In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal visits with Richard Popham about raising registered Katahdin sheep in Kentucky using practical grazing systems and portable electric fencing. Richard explains how he successfully manages sheep with two strands of polywire, why fence training matters, and how good grazing management helps keep sheep content and productive.

The conversation explores:

• Using two and three strand polywire systems for sheep
• Why sheep must be trained to electric fence
• Managing sheep with portable fencing and reels
• Selecting productive and efficient ewes
• Why buying better sheep matters more than buying more sheep
• Building low-stress handling systems
• Using records to improve flock genetics
• Parasite resistance and culling decisions
• Weaning strategies and lamb management
• Grazing sheep on small acreage near neighborhoods
• Managing sheep without livestock guardian dogs
• Portable fencing tools and equipment recommendations
• Rotational grazing timing and parasite management
• Why Richard prefers moderate-sized ewes
• The role of NSIP and flock performance records
• Selecting rams and improving flock genetics over time

Richard also shares practical advice for new sheep producers, including starting small, focusing on quality animals, and building systems that fit your lifestyle and available time.

Find out more

• Circle P Farm on Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@circlepfarm3776

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

In this episode, Cal visits with Gabe Wight from Northwest Arkansas about building a profitable grazing operation while simplifying life and focusing on long-term stewardship. Gabe shares how he reduced his herd size from several hundred cows to around forty cows and how that shift dramatically changed his grazing management, stress level, and profitability.

Gabe discusses lessons learned from overgrazing, why stock density matters, and how smaller herds allowed him to improve pasture recovery, calf performance, and equipment longevity. The conversation also covers rotational grazing design, water placement, erosion challenges, fertilizer decisions, chicken litter, stockpiling forage, and managing grazing through seasonal changes.

The discussion shifts into cattle genetics, breeding strategies, marketing calves through value-added programs, direct-to-consumer beef sales, and the importance of focusing on profitability instead of comparison with neighboring operations. Gabe also shares how his curiosity, podcasts, feed store conversations, and modern AI tools help him continue learning and improving his operation.

Topics Covered

• Downsizing a cow herd for profitability
• Flashlight farming and balancing off-farm work
• Rotational grazing management
• Recovering from overgrazing
• Designing paddocks and water systems
• Stockpiling forage for winter grazing
• Fertility management and fertilizer decisions
• Using chicken litter on pastures
• Cattle genetics and replacement strategies
• Selling calves through value-added programs
• Direct-to-consumer beef experiences
• Learning from podcasts, books, and AI tools
• Managing grazing in Northwest Arkansas

Find Out More

• Herd Advisor

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Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey

What happens when a cattle breed is designed specifically for grass-based farming instead of the feedlot?

In this special narrative-style episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal Hardage tells the story of the South Poll breed and the people behind it. Starting with Teddy Gentry’s journey in the late 1980s, this episode explores how one goal shaped an entirely new kind of cow: heat tolerant, fertile, efficient on forage, and built to thrive in regenerative grazing systems.

You’ll hear from Teddy Gentry, Greg Judy, Ralph and Jerry Voss, Steve Freeman, and Nathan Hahn as they share how South Poll cattle changed their operations and why they believe smaller, forage-efficient cattle are the future of profitable grass farming.

This episode covers:

• Why Teddy Gentry created the South Poll breed
• The four breeds that formed South Poll cattle
• Heat tolerance, slick hair genetics, and grass efficiency
• Why fertility and longevity matter more than size
• Greg Judy’s transition away from conventional cattle
• Leasing land to grow a grazing operation
• Why South Poll breeders avoid the show ring
• Building profitable cows instead of high-input cows
• Grass finishing cattle on pasture
• Selling direct-to-consumer grass-fed beef
• The economics of regenerative cattle production
• Longevity and maternal performance in grazing herds
• Using smaller cows to improve profit per acre

If you’ve ever wondered whether modern cattle genetics truly fit regenerative grazing systems, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Resources Mentioned:

• Teddy Gentry
• Greg Judy
• Burk Teichert
• South Poll Grass Cattle Association

Listen, learn, and keep on grazing.

Looking for grass-based breeders?
Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon

Grazing Grass Links
Website
Community (on Facebook)

Original Music by Louis Palfrey