like a business.

They, you know, they talked about, you
know, low inputs and they ran this little

red, moderate size red composite cattle.

And there again, just kind of
breaking the mold on everything.

So a couple of years goes by and I
have, you know, I have pretty well taken

their philosophy and I decide I'm gonna
implement it on this farm we just bought.

And so we're gonna make the cattle
work for a living and we're gonna,

you know, we're gonna make 'em graze.

And that was my introduction
to grazing management.

And I went to every conference and,
you know, that I became that became

my favorite subject overnight.

It really did.

And anyway so.

I, I tried to implement the principles
of what of what he was talking about

but I just bought some cattle, just
some sale barn cattle, basically.

They were maybe a little better
than sale barn you know, I didn't

have access, I didn't think at the
time anyway, to to, to the cattle.

But so, so we, you know, we start
down this path of what I'll call,

you know, low input making the cattle
graze and making 'em work for me.

This, the things that Burke was
talking about that hit me so hard and

that didn't work with those cattle.

My preg rates were dismal.

I mean, they'd raise a big enough calf
and then they'd want to take a year off.

And so that, that did not work.

I was managing a large
commercial herd at the time.

That was my day job, and I
was trying to implement some

of the same practices there.

And it, that worked well because the
owners were adamant that they start

spending less money and so fit perfect
with what I was trying to do, except

there again you know, it wasn't even
really fair to the cattle to ask them

to perform in what I was creating
as a whole different environment.

So, obviously that led me to,
to the breed that we have today.

And that's kind of a story in itself.

I don't know if you want to hear that
now or not, but I'll be glad to share it.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: go ahead and
hear that how you got on that path.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

So, so we're, you know, we're
following this this model that,

that we think makes sense.

You know, let's try to make some
money in this business and got the

wrong genetics and I was sitting
there eating lunch at the place where

I was managing in the other side
of the county and taking a break.

Picked up a stockman grass farmer.

'cause there again, you know, I was
pretty enamored with all things grazing

and still am and you know, that's
obviously been one of our keys to success.

And so I picked this magazine up.

I see this ad for South Poll cattle.

Never heard of them.

And what really caught my eye was
it was a 5 7 3 area code, which

was the same phone number as, you
know, the same area code as mine.

I thought, well, I'll
be dang why I did this.

I'll know, never know.

I dialed the number and Mr.

Ralph Voss answers the phone.

He answered right away.

And I, you know, I'm sure it was
not a very intelligent conversation

on my part, but something to
the effect, what's a South Poll?

And anyway, he told me and I thought,
golly, you know, this, maybe this

is something that I could use to
fit what I'm trying to accomplish.

And just as you know, as luck would
have it and thankfully I'm a, I must

be a lucky person 'cause that's how
I stumbled through life, I guess.

But Ralph said, Hey, you should come.

There's a field day right here
in Lin, which is my county seat.

I mean, this is 20 miles from my
house, you know, just a random call.

And you should come, Teddy Gentry's
gonna be here talking about the breed,

and we'll go look at the cattle.

And I, you know, and there again I,
as I hung up the phone, typically,

you know, you don't follow up
on things like that, but I did.

I went so here's Teddy telling me about
this breed that completely matches.

And he's saying the same language.

He's talking the same game that that
Burke and his managers were talking, you

know, that I'd heard two or three years.

And I thought, oh man, okay, you
know, this is the missing piece.

This is what they were doing with
those little red composite cows.

And now Teddy's telling me he's
got one that's made for my area.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: We
went and looked at the cows at Ralph's.

And I think one of the things that struck
me and I've talked to you about this

before but there was a bunch of FFA kids
at this event, and I remember, I guess

it was the fall of the year because
they had their blue corduroy jackets on

and they come streaming over the hill.

And Ralph had this, these South
Poll cows all kind of hemmed up in

a corner just with a single wire,
just so they were easy to look at.

I thought, they're gonna cross the river.

They'll never stop running.

They're gonna spook.

I mean, this is gonna be a disaster.

And they just stood there.

And so, not only had I just heard about
some genetics that maybe would help me in

my mission but here's this gentle breed
of cattle that I like, I've never seen.

And so I was obviously, you know, I
was pretty struck and I went home, told

my wife, I said, I found what we need.

And my son and I went to Alabama within
two weeks and we bought our first set

of cattle and we haven't looked back.

So that's what put us in the breed.

We stumbled into it, but the fact of the
matter is we needed an answer genetically

and the South Poll provided that answer to
us, and that was, you know, 18 years ago.

And here we are today, so

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh yeah.

I, it wasn't my first time
to hear about South Polls.

I heard about South Polls a long time ago,
but, and I'd even talked to someone about.

