Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US. Triple Oaks Farm is a family-run regenerative farm in Virginia, raising pastured pigs and other livestock with a focus on food sovereignty, stewardship, and community. Timestamps: 00:00 – Biblical dominion and why he left USDA butchers 06:00 – PSE meat explained: what stress does to pork quality 09:00 – Electro ...
May 20, 2026•29 min•Ep. 119
Tony Eash runs Triple E Farms in West Virginia with his brother Phil - a raw dairy and pasture-raised operation built from bare land, rooted in regenerative principles and faith in community. Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US. Timestamps: 0:00 — Why farmers not making money is everyone's problem 1:00 — What on-farm milk testing actually costs 2:0...
May 13, 2026•17 min•Ep. 118
Ørsted, a Danish renewable energy giant, is trying to lease 4,000 acres of Casey's state grazing land in Arizona to build an industrial solar array - land that he depends on for winter range, without which the ranch isn't viable. Casey believes productive grazing land shouldn't be touched when there's no shortage of barren desert, parking lots, and brownfields that could take solar instead - and the companies could do it if they wanted to, they just won't because it's cheaper and easier to go af...
May 07, 2026•44 min•Ep. 115
Ben and Hannah Yoder run Savage Mountain Farm, a 150-acre diversified, full-diet CSA on the Pennsylvania–Maryland line, rooted in Amish–Mennonite heritage and natural methods, raising produce, mushrooms, and pastured livestock while blending regenerative farming with homeschooling, community engagement, and a family-centered lifestyle. Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping ...
Apr 30, 2026•13 min•Ep. 117
Patrick Samuels is the founder of Sunnyside Egg Co., a Kentucky-based regenerative egg operation built on mobile coops and Amish/Mennonite farming partnerships. A former US Army Special Forces officer with no agricultural background, Patrick stumbled into farming through pandemic-era homesteading, worked inside one of the largest pasture-raised egg brands, and launched Sunnyside in December 2024 to scale what he calls the only truly regenerative egg operation in the country. 5 Key Topics The pas...
Apr 22, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 116
Brad Wiley's family has farmed the same land since 1790. In this episode on our Farmer Stories series, he share shis wonder at the invisible web beneath his fields - and what it means to carry 200 years of family memory on a single piece of ground. Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US. Timestamps 00:00 — The biological web that makes Tesla look simp...
Apr 15, 2026•24 min•Ep. 115
Joel Hollingsworth runs Smoke River Ranch in northeast Oklahoma. This conversation from our Farmer Stories Series talks about why Joel believes we need to keep manufcaturing in America & why Oklahoma's culture of self-governance is a cultural model the country can build around. Farmer Stories pulls the best conversations from The Regenaissance archive - real voices from American farmers on the systems, economics, and communities shaping food and land in the US. Timestamps 0:00 — Why build in...
Apr 08, 2026•19 min•Ep. 114
Gunthorp Farms is a 3rd generation pork and poultry operation in northern Indiana with on-farm USDA-inspected processing. This tour covers the full farm from farrowing paddocks to kill floor, smokehouse, and wastewater treatment. Watch alongside the full podcast episode for the full story. Key Topics Adaptive multi-paddock grazing in practice 50-paddock farrowing system and piglet management Building and running a USDA-inspected on-farm processing facility USDA enforcement: how small and large p...
Apr 01, 2026•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 113
Charles and Heather Maude are 5th generation ranchers in South Dakota running a direct-to-consumer beef and pork operation built on land their family has worked for over 115 years. This tour covers the full operation - cattle, hogs, grain storage, equipment, and the irrigated river bottom at the center of a federal land dispute that drew national attention. Watch this alongside the full-length podcast episode for the complete story behind what you're seeing on the ground. Key Topics Direct-to-co...
Mar 25, 2026•41 min•Ep. 112
Joel Hollingsowrth has spent years doing something most people wouldn't dare try - building a regenerative cattle ranch from scratch, with no money, no inherited land, and no roadmap. And yet, it has become one of the pioneering regenerative farms in the nation. Joel is joined by David, who left an Ivy League PhD program to ranch in rural Mexico before landing here, and Daniel, the herd manager responsible for translating Joel's system into daily practice. Together they walk us through mob grazi...
Mar 18, 2026•47 min•Ep. 111
Fascinating episode, touring a regenerative bison and pecan farm! A first for me. A bit about the ranch & tour... TLC ranch is located in Souther Oklahoma. It's ran by Cindy Sheffield (who tours us today) and her husband Tread and their two daughters and husbands, where they raise bison and manage a large organic pecan orchard. The ranch began in 1997 when the family purchased land that many others had passed on, seeing potential where others did not. What started as weekend trips for huntin...
