Rachel Bouressa of Bouressa Family Farm joins us from central Wisconsin, where she’s a fifth-generation farmer and second-generation grazier managing 120 acres with a soil-first mindset. After returning home following a barn fire, she rebuilt her operation using perennial forages, diverse annuals, and a willingness to experiment. Today she’s deeply involved with Grassworks, Wisconsin Farmers Union, NRCS conservation planning, women-in-conservation mentoring, and the Upper Fox Wolf Demonstration Farm Network—all while running a thriving direct-to-consumer beef business.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• Rebuilding the family farm after a barn fire and starting with just 15 acres
• Developing a soil-first grazing philosophy and “earned efficiency”
• Working closely with NRCS and building strong planner–farmer relationships
• Converting row-crop ground back to pasture using rye, diverse cool-season mixes, and sorghum-Sudan
• Choosing cattle genetics: British White Parks, Devons, and Murray Greys
• Direct-to-consumer beef sales and transitioning to Barn2Door
• Extending the grazing season toward Christmas
• Audubon Bird-Friendly certification and creating habitat value

Why You Should Listen

If you’re looking for a grounded, real-world example of what soil-first grazing looks like in practice, Rachel brings hard-earned wisdom, humility, and a spirit of experimentation. Her story is full of practical insights—from pasture renovation to breed selection to extending the grazing season—and she offers a refreshingly honest look at the challenges and rewards of growing a regenerative, community-connected grazing operation.

Resources Mentioned

• Grassworks Conference
• NRCS grazing resources
• Audubon Conservation Ranching Program
• Wendell Berry — Unsettling of America, The Gift of Good Land
• Fred Provenza — Nourishment

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

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture.

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Today’s episode features Doug Jobes, Regenerative Ranching Advisor at the Noble Research Institute, whose background spans rural Georgia agriculture, the 75th Ranger Regiment, wildlife science, and rangeland ecology. Doug brings a wildlife-first lens to grazing—not just how animals eat grass, but how grazing decisions ripple out into birds, deer, turkeys, insects, habitat structure, and even the income potential of your ranch.

We dig into how wildlife and grazing fit together, what habitat components matter most, how producers can inventory wildlife on their land, and how regenerative grazing opens doors to additional enterprises like hunting leases, ecotourism, and wildlife photography. Doug also explains nesting cover vs. roost sites for turkeys, how to adapt your grazing plan for wildlife without sacrificing profitability, and why “realistic expectations” matter more than anything when managing both grass and critters.

Topics Covered

• Doug’s journey from Georgia farm life → military service → wildlife science → Noble Research Institute.
• What “regenerative grazing + wildlife” really means.
• Why realistic expectations are key when managing habitat.
• How to inventory wildlife on your property.
• Differences in wildlife presence between neighboring properties—and why.
• Monetizing wildlife:
  • Hunting leases
  • Waterfowl access
  • Dove fields
  • Fishing
  • Ecotourism
  • Wildlife photography (and how competitive photographers are!)
• Habitat needs for:
  • Bobwhite quail
  • Grassland songbirds
  • Wild turkeys—nesting cover + roost trees
• How grazing decisions influence bird populations (Roots So Deep examples).
• Using rest periods strategically for wildlife habitat.
• The Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) as a tool for understanding forage history.
• Doug’s favorite book → Beef, Brush, and Bobwhites
• Why market forces matter in conservation decisions.

🎧 Why Listen?

If you’ve ever wondered how wildlife fits into regenerative ranching—or how your grazing decisions affect far more than cattle—this episode will open your eyes. Doug connects soil health, plant communities, wildlife needs, grazing pressure, and producer profitability in a way few people can. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of habitat, new options for income streams, and several practical management tweaks you can apply immediately.

This episode is especially valuable if you’ve been noticing wildlife differences between your property and the neighbors and wondering “why?”

Resources Mentioned

• Noble Research Institute: https://noble.org
• Beef, Brush, and Bobwhites — Guthery & Hernández (ebook ~$10)
• Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP): https://rangelands.app
• Roots So Deep docuseries (bird habitat comparisons)

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

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture.

Grazing Grass Links
New Listener Resource Guide

Provide feedback for the podcast
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Check out the Apiary Chronicles Podcast

Original Music by Louis Palfrey

Austin Unruh returns for another deep, practical conversation on silvopasture — this time focusing on “the dip,” livestock pressure, pruning, shade strategy, pigs and poultry in tree systems, and what to do in Year Zero before you ever put a seedling in the ground. If you’ve ever stared at your pastures on a hot day wishing you had more shade… this one will light a fire under you.

What we cover in this episode:

• The “dip” in silvopasture: why years 1–4 feel like a grind
• Shade as the low-hanging fruit — and why it’s only the beginning
• Livestock pressure: how to protect trees when cattle, horses, and wildlife want to destroy them
• Pruning young vs. established trees (and the dangers of over-pruning)
• Species selection for different goals: shade, fodder, privacy screens, and livestock feed
• Why mulberries and persimmons shine for pigs and poultry
• Running pigs IN establishment-phase silvopasture (pros, cons, protection methods)
• Tree spacing, patterns, and why grids usually beat random placements
• Managing compaction, vole pressure, and bark hardening
• Year Zero → Year Two: fall tasks, maintenance, ordering trees, and setting up for success
• Why early wins matter psychologically (and how to get them)
• Continuous grazing vs rotational grazing when it comes to tree crops

If you’re serious about silvopasture, this episode gives you a roadmap from the ground up — from species selection and timing to realistic maintenance and livestock integration. Austin breaks down the parts most graziers underestimate: the grind, the setbacks, and the discipline it takes before shade and feed finally show up. Whether you’re planting five trees or five hundred, you’ll walk away with clearer steps and fewer unknowns.

Resources mentioned:

• Trees for Graziers — treesforgraziers.com
• Castor oil vole deterrent products
• Acres U.S.A. (publisher of Austin’s upcoming second edition)
• Liberty apple, crabapple, and apple-crab varieties
• Hybrid willow, hybrid poplar, black locust, honey locust
• Rusted Plowshare Farm (Josh Payne)

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

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture.

Grazing Grass Links
New Listener Resource Guide

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

Original Music by Louis Palfrey