Bow 'em, and they sent me some
pictures and stuff, but pictures

are really hard to get a grasp on a
quality of a animal and how it is.

So when I revisited South Poll I learned
about the field day, so gonna go to field

day, I believe it in Tennessee that year.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

Probably, yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: the year before,
it was just like 40 minutes from my

house, but I, they weren't on my radar

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
C That was a year, that was COVID.

Yeah we backed it up and had
it in Oklahoma in the fall.

Yes, sir.

Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
So it's like, oh man.

So went to Tennessee and one of
the things that just stood out to

me was, you've got these, you've
got polywire with a few animals per

break, people are walking everywhere

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Correct.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: and it
doesn't bother these animals at all.

It's, and I grew up on dairy and
dairy cattle are pretty calm.

They're big and calm,
they're not a problem.

We had beef cattle, they were not as
calm, but we were working that way to get

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: But
they were not as docile as these

animals with complete strangers.

And I just, that was my first
impulse, my first reaction.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
impression of them

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
just how docile they were.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Well, it's same with me.

When those kids come over
the hill that time, I, it was

definitely an eyeopener as well.

It's a nice bonus is what I like to think.

Yeah.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

Because docility is great, but
it doesn't pay a lot of bills.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
correct.

That's right.

Yeah, that's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: So as
you, you dug into this, and you

said in just a couple weeks, you
all purchased some South Polls.

you start with heifers?

Did you buy some cows?

Did you start

And

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: herd?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

We did buy a bull, but we were able to
buy some bred heifers and some pears.

Yeah, pears.

Yeah.

They were actually.

Had little baby calves on 'em.

And so thankfully back then, not
everybody knew about South Polls.

They were a little easier to come by.

And so, you know, we bought in
pretty hard and and then, you know,

obviously have grown from there.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: So
outside of their calmness, what

impresses you about the South

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Polls?

And so, you know, there again, I you
know, I get, get my, my, I, I owe all

the credit to to Burke to, you know, to
kind of get me started down this path.

But you know, we really pride our
ourself on a, you know, a real simple

recipe to cattle production here.

And so, because of that
reason, I need something that

can take care of themselves.

And so, we're able to run
those south Polls on our fescue

hills with no supplementation.

And so they're certainly easy
keeping, they're big, gutted cattle.

They're moderate they don't milk too much.

They don't you know, they don't
the, you know, they don't wean off

bigger calves than they need to.

That they fit my environment.

They're slick and can handle the heat,
which is important to me because because

we're gonna calve in April and May.

And so we've got those bulls
out working in the summertime.

And so we really
appreciate that about ' em.

And you know, we got.

We've got heat tolerance built
in, we've got fescue adaptability,

and we've got this, you know, this
easy keeping type of phenotype and

moderation of milk and so forth.

And so, you know, they, to
me, they do more on less than

anything we've been around.

And there again, just a great fit for
our very, I mean, I can't impress upon

you just how simple our operation is.

It is there, you know, it
is nothing nothing special.

We just like to keep things very simple.

Those cows are gonna go through
the chute one time a year.

We're gonna preg check them, sell the
opens, and the rest of them get to keep

marching on really and no supplementation
and no annual vaccines, no wormer and just

raises a calf and do your job and you get
to stay for another year kind of deal.

So, pretty simple.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

And are you, Kevin, those
heifers at two years of

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
We do, we absolutely cal our

heifers at two years of age.

That's not a, that's not always easy.

And we will have some fallout.

We preg checked early yesterday
to kind of get an idea.

We'll have to come back and rep preg in 30
days just to kind of catch the tail end.

But we needed to pre check
some heifers for a sale.

And so, you know, we're i'll, we'll
have 20, 25% of those heifers that

won't breed to cab is two, and we'll
move them on down the road and you

know, it's a kind of a, sometimes
a tough pill to swallow that day.

But then I, the next day I go, okay,
well we just found the top end.

That's okay.

We, you know, we try to make
lemonade outta lemons on open cows.

we don't hang our head on that too much.

We just know we're improving the herd.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: W were
very much a limousine based herd for

years, but we got into a problem.

We were having terrible breed
up on our heifers, not getting

them to cab at two years of age.

And we were pushing them, we were full
feeding them, we were pushing them to get

there, and we were still having problems,
which led us to start looking at some

other breeds and incorporate some other

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Moderate.

Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
and get to the South Poll.

So those numbers you'd love
for those numbers to be better.

But we've fed heifers and had
worse numbers, which is just,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

And

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: dagger.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah, and I think we could take a little

better care of 'em and we probably could
get those numbers higher but you know,

we try to put some pressure on 'em and
kinda let the cream rise to the top.

And Mother Nature's helps us out every
day, you know, trying to make our herd

better so we don't want to ignore her.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: exactly.

Yeah.

