186. A Recipe, Not a Prescription: Grazing Insights from the Ozarks with Bob and Ann Demerath

186. A Recipe, Not a Prescription: Grazing Insights from the Ozarks with Bob and Ann Demerath

Author: Grazing Grass September 3, 2025 Duration: 1:26:28

Ann and Bob share their journey from Nebraska crop and cattle farming to building a regenerative grazing operation in the Ozarks. They discuss the challenges of starting over, investing in infrastructure like tire tanks and fencing, and adapting their herd with South Poll genetics to fit their environment. Their story highlights resilience, stewardship, and the pursuit of nutrient-dense beef and healthier soils.


Topics covered in this episode:

  • Transition from conventional farming in Nebraska to management-intensive grazing in Missouri
  • Daily moves, portable watering systems, and eventually installing 28 tire tanks
  • Experiences with cattle breeds including Black Angus, Braford, Corriente, and South Poll crosses
  • Marketing steers through private sales, meat business, and occasional sale barns
  • Nutrient-density testing of their beef, showing omega ratios close to wild salmon
  • Soil health improvements, bird diversity surveys, and ecosystem changes on their ranch
  • Lessons learned about rest periods, stewardship, and adapting grazing as a “recipe, not a prescription”
  • Future plans as they balance ranch work, family, and personal goals

Why listen to this episode:
Ann and Bob bring decades of hands-on experience, showing how management, not just genetics or land, drives success. From portable waters to garlic salt minerals, they share practical insights any grazier can apply. Their emphasis on stewardship, learning, and resilience will inspire both beginners and seasoned graziers alike.


Resources mentioned:

  • Stockman Grass Farmer
  • Man, Cattle and Veld
  • Top of the Ozarks grazing group
  • Redmond Agriculture minerals
  • Clear Spring Ranch – clearspringranch.com
  • Five Five Coyote Meat Business – fivefivecoyote.com

Looking for Livestock that thrive on grass?  Check out Grass Based Genetics

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Original Music by Louis Palfrey


There’s a quiet revolution happening in the fields and pastures, one that ties the health of the soil directly to the health of a farm’s bottom line. Grazing Grass Podcast | Rotational Grazing, Soil Health & Profitable Livestock Farming is a part of that conversation, sitting down with the men and women who are putting regenerative principles into daily practice. Hosted by Grazing Grass, each episode feels like a candid chat across a fence line, moving beyond theory into the tangible details of managing livestock on grass. You’ll hear farmers recount their own journeys-what prompted their shift in thinking, the logistical hurdles of changing their operation, and the outcomes they’ve witnessed in their land and ledger books. A recurring segment called "Over Grazing" digs into the specific problems and hard-won lessons that come with this way of farming. This isn’t just a science or nature podcast; it’s a practical resource built on shared experience, aiming to strengthen a community where knowledge about profitable, grass-based systems is passed along openly. Tune in for honest stories that get to the root of what it means to work with the land.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Grazing Grass Podcast | Rotational Grazing, Soil Health & Profitable Livestock Farming
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