Mar 11, 2026•30 min•Ep. 110
Caden and Patrick run Cable Family Farm in Piedmont, North Carolina, where they manage a small 80 bed no-till market garden along with pasture-raised eggs and chickens. Caden started the farm at 18, and then a few years later was able to convince Patrick to join him. Their main concern starting the farm was how would they make money? This tour shows how they produce their crops and animals in a healthy, sustainable way, along with their marketing and production approach to creating a viable smal...
Mar 04, 2026•37 min•Ep. 109
About Rehoboth & Josh & Jessica: This was a really fun tour. The farm has an interesting backstory. It was initially just a backyard chicken hobbyist farm, and then after feeding themselves and friends, they saw the health impact and the localized food impact - then began trading meat for land access. Josh spent years during 2015-18 waiting for the right property top open up, with multiple failed attempts, before securing the current farm in 2018. They launched full-time in 2019, saw rap...
Feb 25, 2026•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 108
Our farm tour of Tony Eash's pasture raised pork, chicken and beef farm. Tony grew up farming alongside his brother Phil in West Virginia, learning animal care and haymaking at a young age. After the sudden loss of their father, the brothers leaned on their Mennonite community for support and chose to continue farming. Tony tours us through his farm, his way of life, and you're able to see how much he cares about farming, the land and animals, and the importance of delivering quality food to con...
Feb 18, 2026•59 min•Ep. 107
This one was fun. Jacob and Jenna tour us through Baird Farm, a fourth-generation Vermont maple farm operating since 1918. They walk me through the sugarbush, tubing systems, and sugarhouse, and how its all made/stored/sold and its history. Fascinating stuff - hope you get something out of it. Key Topics Modern maple syrup production vs traditional bucket methods The maple sugaring season and weather dependence Real maple syrup vs imitation and blended products Forest management, biodiversity, a...
Feb 11, 2026•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 106
A walk-through tour of Wrick Ranches in western Colorado with rancher Jason Wrick, covering calf weaning, water systems, drought realities, regenerative grazing decisions, and how a working ranch stays financially viable through direct-to-consumer beef, on-farm retail, and diversified income streams. Key Topics Calf weaning and animal welfare in real ranching conditions Water rights, irrigation, and farming during long-term drought Hay reserves, soil fertility, and nutrient cycling through cattl...
Feb 06, 2026•45 min•Ep. 105
Charles and Heather Maude are fifth-generation ranchers in South Dakota who farm home raised beef and pork direct-to-consumer. In this episode they describe their family history on the land, their early lives in agriculture, and the events that led to a criminal indictment by the United States Forest Service over a disputed boundary fence. The episode documents their personal background, the mechanics of Western land use, and a detailed account of how a civil land issue escalated into a federal ...
Jan 28, 2026•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 104
In this episode, we tour through Rucker Farm with Garrett Heydt to see how a large, leased regenerative operation actually works; covering hay, turkeys, water systems, minerals, and grazing decisions that shape animal health and land outcomes over time. Key Topics Rotational grazing on large, leased properties Pasture-based turkey production and management Water infrastructure, exclusion fencing, and environmental impact Hay economics vs standing winter forage Regeneration as a long-term land et...
Jan 21, 2026•50 min•Ep. 103
Otter Creek Farm is located in upstate New York. First-generation farmer Elizabeth Collins walks through how herself and 5th generation farmer Brad Wiley rebuilt a former conventional dairy into a small, regenerative, animal-welfare-driven operation. The conversation moves from soil-health principles and rotational grazing to the practical realities of feed decisions, omega-3/6 tradeoffs, infrastructure design, and why consumer responsibility is central to fixing the food system. Key topics Soil...
Jan 14, 2026•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 102
This live farm tour back in August 2025 was at J&L Green Farm in Virginia, where Jordan Green walks us through the operational heart of the farm. From on-farm poultry processing and cold storage to multi-species shelter design and silvopasture development, the conversation is delves into why certain farming infrastructures and layouts exist, how animals are rotated, on-farm problems with certain infrastructure, and how design iterations have helped him reduce labor, improved animal welfare, ...