So with, you mentioned you're
not using any vaccines?

Any dewormers on 'em?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, I should be clear on that.

We don't, we vaccinate our calves,
but we don't use, we don't annually

vaccinate our herd bulls or our
cows, and so they kind of get a

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: not the

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yep, nah.

Right, right.

We vaccinate the calves and kind
of get, take care of them on that.

And and now as far as deworming, we
just deworm steers and that's it.

No, nothing else.

And you know, if we, if there
would be one that would need that,

they're probably gonna fall out
and they're gonna show up as open.

That's kind of what we find
is we lay off the supplements

and we lay off the chemicals.

You know, we'll have some fallout and
they'll show up as open and you know,

we're kind of calling that fertility, but
it's due to some other factors, but we

find them that way, one way or the other.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: right.

And you know, that's ver very
much Lasseter's philosophy.

You know, you may sell some good ones,
but you got rid of all the bad ones,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right, right.

And we're, you know, we're a seed
stock producer, and so we, we want

to try to be harder on our cattle
than the next guy down the road.

And that way you know, they can feel
good about what they're getting.

And if they want to deworm or
vaccinate or supplement, well at

least they'll respond to that.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh, right.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: so

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

So being a seed stock producer.

you sell a lot of heifers
off or females off your farm?

Do you sell a lot of bulls off your farm?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah, we do we market, you know, the

bulk of the females that we're not
retaining ourselves, we'll sell off

the farm or through a handful of sales.

And then the bulls will
mostly be private treaty.

We sell about 50 bulls a year.

We've got a couple of
cooperators we work with too.

And so, you know, we're gonna sell,
we're gonna steer most everything.

We're pretty hard on 'em, but the
top end bulls, yes, we're gonna

market you know, one at a time,
up to 10 or whatever it takes, and

those things will get scattered.

Oh, I don't know.

Last year I think we sold bulls from
Florida to Vermont and trying to think

how far north, you know, and cer certainly
Nebraska and Iowa last year in kind of

a circle, you know, get scattered out,
you know, maybe about 30 states or so.

And the same way with the
heifers that we sell, usually

sell weaned heifers these days.

There's enough of a market.

We'll sell a few bred heifers and some
sails but we will move a lot of those

weaned heifers early and, 'cause we
gotta keep, we'll, you know, we'll have

some bulls around and then the steers,
those will go to grass finishers.

We've done that for,
since the very beginning.

We don't finish anything, but we'll
sell those to grass finishers.

We like to keep those steers
a little and own them a little

longer, especially the light end.

We to use those as our drought
mitigation and, you know, sell

'em the next summer when you
know, or later if we've got grass.

But quite frankly, the last three
or four years, our falls have been

so tough that we've been forced
to sell 'em shortly after weaning.

And we are definitely looking
at doing that again this fall.

We're terribly dry, so, so the steers kind
of, they kind of, you know, we'd like to

own 'em longer, but it's gonna take some
better falls before we're gonna do that.

I think so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: in our
area, our falls have been really

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: of years,
but actually this year now, we

could use rain right now because,
you know, two weeks we're dry.

But we've got a lot of sub moisture
because we've had a lot of rain.

Throughout.

We went I don't know, July, last of
July, early August, we got pretty

dry, but I don't think we ever even
hit that ad normally dry this year.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

We certainly are.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: it to continue.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yeah.

We're in a pretty tough spot right now.

We're really dry, but, you know,
those steers, the feeder calves are

worth quite a bit of money right now.

And so, you know, we're not we're not
too bothered with letting those go you

know, probably in December or something.

And, we'll we'll see if we have
a better year in the future.

And, you know, we might hold those
over, especially the light ones

anyway and run 'em till we'd run
them till June or October, even the

next year that, that's our game plan.

But but it just hadn't
hap happened lately, so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: you've
gotta have the grass to do

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yeah.

But we do like to late let the steers
be our safety valve on the drought.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: With
your, you mentioned December.

Is that when you're weaning your calves?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
okay.

So, yeah, again, don't
get locked into anything.

We, Calvin ap we, Calvin, April
and May and I typically wean in

mid-November right before deer season.

We like to deer hunt and so.

So that's a little bit, you know, in
the grazing circle that's maybe a little

bit early, you know, that I would call
that more traditional type weaning.

A lot of my friends would leave
those on the cow much longer.

But I have a very specific reasons
for why we wean when we do.

First of all, it really gives those
cows a nutritional break, and so

we can winter them a lot tougher.

Second of all, we can move
dry cows a lot easier.

We've got some farms set and empty right
now that we don't wanna haul pears to.

We don't have the facilities there.

So we'll haul dry cows there.

We will winter 'em there.

They can eat, you know, really
coarse grass and then go on

hay when we run outta grass.

