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A Sense of Where You Are: Red Dresses & Magic Management

Part 2 in a Series

By Brian DeVore
January 20, 2025

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Note: This is the 2nd installment in the 12-part “A Sense of Where You Are” series. 

“Our biggest thing is to be adaptive,” said pasture-based livestock producer Rachelle Meyer.

One of the ways Rachelle and Jordan Meyer keep things in context is to avoid being distracted by what they call “the woman in the red dress.” Is a new enterprise a good fit for the farm, or is its flashiness overshadowing the downsides of adding it to the mix? The Meyers are in their early 30s and have six children. That means any business decisions they make on the farm must be balanced against the needs of the family, first and foremost. That became particularly clear in the spring of 2024, when they experienced the heartbreaking tragedy of having their 2-year-old daughter, April, taken from them in a farm accident.

They keep their balance utilizing the “three-legged stool” strategy: the farm family perches on top of this metaphorical stool, and each leg represents a key ingredient to overall success: profitability, soil health, and quality of life. Such a strategy helped the family not only determine recently that adding an enterprise like sheep worked for them, the land, and their family, but also led them to decide that the cow-calf and turkey businesses they formerly had were not a good fit. Besides raising the ewes and running a conventional dairy, they have pasture-based enterprises that involve rotationally grazing goats, beef cattle, hogs, and poultry. They direct-market meat to consumers, as well as lease out their goats to people hoping to rehabilitate worn-out land that’s been taken over by invasive plants.

 In late June, the couple explained how they utilize this management strategy while hosting a Land Stewardship Project grazing school on the hilly acres they farm in southeastern Minnesota’s Houston County. Over a two-day period, farmers and other experts led discussions on everything from setting up fencing and watering systems on a budget to monitoring soil health, assessing pasture quality, utilizing government conservation programs, and crunching the numbers on farm profitability.

To the mix of aspiring, new, and established graziers present, the Meyers recommended “learning your farm first” before putting in more permanent infrastructure such as perimeter fencing. Fortunately, innovations such as light-weight, portable electric fencing make it possible to try out grazing techniques in different areas before settling on a more permanent system.

“Our biggest thing is to be adaptive,” said Rachelle.

On the second day of the school, the couple led participants to a 15-acre field on rented ground that, before they started farming it, had suffered the environmental and agronomic consequences of years of row-cropping and heavy tillage. The recent addition of the ewes has helped the Meyers add economic value to the perennials and annuals that are now building soil and crowding out the weeds.

“This whole field as far as you can see was giant ragweed,” Jordan said, pointing beyond their flock of hair sheep at a diverse stand of forages growing along the contour of the hill. With the assistance of Skipper, a massive, white Maremma guard dog, he and Rachelle then moved the flock to a new paddock. Rotational grazing is often associated with squared off, grid-like paddocks, but on this Driftless Area topography, the Meyers often utilize portable fencing to create long, narrow foraging channels. These linear paddocks hug the contours of the rugged landscape and force animals like sheep into smaller areas for a shorter period of time, creating a “mob” effect. Again, it’s all about context — the sheep have a lighter impact on the soil compared to cattle, meaning they needed to be crowded more to get the same effect of trampling manure and biomass into the soil while knocking back weeds; it’s the epitome of an adaptive, rather than a cookie-cutter, rote approach to raising livestock.

There’s adapting to the landscape, and then there’s adapting to the state of the soil and the limiting factor of climate, as well as one’s access to that most valuable of resources: time. For example, one of the other grazing school instructors was George Heller, who’s launched a livestock operation on sandy, drought-prone soil in northern Minnesota’s Wadena County. Before Heller started farming it, the land was impoverished by years of continuous hay production. He’s also dealing with a 120-day growing season; in contrast, the growing season in southeastern Minnesota can be 150 days or more. As Heller put it during a discussion about soil biology in one of the Meyers’ pastures, “I’m always planning for winter.”

“That’s his context,” quipped Jordan Meyer at one point. The point being that if Heller attempted to stock his paddocks at the same rate the Meyers do on their comparatively rich soil, it would be an economic and ecological disaster.

But over the past five years, Heller has built up an adaptive rotational grazing operation on 290 owned and rented acres that supports his cattle and sheep, as well regenerates the depleted soil. He is building this enterprise literally from the ground-up — beyond fencing and watering systems, as well as a four-wheeler, his infrastructure is minimal, and he estimates that not counting the land costs, he has just a few thousand dollars invested in the whole operation.

Heller’s day job is running a concrete business, so he has limited time to spend managing the farm. One way he buys a few precious hours is to run cattle and sheep together in the same paddocks as a “flerd.”

In the end, the grazing school wasn’t just about stocking rates, or what kind of grass to plant on former corn ground, or which fencing reel works best (even though plenty of talk focused on such nuts and bolts topics) — it was about how to make the kinds of observations and calculations that put daily decisions in context.

As a grazing specialist for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Jeff Duchene has set up rotational grazing plans for farmers in at least 50 of Minnesota’s 87 counties. Not surprisingly, farmers frequently ask him for advice on what type of forage to plant. What is the ultimate species that will withstand drought, flooding, and disease, while producing a nutritious feed for decades?

“Not to disappoint anyone, but that grass doesn’t exist,” said Duchene while leading a plant identification session in one of the Meyers’ hilltop pastures. “There is no magic grass — the magic is in the management.”

Clifford Johnson, a central Minnesota crop and livestock farmer, explained to the participants that regenerative management often involves compromises — sometimes one may have to turn to tillage or chemical applications, which can set soil health back temporarily. It’s all about keeping the big picture in perspective and not allowing a few backward steps stop a farm’s overall trajectory forward. It also helps to have a sense of humor.

