Grazing Grass Podcast sharing Regenerative Ag Stories

menu close

194. Grazing Smarter in North Dakota with Fourth Generation Rancher Shane Maddock

/ 01:11:53/E194
In this episode, Cal visits with Shane Maddock, a fourth-generation rancher from north-central North Dakota, where cattle country meets farm country. Shane shares the story of building a regenerative operation through drought, grazing challenges, and generations of learning. He discusses taking over a neighbor’s ranch after returning from National Guard service, developing cross-fenced paddocks and a positive/negative electric system, managing water in the Prairie Pothole Region, and adjusting his grazing philosophy from “a third, a third, a third” to adaptive management guided by what the grass and cattle tell him.

Topics covered
  • Growing up on a holistic-management ranch and learning from his father
  • Leasing cattle and structuring multi-year cow leases
  • Designing high-tensile fencing and pos/neg wiring for sandy soils
  • Transitioning from mild rotation to intensive adaptive grazing
  • Managing drought risk with insurance pastures and flexible enterprises
  • Using Rio Max minerals and observing dramatic feed-efficiency gains
  • Calving-date adjustments and hybrid-vigor breeding decisions
  • Founding Maddock Ranch Supply and serving the community
  • His father receiving North Dakota’s Leopold Conservation Award
 If you’ve ever wondered how to keep cows productive through seven drought years out of eleven—or how to balance generational wisdom with modern regenerative ideas—Shane’s story delivers practical lessons on adaptation, family teamwork, and faith in the land’s resilience.

Resources mentioned
  • Maddock Ranch maddockranch.com
  • Maddock Ranch Supply  maddockranchsupply.com
  • Man, Cattle and Veld – Johan Zietsman
  • Grass-Fed Cattle – Julius Ruechel
  • Holistic Management – Allan Savory
  • Dirt to Soil – Gabe Brown
  • North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition Mentorship Program
  • Rio Max Minerals - riomax.net
Looking for Livestock that thrive on grass?  Check out Grass Based Genetics

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Creators and Guests

Cal Hardage
Host
Cal Hardage
194. Grazing Smarter in North Dakota with Fourth Generation Rancher Shane Maddock

headphones Listen Anywhere

More Options »
Broadcast by