And without that cow nursing,
they'll get along fine.

The other reason I do it is.

It allows me to sell a calf
on this side or the other

side of the first of the year.

And that's just really

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: oh.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
A tax mitigation thing.

And, but that's a pretty powerful tool
for me occasionally and some years.

It's a difference between
making some money and nod.

And so, now I said we
normally wean in mid-November.

We are in such a tight spot this
year that we are strongly considering

moving, weaning up about 45 days.

That's a profound thing
that I've not done before.

But we're already looking at feeding
hay and so we're thinking we can give

those cows a break, get 'em to some
of those other farms, get 'em on hay.

So, we're still toying with that.

We ain't quite got all it all figured
out, but normally we wean in mid-November.

We're thinking about moving it up
here you know, maybe even as quick

as two or three weeks from now.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah
you immediately take down

those nutritional requirements

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Correct.

Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: you
said, you've got some farms,

you can get 'em on, you can

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: rougher ground.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
right.

Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: some
benefits there that you can play with

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: date

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That's right.

Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: need.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yeah.

And like I said, I don't ever
like to get backed in the corner.

I like to keep my options open and
you won't hardly ever hear me say

I'd never do that because things
change and sometimes you will.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Well, we're
just, our problem is we can't even

remember what we did last year.

We did.

How'd we do that last year?

Well,

Do it this way,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
so sometimes that's a good thing.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: with
your bulls and you're weaning them

and how long are you developing
them and how do you develop 'em?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Okay.

So we do something a little unusual there.

We sell a lot of our bulls, I would say.

Half or better of our bulls will be sold
when they are still nursing the cow.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Now that there's some good and

bad to that the person that picks
that animal out gets to see mom

right there in her working clothes.

And I think that's a powerful
thing and they appreciate that.

And then, but you know, there's,
they're buying, you know, they're

purchasing or putting their name
on, let's say a pretty young calf.

And so what we turn around and do is
we'll stand behind that animal, you

know, it needs to turn out as expected.

If something happens and it
kills over dead, that's on us.

So, I mean, we take away
that risk if you will.

And so then we get 'em weaned.

And then one of two things will happen,
least on those early soul bulls.

They'll either go to their
new home as early as December.

A, they get to be now finished
developing on that person's operation

and get used to their environment.

B they can, you know, save a little bit
of money 'cause I'm not gonna charge

'em a grazing fee for the winter.

And so, or we'll keep
'em until they want 'em.

You know, we just got rid of a bull the
other day that had been purchased over a

year ago, and we just maintain them here.

And so, you know, I like to say
that we'll do whatever the customer

wants anywhere from December to,
you know, the following year.

We'll graze those bulls
and it's just grazing them.

We don't do anything special for 'em.

And but there again, even those bulls
that leave here in December, we'll,

so that would be a, whatever, an eight
or nine month old bull, we'll still

stand behind those bulls and you know,
we occasionally have to buy one back.

I'm buying one back right now as we speak.

Just a bull just didn't turn out.

it was my fault, maybe it was their fault.

Doesn't matter.

We're, you know, we stand behind 'em.

And so that's a little bit unusual.

I'm not sure I would
recommend that to anybody.

I, I don't know how that ever started.

It's like one time somebody asked
me, Hey, can I come look early?

And then pretty soon people just
kept coming earlier and earlier.

And so, so we've kind of developed that.

I've threatened to just stop doing
that, hold 'em all and sell 'em, you

know, at more of a typical yearling
or 18 month old or something.

And we'll certainly sell some older bulls,
you know, that we will have some that'll,

you know, go through weaning and yearling
and so forth and still be around here.

But kind of a weird backdoor approach
to, you know, we've kind of started

selling bulls that way several years
ago, and we just kind of kept doing it.

And I think I had a, I think I
had a guy pick a bull out this

year on probably the 1st of July.

So he would've been, that bull
would've been 75 days old.

So, so, but he looks great still.

I think the guy's, you know, he's getting
him in December and so far so good.

And, you know, he's tickled.

He got to see mom and, you know,
kinda got to see the calf when he was

small and progressing and so forth.

So there you go.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Well, I like
the idea of being able to see mom,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
For sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
her working clothes

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right?

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Because
most of us are not buying a South

Poll Bull as a terminal sire,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Correct.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: You're trying
to get those maternal genetics in there.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: the model.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

And,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: we've also
bought bulls in the past that didn't

turn out, so I do get that part

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: yep.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think you know, I think we have
to, you know, if we're gonna continue to

work off of that model, then we're, we
will just continue to stand behind them.

And there again, sometimes.

Whatever the things happen.

If somebody takes one home and
doesn't feed it, that's kind

of a tough pill to swallow.

But hey, I'm in the bull selling
business and that's just part of it.