“I call myself the HRH — Honest Regenerative Hypocrite,” Johnson joked.

Brian DeVore edits the Land Stewardship Letter and produces the Ear to the Ground podcast.

Give it a Listen

  • Ear to the Ground 342: Ignoring the Red Dress (Rachelle Meyer)
  • Ear to the Ground 343: Healthy Soil Vs. Plastic Worms (Clifford Johnson)
  • Ear to the Ground 344: Flerd is the Word (George Heller)
  • Ear to the Ground 346: Pasture Pixie Dust (Jeff Duchene)

Installments in the ‘A Sense of Where You Are’ Series:

  1. Introduction to the Series: A Sense of Where You Are
  2. Red Dresses & Magic Management
  3. In the Blood
  4. Seeking Signs of Life
  5. Forest for the Trees
  6. The Quickening
  7. Food Bank Booster
  8. First Things First
  9. The Big Picture
  10. The Snowball Effect
  11. 7 Years Later
  12. Against the Grain

 

Category: Blog
Tags: A Sense of Where You Are • beginning farmers • managed rotational grazing • pasture walks • pasture-based livestock • soil health

Upcoming Events

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August 2025

Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7

Farmfest 2025
Tuesday August 5 – Thursday August 7
Farmfest 2025
28366 County Hwy 13, Morgan, MN 56266, USA

Details are here.

Thursday August 7

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Thursday August 7
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Unlocking Conservation Resources for Communities & Farms
Red Rock Center for the Arts, 222 E Blue Earth Ave, Fairmont, MN 56031, USA

Join Renewing the Countryside and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) this summer at one of their eight conservation events in a town near you, where you will:

  • Learn how conservation benefits Minnesota’s rural communities.
  • Hear from a panel of local speakers.
  • Discover available NRCS Farm Bill programs and the economics of on-farm practices.
  • Enjoy a complimentary lunch, plus a chance to win door prizes.
  • Network with local farmers, neighbors, and conservation professionals.
  • Receive helpful materials and personalized support on next steps after the event.  

For more information, click here. 

Locations & Dates:
Each event is free, open to all, and runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the venues listed. Space is limited, please register in advance.

  • Hallock (Kittson County) – Tues, July 22 @ Far North Spirits
  • Elbow Lake (Grant County) – Wed, July 23 @ Elbow Lake Community Building
  • Sleepy Eye (Brown County) – Thur, July 24 @ Sleepy Eye Brewing Company
  • Milaca (Mille Lacs County) – Tues, July 29 @ Gorecki Community Center
  • Mora (Kanabec County) – Thur, July 31 @ Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery
  • Owatonna (Steele County) – Tues, August 5 @ Owatonna Public Utilities Building
  • Jordan (Scott County) – Wed, August 6 @ Ridges at Sand Creek
  • Fairmont (Martin County) – Thur, August 7 @ Red Rock Center for the Arts

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CFFE Tariffs & Ag Webinar
Thursday August 7
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CFFE Tariffs & Ag Webinar
Online Webinar

Join the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment online on Thursday, August 7, for an update on where things stand with tariffs and what that means for food and farm policy and the factory farm system. We’ll cover the basics of how trade policy impacts agriculture, what recent changes mean for the U.S. food system, and ways to get involved in the fight for fair trade and fair markets. 

The Land Stewardship Project is a longtime coalition member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. I hope you can join this informative session!

Speakers for this webinar include Patty Lovera from the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environnment and Ben Lilliston from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

When: Thursday, Aug 7, 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. Eastern
Register in advance at this link

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar. For more information, contact LSP policy director Sean Carroll at scarroll@landstewardshipproject.org.
 
 

Friday August 8

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
Friday August 8
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Roots & Rotation Grazing Field Day
10470 190th St, Park Rapids, MN 56470, USA

Roots and Rotation is a summer field day series happening across Minnesota. These field days will discuss the use of livestock for soil health goals in different agricultural systems. 
 
Learn about the benefits of integrating livestock onto cropland and how to make it work on your operation. Hear from experienced farmers and Extension educators specializing in crops, livestock, and soil health. These events are for producers looking to elevate their cropland soil health and increase their forage resources. 

For more information and to register, see the Minnesota Grazing Lands Conservation Association website.

4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
Friday August 8
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunflower Social Farmer Gathering
22955 570th Ave, Austin, MN 55912, USA

Members of the Land Stewardship Project’s Austin Area Soil Health Hub are hosting a sunflower social on Tom and Kim Finnegan’s farm Friday, Aug. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This event will be open to all area farmers. Meet members of this peer-to-peer farmer group, see the beautiful sunflower fields, and learn about diversification.  

Farming should include a trusted network that ensures we are all successful. How could having a network of farmers that provide support, resources, and comradery impact your farm? 

On Aug. 8, gather with area farmers who are invested in soil health and sustainable practices, and are committed to learning from each other. Join us for an evening on the Finnegan farm for a hay ride around the sunflower fields and to learn more about their diversified farm. There will be a supper and lots of time to connect with farmers in the area.

RSVP here. 

View Full Calendar

Recent Posts

  • Farmers Gather in Madison to Discuss ‘Bringing Small Grains Back to Minnesota’ August 6, 2025
  • Land Line: USDA Changes, Climate-Smart Ag, Dead Zone, Nitrate Pollution, Feedlot Regs, Soil Bacteria, the Power of Diverse Farming July 28, 2025
  • Social Sustainability: Fostering Farmer-Focused Communities  July 24, 2025
  • A Healthy Hub of Activity July 21, 2025
  •  Beginning Farmer Program for MN, WI & IA Accepting Applications for 2025-2026 Course July 16, 2025

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