GrassCast

Stories on Pasture: Serge Koenig shares about a shift to grazing happening in Sauk County

Serge Koenig has served for more than 25 years as a Conservation Technician for Sauk County in Wisconsin. He is passionate about his work--helping land owners think about how to best preserve the natural resources (especially water and soil!) that they steward. In recent years, Serge has turned to promoting grassland-based systems as a way to get to the root of the conversation problems that Sauk County faces. And, in our conversation, he shares about his approach, as well as the obstacles and opportunities that he's seen when helping farmers transition to grazing.If you want to learn more about Serge and the work that he does, check out the Sauk County Conservation Reserve Program. This episode's soundtrack is UpUpUp and Over by Blue Dot Sessions.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Serge was interviewed via Zoom in August of 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Stories on Pasture: Jon Lee shares about working hard and getting by

Jon Lee is proud to be the fifth generation stewarding the 150 acres outside Coon Valley that his ancestors started farming more than a century ago. Today, he raises beef at Lee Farms, which he sells through the Wisconsin Grassfed Beef Cooperative. Jon is also an educator with more than two decade experience teaching locally and abroad AND a talented artist. In our conversation, Jon shares about his experience balancing many different jobs to keep the farm afloat. If you want to learn more about Jon, his farm, or his photography & ceramics businesses, give us a shout at grassland2.0podcast@gmail.com and we'll put you in touch.Our new soundtrack is Rabbit Hole, by Blue Dot Sessions.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Jon was interviewed over the phone in June of 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Stories on Pasture: Lois & Sandi Schwert share about the joy and struggles of a new beginning

Lois and Sandi Schwert are the mother-daughter duo behind The Sand Farm—a new mixed vegetable and grassfed beef farm in the Driftless region of Wisconsin. They come from a long line of dairy farmers and have spent decades involved in their family's conventional dairy operation, Schwert Farms. They are also the innovators transitioning some family land away from dairy and into new enterprises. We spoke at length about the sometimes subversive way they've gone about making changes to Schwert Farms, as well as the excitement and frustration that comes with new beginnings.If you're interested in supporting Lois and Sandi, you can find them at the Farmers' Markets in Mills and Soldiers Grove.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Lois & Sandi were interviewed at the Grassworks Conference in January 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Stories on Pasture: Greg Galbraith shares about grazing and change

Greg Galbraith is a former grazier and dairyman turned columnist and contributor for the farming publication Agri-View. He studied Dairy Science at the University of Illinois and, after graduating in 1981, went on to work as the Assistant Manager on two farms. Eventually, Greg before bought his own farm in eastern Marathon County Wisconsin, where his ancestors began farming in 1890. Together with his family, they ran the 120-cow grazing-based dairy operation for more than two decades. In our conversation, Greg shared passionately about the many hardships he and his family faced, and how the transition to grazing transformed his operation and the ways he interacted with the land.To learn more about Greg and see some of his writing, you can follow his column here. Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Greg was interviewed at the Grassworks Conference in January 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Stories on Pasture: Jacob Marty shares about coming home

Jacob Marty is a young farmer based in Monticello, Wisconsin. He's spent the last 5 years converting his family's 150+ year-old dairy operation into Green Fire Farm, where he now raises beef cattle, poultry, and pigs, and is working on putting in fruit & nut trees. In our conversation, Jacob shares about why he decided to return to the home farm, what it's been like working with his father, and the challenge that is re-entering a community.Stories on Pasture is based on oral history interviews conducted as a part of the Grassland 2.0 project. Jacob was interviewed at the Grassworks Conference in January 2020.This podcast is made possible thanks to a Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agriculture grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.