So, but yeah, there's no secrets.

I mean, you get to see my management,
the cows, everything is just right there

in black and white and it is it's odd,
but it's not when you really stop and

think about it, it you know, it probably
makes more sense than seeing that bull

as a yearling or 18 month old coming out
of a feedlot and you don't know what's

happened, you know, prior to that.

You just know they look great today.

But, you know, so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

We bought a bull.

I'm gonna say off a neighbor
10 miles away, know guy.

He says, yeah, we'll
sell 'em at market price.

he's got really good cattle.

Not really the model we're after.

He's more of a traditional model,
but little bit of moderate size.

And we go up and look at his bulls.

And my mom's cousin was
wanting a bull and he

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: the other one.

I was like, great, because I
liked the little bit shorter.

Got a nice deep body.

So we bought him because he sold him at
market price to us since we knew him.

And we

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: lose at that.

The worst

we take him market.

He's turned out really good and I
was really scared about him because

this guy's got some bigger Angus.

And so we have a Angus bull in
here we're using on dad's cows.

And he has really, I, I'm
really happy with him.

Nice, deep, moderate sized Angus
bull that didn't fall apart

when the grain got taken away

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, that's good.

That's good.

always the case.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: It isn't,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
but we had a deal there.

We thought we'd be fine either way.

We'd gamble on it

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
really impressed with him.

We'll see how his calves go.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Ever.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: he's the wrong
color for what I'm trying to do, but

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, me too.

But

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: my dad wants to

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah, I understand.

I understand.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: selling
your seed stock, sure you come

across a lot of people just
getting started in South Polls.

What do you tell them if they come to you
and they're interested in South Polls?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, we do.

We you know, I deal with anything from.

to beginning farmers Amish producers
all the way up to, well, of course,

other seed stock producers and then
also, you know, commercial cattlemen.

Both, both small and really large,
you know, several thousand cows.

And so, you know, I think the
message is still pretty similar

across those across those kind of
diverse customers, if you will.

You know, they're still they're, for the
most part, they're gonna all still be

interested in, in, in some similarities.

And, you know, like you said
they're looking to produce females

and so that's our bred and butter.

And so they're looking for
a bull you know, or females

I guess that will go on and.

And but ultimately something that'll
produce those, you know, red,

moderate easy keeping females that
you know, that will fit their program.

Now some of my commercial guys will say
we want to really moderate size but then

some of my smaller guys and homesteaders,
they already are saying we just want

to keep them smaller and or moderate.

And so that's kind of universal,
you know, disposition is a pretty

big deal across to all of those.

I mean, obviously I'll run into a few, you
know, folks along the way that don't mind

to be cowboying and, but for the most part
they appreciate you know, and so we talk

about disposition and birth weight too.

You know, they're.

that, that's pretty universally important.

And so, but you know, when I get a new
person we just kind of talk a little bit

about well, even anybody, we mostly, we
talk about our program and we, you know,

we and of course right along with that,
you know, our cattle and our genetics.

But you know, I think ultimately
people are they're buying a program

as much as they are buying cattle.

And so we, you know, we try
to be an open book about that.

And there again I mentioned we, we
try to do things we follow real simple

recipes, so it doesn't take me very
long to, you know, to walk through

our program, no supplement you know,
no extra stuff and no crutches.

And if you're open, you go
and I don't you know, I don't

cloud it much more than that.

So, you know, that's usually
what I share with them.

And, but you know, I don't.

I never, I've never liked to try to
sell something or push something on

somebody by taking something else down.

You know, I love this business
and I, you know, I love all

cattle and all cattle folks.

And so, you know, south Poll's not for
everybody and not for a South Poll.

And so, you know, I think oftentimes
when we try to be everything that's

when we're, you know, somebody
starts talking about, well, I really,

you know, I'm really interested
in, you know, in weaning weight.

And well, okay then, you know,
maybe this probably not the

way to increase weaning weight.

Yeah.

We'll, you know, it'll be acceptable.

And, but, you know, and so we
are, you know, we, if we need to,

we'll steer 'em in a different
direction and not afraid to do that.

And 'cause otherwise, you know, you
know, hopefully we want people that are

involved in the breed for a long time.

And ultimately if they're not, you
know, happy, if that first experience,

they're not gonna be in it anyway.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh yeah,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, so

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Just on our
use of South Polls I'm sold on them.

I just don't have any money.

So, you know, work with what I have,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Using
the South Poll Bull, but we

used them on my dad's herds.

So my dad's got his herd and I've
got my herd and we share bulls.

And we were using South Poll in there.

We're not gonna use South Poll Bull.

And his herd, now he's
got a Falk having herd.

So this winter when we breed them,
his paradigm is that weaning weight

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Share.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: And I
am encouraging him to look beyond

weaning weight into some other
factors, but he's not there yet.

