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The Regenaissance Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Regenaissance
Hosted by @Regenaisanceman with the mission of reconnecting us back to where our food is grown & exposing everything that is wrong with our broken food system. We are more disconnected from our food than we ever have been. I sit down with ranchers and farmers to give them a voice and hear their stories, helping paint a picture of what it really looks like to support humanity with food. I also will be talking to others involved in the agriculture space as there is a lot that goes into it all. My hope is that from hearing this podcast you will begin to question what you eat and where from.
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- 5 days ago1h 10m
Chaz Self: The Raw Milk War in Wisconsin #125
I chat with Chaz Self of Grassway Organics about his fight to keep selling raw milk in Wisconsin, the decline of small dairy farms, and what the future of farming might look like amid consolidation, regulation and new technology.Chaz is a first-generation dairy farmer who runs Grassway Organics with his wife in East Troy, Wisconsin, managing roughly 640 acres and milking around 50 cows in a grass-based, seasonal dairy system.A lot has changed since Chaz was last on the show. Grassway is now in an ongoing dispute with Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection over how the farm sells raw milk, with Chaz preparing for a legal fight that he believes could become extremely expensive. We get into how his ownership model works, why he believes the farm has operated legally, and why he has decided to keep pushing rather than step away. We also look at what has happened to Wisconsin dairy more broadly: fewer farms producing more milk, increasing consolidation, overproduction, subsidies and whether relatively simple changes like putting more young cattle back onto pasture could begin moving the system in another direction. We talk about Farm Bureau, social media and the growing political divide around food, before getting into the future of agricultural technology. Thanks for listening. What we cover:Grassway Organics’ raw milk fight with WisconsinThe decline and consolidation of Wisconsin dairySubsidies, grazing and possible paths forwardFarm Bureau, social media and polarization around foodAI, farm technology and what farming is actually forTimestamps:00:00 – Catching up with Chaz Self02:01 – The raw milk fight in Wisconsin10:07 – The cost of fighting regulation19:48 – Lobbying for raw milk26:28 – What happened to Wisconsin dairy?29:23 – Could grazing help fix dairy?34:31 – Does Farm Bureau represent farmers?37:28 – Social media, politics and agriculture44:52 – Rebuilding community around farms53:41 – AI and technology on the farm57:58 – Agricultural data and automation1:01:29 – What is farming actually for?Links & resources mentioned: WebsiteInstagram FacebookRaw Milk Institute (RAWMI) — rawmilkinstitute.orgMark McAfee / RAWMI team — RAWMI team pageVernon Hershberger raw milk case — Wisconsin Court of Appeals caseGreen Lake Association / John Strauser — Green Lake Association teamJoel Salatin / Polyface Farm — Polyface FarmWisconsin DATCP — Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer ProtectionWisconsin Farm Bureau Federation — Wisconsin Farm BureauWisconsin Farm Bureau policy page — Farm Bureau agricultural policy
- 1 weeks ago56 min
Mark Ellison: Pasture Poultry, Farm Economics, and Regenerative Stewardship #124
I chat with Mark Ellison of Grandad Farms in Emmett, Idaho, about how a health-driven search for better food eventually led him to start raising his own chickens, pigs and laying hens.Mark started with a borrowed patch of ground and a few hundred meat chickens. Today, Grandad Farms is raising animals on pasture, developing corn-and-soy-free feed, working toward organic certification and trying to build a farm to guide people to know exactly how their food was raised. We get into the economics behind his roughly $35 chickens and why comparing that directly with a $5 Costco rotisserie chicken misses a lot of what goes into each system. Mark explains his argument around subsidized corn and soy, labor costs and why he is willing to raise a slower-growing, more expensive bird. We also talk about why he moved away from Cornish Cross chickens toward Freedom Rangers, what organic certification does and doesn’t tell you about how an animal was raised, the surprising reality of pasture-raised pigs, and what he has seen happen to his land after repeatedly moving poultry across it. Towards the end, the conversation gets into broader topics around raising children in a family business, Mark’s Christian understanding of stewardship, and why producing food for his neighbors is tied closely to how he thinks about faith and responsibility. Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Mark Ellison, Grandad Farms00:17 – Why Mark started farming04:18 – Processing chickens and animal stewardship06:29 – Corn-free, soy-free chicken feed10:35 – Why a pasture chicken costs $3518:47 – Labor and immigration in agriculture25:01 – Stewardship and regenerative farming27:00 – How chickens improve pasture29:08 – Cornish Cross vs. Freedom Rangers32:26 – What organic certification actually means36:15 – Pasture pigs and factory pork44:42 – Growing Grandad Farms45:35 – Raising a family on the farm48:00 – Farming, faith and Christianity53:08 – Why customers seek out their foodLinksWebsite X
- 2 weeks ago1h 17m
Jesse Zimmerman: Butcher Shops, USDA Rules, and Meat Traceability #123
I chat with Jesse Zimmerman, owner of Renick Valley Meats in Renick, West Virginia, to get into the butchering side of our food system - something I hadn't covered that deeply on the show yet. They have a fascinating story: Jesse and his wife bought a struggling custom butcher shop four years ago and have since transitioned it into a state-inspected facility. We get into the real differences between custom-exempt and inspected processing, the regulations that sound reasonable on paper but make no sense on the kill floor (the single-shot rule, a mandated 90-degree turn in holding pens), and why that complexity isn't accidental - it's a barrier that favors the big four packers over small shops like his. We also cover the current imported-beef controversy, country-of-origin labeling, what actually happens to the 40% of an animal that isn't meat, and the specific questions you should ask any butcher shop before you trust them with your meat. We debate whether policy alone can fix this system, and the importance of direct relationships built on trust in solving the matter. Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Jesse Zimmerman, Renick Valley Meats04:45 – Custom-exempt vs. inspected processing07:53 – The single-shot rule and inhumane-handling write-ups15:23 – The real reason for the 90-degree pen turn19:15 – Big four packer control and regulatory barriers to entry22:20 – The 300,000-metric-ton imported beef controversy26:46 – Country-of-origin labeling and how easy it is to skirt38:58 – What happens to the ~40% "waste" of an animal49:37 – Questions to ask before trusting a butcher shop1:00:21 – Grass-fed/grass-finished nuance and imported "grass-fed" beefLinksWebsiteInstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebook
- 3 weeks ago58 min
Former USDA Insider's Plan to Fix Conservation From Outside The Government @ Jason Hanson | Ep #122
Who's Jason?Jason Hansen spent 14 years with the NRCS watching conservation rules bend for bigger, better-connected operators, and running cost-share programs structurally set up to fail the farmers they were meant to help. In 2018, he left USDA and founded Yield Unlimited. What is Yield Unlimited?Yield Unlimited is Jason Hansen's nonprofit that pays farmers directly, long-term, to run five core conservation practices - crop rotation, no-till/strip-till, cover crops, nutrient management, and (for a higher payout) prescribed grazing.The model:- Farmers apply for a land rental contract (30-second application, Jason's goal)- Up to $2,000/acre over 10-30 years, 50% paid upfront- Funded by donations, not federal money - pitch is $5/person/month covers the country- Treasury notes lock in and grow the later payouts (years 10 and 20)Why it matters: USDA cost-share caps at 5 years, right when farmers hit the yield dip during transition.Yield Unlimited's long-term contracts are built to carry them through this period. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________Key Topics14 years inside the NRCS, wetlands to DC headquartersUneven enforcement of drainage rules for connected operatorsWhy USDA's 5-year contracts fail farmers mid-transitionThe 2018 moment that led to founding Yield UnlimitedThe model: up to $2,000/acre, 10-30 year contractsFunding it outside the federal systemTimestamps 00:00 — Intro02:15 — Jason's background08:40 — Certifying wetlands in ND15:20 — Drainage enforcement issues24:00 — Utah, then district conservationist31:10 — The moment with his daughter36:30 — Why the RCPP grant failed44:15 — Hawaii, then DC headquarters50:00 — Leaving USDA, founding Yield Unlimited55:30 — How the model works1:01:00 — Funding conservation nationwide1:07:00 — Where to follow alongConnect with JasonWebsiteXLinkedin
- Aug 19, 20261h 24m
