199. Soil-First Grazing and Earned Efficiency with Rachel Bouressa

199. Soil-First Grazing and Earned Efficiency with Rachel Bouressa

Author: Grazing Grass December 3, 2025 Duration: 1:15:35

Rachel Bouressa of Bouressa Family Farm joins us from central Wisconsin, where she’s a fifth-generation farmer and second-generation grazier managing 120 acres with a soil-first mindset. After returning home following a barn fire, she rebuilt her operation using perennial forages, diverse annuals, and a willingness to experiment. Today she’s deeply involved with Grassworks, Wisconsin Farmers Union, NRCS conservation planning, women-in-conservation mentoring, and the Upper Fox Wolf Demonstration Farm Network—all while running a thriving direct-to-consumer beef business.

Topics Covered in This Episode

  • Rebuilding the family farm after a barn fire and starting with just 15 acres
  • Developing a soil-first grazing philosophy and “earned efficiency”
  • Working closely with NRCS and building strong planner–farmer relationships
  • Converting row-crop ground back to pasture using rye, diverse cool-season mixes, and sorghum-Sudan
  • Choosing cattle genetics: British White Parks, Devons, and Murray Greys
  • Direct-to-consumer beef sales and transitioning to Barn2Door
  • Extending the grazing season toward Christmas
  • Audubon Bird-Friendly certification and creating habitat value

Why You Should Listen

If you’re looking for a grounded, real-world example of what soil-first grazing looks like in practice, Rachel brings hard-earned wisdom, humility, and a spirit of experimentation. Her story is full of practical insights—from pasture renovation to breed selection to extending the grazing season—and she offers a refreshingly honest look at the challenges and rewards of growing a regenerative, community-connected grazing operation.

Resources Mentioned

  • Grassworks Conference
  • NRCS grazing resources
  • Audubon Conservation Ranching Program
  • Wendell Berry — Unsettling of America, The Gift of Good Land
  • Fred Provenza — Nourishment




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


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
Podcast Episodes
225 | Sheep, Polywire, and Practical Grazing with Richard Popham [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:50
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 succ…
224 | From Flashlight Farmer to Profit Driven Grazing with Gabe Wight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:57
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 fro…
223 | The Cow Built for Grass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:12
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…