So I said, we're not breeding with the
south Polls on your herd this year.

We've got this Angus bull.

We may wanna pick up another
one and see how it goes.

See if he's happier with those
calves because that paradigm, I

mean, that's been his paradigm for
decades and it's hard for him to move.

He has moved a long

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
but it's still hard.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
and we definitely run into that.

Sometimes I have you know, traditional
commercial guys that'll call me and

they've read something or whatever, and
they say, they think, you know what?

Our cows are getting too big.

We need to.

We need to do something different.

Well, then they come and they're pretty
hyped up about the idea, and then they

come and, you know, and they look at these
small bulls, or especially if they're

young, you know, I usually go try and
show 'em a mature herd bull that helps.

But, you know, and sometimes they
just say we just can't do it.

You know?

It's just too big of a, and oftentimes
what we find is, well, you know,

maybe a good place to start is
use those bulls on some heifers.

And and that's where I, you know, that's
where we get cracked in with some of

our commercial guys is they'll start
out and use 'em on heifers and you

know, and that's a good place to start.

And, you know, and then they can kind
of go from there and decide, you know,

they're, again, they're not for everybody.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Right.

Yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
You know, this business is that's

what's great about the cattle business.

It's made up by a bunch of independents,
and we, by and large, we do what we

think works best for our operations.

And we're not, you know, we're
not under some contract with

anybody telling us what to do.

And I res I, you know, I told, I
have total respect for that, so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Bruce, I've
got a couple of questions that may

be more of a hot seat variety, so we
can see if you want to answer 'em.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: is there a big
concern or a big difference when we're

looking at purebred versus full blood?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
No, not according to me.

You know, unfortunately, anytime you
use two different terms, you know,

it's kinda like, choice and good.

It, you know, it sort of implies that
one must be better than the other.

And you know, that's not the case.

And we do hear those you know, I
hear those terms throwed around

the South Poll breed quite a bit.

And, but you know, I just try to
encourage people, you know, I would

try to, you know, make good culling
decisions put some pressure on the

cattle and use, use whatever genetics
you know, are gonna improve your herd.

And if that's a full blood or a
purebred or a percentage or, you know,

some other breed as far as that goes
than you know, do the wise thing.

And you know, I'm obviously in the
registered business and so we're, you

know, we're always transferring papers
and you know, I'm encouraging people

to register and I'm on the board of the
breed and obviously that's important

to help us keep promoting the breed.

But we all know we can't eat those
papers, and so they're only as good

as the cattle that come with 'em.

And that's true with the whole
purebred full blood thing.

So, yeah.

No I yeah, we don't, we
pay zero attention to that.

We try to follow our little simple
recipe and keep our head down so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Well,
good cattle are good cattle,

no matter what you call them.

Yeah.

The next question, you know, within the
SPOs you have a lot of solid red cattle,

but you also have a lot of model face.

Or a little wide on the underneath.

Does that wide on 'em bother you at all?

Or does, is there a concern about that?

Should you be

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: to say I'm
trying to keep my bias out of it

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I don't know.

You're

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: in

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
sure.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: not
to word my question with my

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: have

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
no, that's okay.

I'm actually really
glad you asked that one.

You know, I there again, I'll
tell you my recipe again, no

supplementation, you know, no extra
crutches, chemicals and we pre check.

And if you're open, you go home.

And we treat heifers like cows,
and not once in there did I

mention full blood or pure bred?

And I sure didn't mention color either.

And so.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: right.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah, I absolutely pay,

I pay no attention to it.

Now, I'll have some customers
that'll want an all Red Bull.

I'll have some customers
that'll want a Whiteface bull.

I'll have some that don't care.

But I, yeah, we've got, you know,
whatever x number of mottled faced or

white faced cows, and same way with
the bulls and yeah, I, boy, I just,

I'm not gonna let, I'm not gonna mess,
mess my program up by, by wading off

in the weeds after something like that
that, that is not gonna have any impact

on, you know, on my end game at all.

So, yeah I'm pretty I'm pretty,
yeah, I'm pretty adamant about that.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Do you find
when you're talking to commercial

producers that maybe they should go
solid or because you're worried about

that deduction at the sale barn, or
is it like, don't worry about that.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I it really depends.

And some people, especially on the bulls,
you know, you'll get person, a person that

says, well, we only gonna own one bull.

And so we can afford to be pretty choosy.

And maybe that's choosy that they want it
solid red or it might be choosy that they

want it to have a little character, as I
call it, and have a little bit of white.

And so, you know, it, they're and maybe
they can be afford to be driven that

way when they're making a bull purchase.

And I'd hate to see 'em
buy a lesser bull from me.