The 30-Year Squeeze: Wall Streets Quiet Extraction Of Rural America's Equity @ JR Burdick | Ep #121
In this episode we cover why beef and dairy prices are climbing for reasons that go far beyond inflation, and what three decades of farm policy have cost rural America. JR Burdick runs Nourishing Family Farm in north-central Missouri, milking dairy cows and raising hogs, and has sold direct-to-consumer since 2023 after leaving conventional commodity markets and USDA subsidy programs in 2022. This is his third appearance on the show.Key topics Why beef and dairy prices reflect a 30-year supply crisis, not inflationHow the 1994 Freedom to Farm Act shifted risk from government to farmersHow Smithfield-style integrators used farmer equity to consolidate the hog industryThe 2009 Dairy Depression and 2015 Holcomb fire's lasting effect on cattle herd confidenceWhy cheap fuel, money, and labor are gone — and what that means for small farmsDirect-to-consumer dairy: correcting consumer misconceptions and building trustJR's shift to organic farming and leaving USDA subsidy programsTimestamps0:00 – Intro, reconnecting with JR2:00 – Affordability crisis: inflation vs. supply5:00 – 1994 Freedom to Farm Act and the shift to income-based policy9:00 – Hog contracts and the Smithfield equity play16:00 – Ethanol/biodiesel bankruptcies and the 2009 Dairy Depression23:00 – BSE scare and the 2015 Holcomb fire's lasting impact on cattle herds28:00 – Cheap fuel, cheap money, cheap labor — and why that era's over33:00 – Selling direct to consumer: listening over convincing37:00 – Consumer misconceptions: winter grass, family milk cows45:00 – The dairy farm decline stat and JR's bullish case for small, local farms58:00 – The lettuce recall, greenwashing, and knowing your farmer62:00 – Leaving USDA payments, faith, and the calf-birth story that keeps it all groundedConnect with JR Burdick / Nourishing FarmsFacebookXWebsite JR's Previous Episosdes#66#93
- Jul 29, 20261h 59m
He Won $1.28 Billion From Big Meat in Court... Then a Judge Took It Away - Mike Callicrate | #120
Ep 120: Mike CallicrateMike Callicrate runs Ranch Foods Direct and Callicrate Beef out of Colorado Springs and St. Francis, Kansas. He built a fully vertically integrated operation involving raising cattle, slaughtering on-site, cutting, and selling direct to consumers. Our conversation follows his life story from his childhood on a small Colorado farm, a rodeo scholarship that led him into an animal science degree, and years running large-scale feedlots before he became one of ten ranchers who sued major meatpacker IBP in 1996 over market manipulation, a case that ended in a $1.28 billion jury verdict the judge later overturned.We get into why that loss pushed him to stop selling livestock and start selling meat instead, how Ranch Foods Direct's on-site slaughter facility, composting system, and bone char/biochar production work together, and the economics that separate a small direct-to-consumer operation from an industrial one. Key topics- From rodeo and animal science to building and later rejecting industrial feedlots- The 1996 lawsuit against IBP, the overturned $1.28 billion verdict, and the Packers and Stockyards Act- How producers' share of the consumer dollar collapsed since 1970- Fraud, political influence, and market consolidationWhat "pink slime" and lean finely textured beef actually are- The grass-fed/grass-finished labelling problem - Declining Ogallala Aquifer levels and what it means for ranching's future- Building local maker-owned marketplaces as an alternative to scaling upTimestamps:0:00 – Intro + backstory: rodeo, animal science degree, early feedlots6:00 – Building industrial feedlots, growing concerned with market concentration12:00 – Decision to sue IBP, being blackballed by buyers18:00 – The lawsuit's path to trial and the $1.28B verdict30:00 – The judge's reversal + Packers and Stockyards Act explained36:00 – Shifting from selling livestock to selling meat direct44:00 – Building the on-site slaughter facility and circular waste model52:00 – The "story of the steer" and producers' lost share of the consumer dollar1:02:00 – Scaling down vs. scaling up: why direct/local beats commodity1:10:00 – COVID, empty shelves, and the case for local food resilience1:18:00 – Batista brothers, JBS, and meatpacking consolidation1:28:00 – What pink slime is and how it's made1:38:00 – Grass-fed/grass-finished labeling and imported beef1:46:00 – Ogallala Aquifer decline and water scarcity1:52:00 – Vision for maker-owned marketplaces and local food hubsFind out more: https://www.mikecallicrate.com/The Regenaissance Podcast explores the people, farms, and ideas rebuilding our food system from the ground up.
