Mike’s journey into farming and conservation may not be what you expect, but he is a wealth of wisdom on this complex yet important topic of pasture management. While Mike manages a thousand-acre cattle farm, he breaks down the principles of pasture health to apply to the everyday homesteader. We talk about first identifying where the health of your pastures stands, how to take steps toward improvement, managing multiple species on the same acreage, and more. For anyone looking to cultivate thriving pastures on your homestead, you will find this conversation with Mike so valuable!
In this episode, we cover:
- Mike’s unique journey into farming
- How Kinloch Farms emphasizes conservation in their beef cattle operation
- First steps to take if you want to improve your soil health
- How to initiate new growth in your pasture
- What rotational grazing can look like on a small scale homestead
- Considerations for rotational grazing with multiple species
- Navigating mineral supplementation options for your ruminants
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ABOUT MIKE
Mike Peterson is a husband to his beautiful wife Molly, Dad to two rambunctious and confident boys, and is a steward of the land. After spending 7 years in Culinary Arts, including several years in fine dining and soon to be Michelin starred kitchens, he returned back to his roots to reinvigorate his love for the land. Mike has held several roles, including owning and operating a farm business with his wife, Molly, livestock director for a non profit in New York, and currently holds the title of Farm and Conservation Director at Kinloch Farm in The Plains, VA. Mike and the team at Kinloch utilize a multitude of tools to restore landscapes and promote biological function. They rely on observation and ecological feedback loops as the metric of their success. Wildlife habitat and subsequent populations, ground cover, soil health, forage species diversity, carbon sequestration, water retention, and water quality are a few of the metrics that Kinloch currently monitors.
Kinloch Farm adaptively grazes 1000 acres of pasture, both native warm season and cool season perennial, with 550 head of cattle and direct market Grassfed and Finished Beef through their Farm Store in The Plains. Along with their beef, Kinloch strives for whole animal utilization, so they also sell leather products from their hides, and a large selection of soaps, candles, and botanicals produced from their tallow.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Sea-90 Ocean Minerals www.sea-90.com/
Use code MPETERSON to get 10% off Baja Gold salt bajagoldsaltco.com/?rfsn=7626...
Order from the Kinloch Farms shop! kinlochfarm.com/farm-store/
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Website kinlochfarm.com/
Instagram / kinlochfarm
Facebook / kinlochfarm
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