In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, we hear from Marque Renshaw of Peace in the Valley Farms in West Plains, Missouri. Marque shares her journey into rotational grazing and the lessons she and her husband Ryan have learned transitioning their operation to focus on sheep. From challenging beginnings—managing animals post-house fire and learning by doing with sale barn ewes—to building a resilient and thoughtful grazing system, Marque's story is both raw and inspiring. Her passion for helping others shines through, especially in her efforts to foster a positive online community and mentor other graziers.

Topics Covered

• Transitioning from horses and cattle to a sheep-focused operation
• Mistakes and hard lessons from buying sale barn sheep
• Learning what true rotational grazing is (and what it isn’t)
• How a house fire catalyzed a new farming chapter
• The importance of fencing and learning to love hotwire
• Finding and building a relationship with a sheep-savvy vet
• Daily grazing rotations and pasture management
• Building supportive and judgment-free communities for graziers
• Educating oneself through podcasts, grazing schools, and mentorship
• The role of women and generational legacy in agriculture

Why You Should Listen
If you're managing sheep or considering them for your operation, Marque's journey is full of relatable struggles, practical insights, and hard-earned wisdom. Her transparency about missteps and breakthroughs offers a refreshing and motivating perspective—especially if you're navigating your first years in regenerative grazing.

Resources Mentioned

• Peace in the Valley Farms
• Grazing Grass Community (Facebook)
• Grazing Sheep podcast (with Tom and Cam)
• Vet Caitlyn from Gainesville, Missouri

Looking for Livestock that thrive on grass? Check out Grass Based Genetics

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Tom Otton joins us from the far south coast of Australia to share his journey from growing up on a beef farm to operating a grazing-based dairy with his family. Tom discusses the evolution of his practices, including a heavy focus on multi-species pastures, no-till methods, and regenerative grazing—long before he even knew the word “regenerative.” He shares thoughtful insights on cow genetics, virtual fencing, and the challenges of balancing tradition with innovation, especially in the context of Australia’s extreme weather and regulatory environment.

• Transition from beef farming to dairy during Australia’s millennium drought
• Grazing-based dairy practices with multi-species pastures
• Implementing high-density rotation with 2–4 shifts per day
• Adoption and legality of virtual fencing in Australia
• Using sexed semen and beef crosses for herd improvement and profitability
• Winter planting of cereal and forage blends; native summer grass systems
• Infrastructure layout with laneways, river watering, and no indoor housing
• Honest insights on power costs, robotic milkers, and future tech
• Personal reflections on footwear, decision-making, and doing what works for you

Tom’s down-to-earth approach to grazing-based dairying in a region with both drought and flood extremes offers valuable perspective for anyone in livestock. Whether you're intrigued by virtual fencing, cow genetics, or just love hearing how others adapt regenerative principles across the globe, Tom delivers a mix of practical know-how and big-picture thinking.

Resources Mentioned

• Call of the Reed Warbler by Charles Massy
• Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown
• Tango Holsteins on Facebook
• Tango Holsteins on Instagram

Looking for Livestock that thrive on grass? Check out Grass Based Genetics

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond

Grazing Grass Links
New Listener Resource Guide

Provide feedback for the podcast
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Resources
Community (on Facebook)
Check out the Apiary Chronicles Podcast

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In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal talks with Ernie Mathis of Iron Root Pastures in Rising Fawn, Georgia. Ernie shares how he went from suburban New Jersey roots and metro Atlanta life to traveling the U.S. in an RV and finally settling on a dilapidated cow-calf farm to pursue a regenerative, multi-species livestock operation. He discusses starting with backyard broilers, managing raw milk production from his herd of Jerseys, raising pigs and poultry on organic, soy-free and corn-free feed, and why he’s adding rabbits next. Ernie also walks through his portable milking parlor setup, calf-sharing system, and lessons learned in farm infrastructure, grazing systems, and marketing directly to health-focused consumers.

Topics Covered

• Why and how Ernie and his family left metro life for farm life
• Starting with 10 backyard broilers and progressing to pasture poultry
• Transitioning from RV life to settling on a 225-acre property
• Developing a direct-to-consumer market with chiropractic clinics
• Raising soy-free, corn-free fed chickens, pigs, and layers
• Building a portable milking setup for 8 Jersey cows
• Implementing calf sharing with a custom calf shelter
• Using belted Galloways and moving toward more heat-tolerant breeds
• Plans for integrating rabbits and sheep
• Thoughts on A2 milk, sexed semen, and dual-purpose livestock
• Managing pastures and daily moves using simple infrastructure

If you’ve ever wondered how to go from urban homesteader to full-time grazier, Ernie’s story will inspire and inform you. His creative infrastructure, practical solutions for milking in the pasture, and strong values around health and transparency in food production make this a great episode for new farmers, aspiring dairy graziers, or anyone looking to build a regenerative, direct-to-consumer business. Whether it’s a discussion on milking schedules or raw milk laws, there’s something here for everyone walking a similar path.

Resources Mentioned

• Iron Root Pastures
• Kentucky Organics (feed mill)
• Justin Rhodes YouTube Channel
• White Oak Pastures (Rabbitat project)

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond

Grazing Grass Links
New Listener Resource Guide

Provide feedback for the podcast
Website
Insiders
Resources
Community (on Facebook)
Check out the Apiary Chronicles Podcast

Chapters