Jan 07, 2026•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 101
Ben Justman takes me inside Peony Lane Wine in Paonia, Colorado for a live farm tour of one of America’s highest-elevation vineyard regions. He educates me on how grapes are grown, how vines survive harsh winters, how low-intervention wine is made, and why true place-based winemaking creates a totally different drinking experience. It’s interesting to see how he constantly adapts to the seasons, soil, weather, and other farming variables to keep the operation productive and high quality. Key Top...
Dec 31, 2025•29 min•Ep. 100
This on-the-ground episode explores Michael Grecos first-generation regenerative sheep operation, run entirely on leased land in New York’s Hudson Valley. We walk the pastures with Michael as he explains stocking strategy, grazing philosophy, shade management, lambing, predator protection, mineral systems, on-farm slaughter, and why sheep can make regenerative agriculture viable on smaller landscapes. Key Topics Why Michael chose sheep and how leased land shapes his operation Daily rotational gr...
Dec 24, 2025•49 min•Ep. 99
In this live farm tour episode from July this year, I visited Julie Friend and her farm, Wildom Farm, a regenerative livestock farm where cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs are raised together on pasture and in forest systems. The discussion covers daily pasture rotation, animal behavior, predator dynamics, soil health, and how regenerative management affects animal welfare, meat quality, and ecosystem resilience. The farmer walks through real trade-offs, processing challenges, and why transparency...
Dec 17, 2025•56 min•Ep. 98
This episode was recorded during the Colorado farm tour and features a long-form conversation with Jason Wrich from Wrich Ranches, a regenerative cattle operation built on leased land, rebuilt soil, and decades of hands-on learning. We walk through the origins of the ranch, the economics behind conventional vs regenerative systems, the realities of grazing management, and the cultural disconnect shaping how Americans think about food. The discussion moves from land stewardship and plant physiolo...
Dec 10, 2025•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 97
This episode comes from our recent farm tour at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, where Will Harris walked us through the land and the systems that support it. White Oak is a multigenerational operation that has shifted from conventional row-crop agriculture to a diverse, closed-loop ecosystem of grass-fed cattle, wildlife, and restored soils. Will explains how these relationships work in practice, the long-term effects of pesticides and monoculture, and why ecological cycles - not indust...
Dec 03, 2025•24 min•Ep. 96
Hickory Nut Gap is a century-old family farm in Western North Carolina, now run by Jamie and Amy, who shifted the operation toward grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, and regenerative grazing. Their model connects soil health, animal welfare, and community resilience - from rotational grazing that builds biodiversity to supplying local restaurants and retailers. This tour looks directly at how they raise animals, manage land, and keep farming viable in the Appalachian mountains. Key Topics How Hic...
Nov 27, 2025•29 min•Ep. 95
Ben Justman of Peony Lane Wine grew up on this Colorado orchard, returned in his mid-20s, taught himself winemaking, and now runs a small high-elevation Pinot Noir winery on his family’s land, built alongside his father. Key Topics Childhood on a self-sustaining orchard and returning to family land Starting Peony Lane Wine and producing high-elevation Pinot Noir Winemaking as farming: soil, climate, and place Direct-to-consumer realities for small producers Why Ben accepts Bitcoin and why he pla...
Nov 19, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 94
JR Burdick of Nourishing Family Farm explains how losing his family’s farm in the 1980s and later being forced out of his dairy co-op shaped his path toward raw milk, soil-based farming, and local food independence. His story exposes how modern agriculture breaks families and communities - and how rebuilding begins one farm at a time. Key Topics The 1980s farm crisis and its generational impact Industrial agriculture’s false promises Losing and rebuilding the family farm Founding Nourishing Fami...
Nov 12, 2025•3 hr 14 min•Ep. 93
August Hortsmann is a first-generation Missouri cattleman and founder of Hortsmann Cattle Company , a regenerative ranch built on his family’s land near St. Louis. What began as a childhood passion grew into a full-time operation which, over the past eight years, has integrated adaptive grazing, direct-to-consumer beef sales, and long-term soil-focused practices. His education was established through years of study, observation, and trial. August spent countless seasons working ranch jobs integr...
Nov 05, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 92
Will Harris is a sixth-generation cattleman and owner of White Oak Pastures , a 158-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia. Since 1866, the Harris family has practiced land-based farming rooted in regeneration, humane animal husbandry, and zero-waste production. In this episode, Will reflects on the farm’s evolution from industrial cattle operations to a living ecosystem. He discusses soil, community, balance, symbiosis in an ecosstem, rural farming communities, stewardship, organic matter, h...
Oct 29, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 91
