Julie Martin

Persevering Through Adversity

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.Walter Elliott Some call it perseverance, we call it grit. In farming and ranching, there is always going to be loss. The challenge is maximizing returns and minimizing loss with the least amount of input required for success to realize the greatest gains. This gets emotional...Read More

Why Soil Farming is the Future of Agriculture

In the modern world, we are constantly bombarded with information about how to eat healthy and stay fit. But what most of society doesn't fully grasp is that what we eat also affects our health in more ways than one. What we put on our plates can have a lasting impact on our body's ability to fight disease—and it all...Read More

Installing a Poultry and Livestock Watering System for All Seasons

I don't know about y'all, but my very least favorite ranch chore was cleaning and filling plastic waterers for the fowl. I love love love our chickens, guineas, ducks, and turkeys, but they can require a lot more daily maintenance than the ranch livestock and I was ready for a better solution. We free range all of our fowl and...Read More

Bringing Home Honey Bees

What’s not to love about bees? They’re cute, fuzzy, and so important to our ecosystem. Before you get started, however, there are a few factors you need to consider. Keep reading for information on starting your own backyard beehive! What do you need to know before bringing home your first bees? Before you bring home your first bees, here's what...Read More

Glyphosate is Now Common in Non-GMO Grains. What Can You Do?

For decades, one of the main arguments against genetically modified (GM) crops has been that they introduce into the food supply new toxins and allergens. This argument is true in many cases, but we now have a more alarming reality to contend with: non-GM crops are increasingly being drenched in glyphosate right before harvest. How can this be? The answer...Read More

How to Ferment Chicken Feed

Have you ever heard the saying: "If you want to make a million dollars farming, start with a billion"? We're not going to tell you that running your own farm or ranch, no matter what size the scale, is not expensive, but we do know that there are a lot of ways to mitigate costs and increase efficiencies. This is...Read More

Intensive Farming is Eating Up the Australian Continent

The Conversation highlights the growing global concern for soil erosion with a spotlight on Australia. With 58% of Australia's land being used for farming, maintaining and restoring soil levels is of growing importance. Additionally, local flora is suffering by diversity loss around the globe as legumes and grasses grown specifically for livestock grazing are replacing hundreds of native grasses. Ecologist Sue...Read More

Regenerative Thanksgiving Turkey

As first-generation ranchers, we don't have generations of knowledge to fall to, but even if we did, we would still look to our community for inspiration and innovation. There are so many incredible farmers and ranchers implementing ancestral, experimental, and groundbreaking techniques in our nation, and around the globe. We reflect on Thanksgiving with hearts full of gratitude for family...Read More