Based on color but but so yeah, we run
into that a little bit, but, we'll,

I mean, if you've talked, you know,
if you've got somebody that's had

Herefords in the, in their background
somewhere they'll want a white face.

And so I don't see much, I do
see discrimination one way or the

other, but it's not consistent.

It's sometimes one way or the other.

And the fact of the matter is
they don't really breed true

in terms of color anyway.

So you can have two red ones and
you'll get a white-faced calf.

And so I'm not sure sometimes that
chasing that is, it's not gonna really

work out for you completely anyway.

But so yeah, I don't know.

We, it's a discussion point usually when
I'm dealing with folks but sometimes

it matters and sometimes it doesn't.

So

It sure doesn't to me though.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

Well, very good.

Before we switch to Famous four questions,
anything else you'd like to add?

I.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
No, I, you know, I think

well, yeah, a little bit.

You know, of all I you know, hopefully
I've made a case that, you know,

we have a real simple recipe here
and South Polls are a, certainly a,

you know, an integral part of that.

And but I'm also, you know, and I've
kind of muddled through life and really

hit some you know, some lucky points
and some aha moments, if you will.

That's kind of changed the
course of my direction.

And so, but I'm also blessed with
you know, my wife is very supportive

and she's, you know, I just mentioned
earlier she's moving sheep and feeding

the dogs and probably getting supper
ready while I'm working on this.

And my son and
daughter-in-law, they help out.

We were gone on for a week vacation.

We don't do that very often last week.

And they helped out with chores
and then we've got a full-time

guy that helped us too.

And, george is a, you know, we
couldn't do what we do without him.

And and so, you know, with this business
it helps to be surrounded by people

that help you get your job done.

And we're blessed that way and we,
I'll extend that a little further too.

We run cattle for other folks and they're
very much our partners in this game.

And we appreciate 'em and we have a
lot of lease ground and that and I

consider those folks my partners as well.

And so, we wouldn't be here doing
this with, without you know, without

my wife and family and our good help
and our landlords and our cow owners.

So, just kind of a shout out to them.

So thank, thanks for letting me do that.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

Bruce, it's time for our
famous four questions.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yes, sir.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: questions
we ask of all of our guests.

The South Poll Grass Cattle Association
invites you to the 17th annual South

Poll Field Day and cattle auction
happening September 19th and 20th, 2025

at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas.

This flagship gathering brings together
as breeders, enthusiasts, and industry

professionals to celebrate the South
Poll breed, while deepening knowledge

of grazing systems and animal husbandry.

This event features educational talks
on the history of the South Poll

breed, heifer development on forage.

And breakout sessions on grazing
tools, record keeping and

producing premium grass fed beef.

You also enjoy the junior speaking
contests, networking opportunities,

visiting with vendors, and plenty more.

Founded in 2008, the SPGCA is a nonprofit
dedicated to advancing this gentle,

heat tolerant maternal breed known for
exceptional grass to beef efficiency.

They provide pedigree registrations,
education, and events that connect

and support producers nationwide.

Join us for two days of
learning, sharing, and community.

Register, or learn more at southPoll.com.

That is south Poll.com.

S-O-U-T-H-P-O-L-L.com.

Our first question, what's your favorite
grazing grass related book or resource?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
So I've mentioned how I've had these

little wake up calls in life and when
my favorite book just because it's

had such a meaning meaningful impact
on me is Greg Judy's first book, and

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
that, that book, if you go back

and read that, he talks a lot about
running leased cows on leased land.

And that was really important that, that
helped us grow from a one farm, one set of

cows into, know, leasing, 10 farms, owning
three farms and running a lot more cows.

And so, Greg's been a big influence on me.

so I'll pick his book.

His first book is my greatest resource.

Had a big impact on me.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh, very good.

Excellent resource.

And since you brought up a Greg Judy
book, Greg, his third book, How to

Think Like A Rancher first person that
emails me, they would like that book.

I'll put it in the mail to
'em for our second question.

What's your favorite tool for the farm?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I'm gonna say my UTVI bet.

bet I started that thing
50 times today alone.

And I'm always in it back and forth
and we've got a couple of them.

We use it for calving,
we use it for fencing.

We pack firewood, salt, mineral and you
know, it's it's what carries us around.

And I'd be in trouble
without those things.

So we use 'em every day.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: What's
your brand of choice for your UTV?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
We've got a, we've got a Kawasaki Pro fx.

We like it 'cause it's got a big bed
and a big seat and we use it a lot.

But then we use a Polaris Ranger a lot.

We got one of those two.

And we like it for calving 'cause it's
a little bit smaller and more nimble.

So, yeah I've tried different ones.

Those are kind of the two we use today.

So,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh, very good.

Our third question, what
would you tell someone?