- Jul 22, 20261h 31m
America Has Perfect Soil for Garlic, So Why Is It All Imported? - Cottage Pastures #119
Matthew runs Cottage Pastures on 26 acres in Switzerland County, Indiana, raising pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep alongside garlic and herbs - everything sold under the name is raised on the farm itself. He and his wife bought the property in 2022 and built it up from a homesteading project into a full working farm. Our conversation centers on garlic: despite ideal growing conditions across the Midwest, most garlic sold in the U.S. is imported, and a soil-borne fungal disease can make land unable to grow garlic for 20 to 40 years once it takes hold. This is a risk Cottage Pastures is now soil-testing to get ahead of. We talk through how the farm accidentally ended up growing 20-plus garlic varieties, why the economics of commodity crops crowd out specialty ones like garlic, and what it costs to raise and ship chicken nationwide as a direct-to-consumer farm. Matthew also gets into why pre-orders rather than outside financing keep the farm's cash flow working, how he decides what to raise or cut as the operation grows, and what it looks like to raise kids alongside farm work without compelling them to help.Key topics:- Why most U.S. garlic and herbs are imported despite favorable growing conditions- A soil-borne fungal disease that can end garlic production on a piece of land for decades- How Cottage Pastures accidentally became a 20-plus variety garlic farm- The real cost of raising and processing chicken for direct-to-consumer sale- Grass-fed and grass-finished labeling: domestic vs. imported- Deciding what to raise, expand, or cut as the farm scales- Raising kids on the farm without compelling their help- Plans for a 2027 regional farm-share model in Cincinnati/LouisvilleTimestamps0:00 – Intro + catch-up, farm rebrand to Cottage Pastures 2:30 – Why the family moved to Switzerland County, Indiana 15:00 – Daily schedule: full-time job plus farm work 19:00 – Garlic harvest race against incoming rain 27:00 – Cost of shipping meat nationwide 31:00 – Why most U.S. herbs and garlic are imported 44:00 – How the farm ended up with 20-plus garlic varieties 48:00 – Fungal disease risk and soil testing plans 58:00 – Real cost of raising and processing chicken 1:07:00 – Grass-fed and grass-finished: domestic vs. imported 1:12:00 – Deciding what to raise, expand, or cut 1:16:00 – Plans for a 2027 regional farm-share program 1:19:00 – Raising kids on the farm 1:26:00 – Closing thoughts on local food and staying hopefulLinks:https://cottagepastures.com/about/https://www.instagram.com/cottagepastures/https://www.facebook.com/CottagePastures/?ref=PROFILE_EDIT_xav_ig_profile_page_web#https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-6-interview-with-carissa-a-year-in-review/id1700604702?i=1000628016269The Regenaissance Podcast explores the people, farms, and ideas rebuilding our food system from the ground up.
- Jul 21, 20261h 26m
My Herd Shares Got State Subpoenaed: Why This Threatens Local Food - Joel Hollingsworth | #118
Joel Hollinsworth runs Smoke River Ranch in Oklahoma, where he's built a herd-share community of about 40 families co-owning cattle together - a model that's taken his herd from 15 animals to 425 in four years. But, this could all be taken away, as he's fighting two subpoenas from the Oklahoma Department of Securities on claims his shares are unregistered financial securities. In this episode, Joel breaks down exactly how that herd-share structure works economically, and then walks through the legal fight he's currently in.He gets into why that claim doesn't hold up, who's helping him fight it (including USDA's Brooke Rollins' office and the American First Policy Institute), how they're fighting it, and what's at stake for other ranchers running similar models. Ultimately, this challenge threatens not only Joel's ranch, but the broader idea that people should be able to support and participate in local food systems without facing unnecessary regulatory burdens or government overreach. We also talk through the broader pattern of regulatory overreach in agriculture, and close with Joel's advice for young people looking to get into ranching - namely, don't try to do it alone.Key topicsHow the herd-share model works (co-ownership, calf splits, time horizons)The Oklahoma securities subpoenas and the case against themLegal support and path forward (Rollins' office, state legislation)Advice for young ranchers on doing this in communityTimestamps0:00 – Intro + catch-up2:00 – Herd-share model origins5:00 – Scaling to 425 head + genetics program13:00 – First subpoena17:30 – Second subpoena, securities claim explained21:30 – Why it's not a security26:00 – Comparisons to other ag regulatory fights31:00 – Legal support and path forward47:30 – Herd-share financials + time horizons58:30 – Advice for young ranchers + closeConnect with JoelSupport Joel's GofundmeSmoke River Ranch WebsiteHerdsharesApply for HerdsharesXLast episode
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About The Regenaissance Podcast
Hosted by @Regenaisanceman with the mission of reconnecting us back to where our food is grown & exposing everything that is wrong with our broken food system. We are more disconnected from our food than we ever have been. I sit down with ranchers and farmers to give them a voice and hear their stories, helping paint a picture of what it really looks like to support humanity with food. I also will be talking to others involved in the agriculture space as there is a lot that goes into it all. My hope is that from hearing this podcast you will begin to question what you eat and where from.
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