Just getting started.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
And I've kind of alluded to a

little bit of this today but you
know, I think, well two things.

One walk before you run a little bit.

I love excitement and people get.

You know, they, I'm going to graze
cattle and then I'm gonna get me some

pigs and then I'm gonna chickens.

And, you know, and so, you know, I
think they, people, you know, folk,

young folks and beginning people need
to kinda slow down and master one

thing before you move on to the next.

And I love diversity, but you can get
too many things juggled in the air.

And I think second of all is I, you
know, I don't think I'd get yourself

boxed into a corner and you know,
I think we need to be an open mind

is what puts you in this business.

And so don't go getting it closed now.

And, you know, and I think it's easy to
look back at some traditional folks and

think, well, I'll never do that again.

But don't ever say never because, you
know, a drought or a, you know, some

event can force you to change your mind.

And so I like to tell 'em, keep
that toolbox full and don't throw

out any of them tools just yet.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I
think that's excellent advice.

Yeah.

Bruce, where can others
find out more about you?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
We have a website, Safras Valley Ranch.

You can look us up there.

My cell phone number is
listed on the website.

I don't mind to give it out.

5 7 3 5 7 8 3 9 4 5.

My email's on there as well and also on
Facebook and you know, don't hesitate to

call me and, or get ahold of me any way
you need to, whether you're, you know,

obviously if you're wanting to buy a bull
or heifer or whatever but if you just want

to talk about something, I'm, I try to
always be, make time for everybody and,

you know, share some of my experiences
and I'll probably learn more than more

than they did just visiting with 'em.

So.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: And
then the South Poll field day's

coming up Friday and Saturday,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
you'll have animals in it.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: I
will, I got my catalog right here and yep.

It's the September 19th and 20th if
we consigned a couple of heifers.

I'm I'll be leaving in a couple of
days and headed down to Arkansas.

So this is our 17th annual, and
this is my 17th one I've been

to, so I haven't missed one yet.

Yep.

I've made 'em all, so,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Oh, excellent.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Before
we wrap up for today, do you

have a question for me, Bruce?

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

You said you've got some south Polls
too, or been using south Poll bulls?

Yeah.

What were you crossing those with?

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I, for my herd,

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: south Polls or

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Oh, okay.

Okay.

All right.

Corrientes

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: are cheap.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
my pocketbook really well.

I really like that cross.

I've got some, I've had some
half Es, half south Polls Kevin

now, and I'm really liking them.

Sometimes I started bringing this up
earlier at weaning, even at a year of age.

I'm like, I just don't know.

But at two years old, I'm pretty
impressed with those heifers.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Yeah, they go through

a little awkward stage.

Yeah.

We sell a fair number of bulls that
go over the top of some, you know,

Corrientes or Texas Longhorns or whatever.

And I've always appreciated those crosses.

In fact, I had some Longhorns myself
for a while, and we sold those

in a drought couple years ago.

But anyway, so, yep.

Nothing wrong with that cross, so

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: yeah I
think it works out really good.

And then you get that
half south Poll, half

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Corriente,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: and you
cross it against the South Poll.

That calf looks solid.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
That's right.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Not to take
anything away from the Corriente

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Correct.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: but that
hardiness is built in there, but

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yep,

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
beef factors in there and

Better carcass.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919: yep.

Nothing wrong with that direction.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: Yeah.

Okay.

Well, Bruce, I appreciate
you coming back on.

We didn't mention this earlier in
the episode, but we recorded one

episode and it was a disaster.

It wouldn't upload.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
I, the only thing better

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919:
the episode was great.

It was probably the best episode ever.

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
It, yeah I'm sure it was I, the only

thing better than visiting with you
once is visiting with you twice,

so, yeah I'm deeply appreciated that
you asked me to be on here and and

humbled to get to do this with you.

So, if I can ever be of
assistance, you just let me know.

So

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I appreciate
it I appreciate talking to you.

Appreciate you coming on.

I see you in a few

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
yeah, you gonna be at the field day.

cal_1_09-16-2025_174919: I will

squadcaster-49d9_1_09-16-2025_174919:
Oh, awesome.

I'll see you there.

I love that Bruce really leans into a
simple recipe for cattle production.

He's getting his cows in once a year.

He's not doing a lot of
added things to them.

He's using forage.

I think it goes back to
make your cows work for you.

Don't work for your cows.

And I think that's excellent
advice and I really enjoyed

this conversation with Bruce.

And as I mentioned earlier, we had
the opportunity to record it twice,

uh, because the first one would not
upload, but the second one worked

out great, and we got it out.

I hope you enjoyed it.

I would ask that you share it
with someone who would enjoy it?

Just share it with one person.

It'll really help me.

Thank you.

Cal: Thank you for listening to this
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