205 | Jonathan Kilpatrick, Minnesota | What Ranching for Profit School Led to a Cross-Country Move and Starting Over From Scratch

205 | Jonathan Kilpatrick, Minnesota | What Ranching for Profit School Led to a Cross-Country Move and Starting Over From Scratch

Author: Grazing Grass January 7, 2026 Duration: 1:09:29

Jonathan Kilpatrick of Red Lantern Ranch and Kilpatrick Land & Livestock joins Cal to share what changed since he first appeared back on episode 2, including moving from Oklahoma to west central Minnesota (Alexandria area) and rebuilding a grazing operation from the ground up with sheep, goats, and pastured poultry.


In This Episode, We Explore:

  • What prompted Jonathan and his family to move from Oklahoma to Minnesota and restart their operation
  • Lessons Jonathan took from the Ranching for Profit School and how they shaped his decision-making
  • Starting a grazing operation with a clean slate and building genetics that match the environment
  • Grazing sheep and goats together and using goats as part of a buckthorn control strategy
  • Outwintering sheep and goats with minimal infrastructure and what that requires
  • Using adaptive grazing decisions that fit real life, time constraints, and family priorities
  • Expanding from a 45-acre grazing lease by adding tillable acres and converting some to perennials
  • Partnering with a regenerative crop farmer for strip-till or no-till, cover crops, and added grazing opportunities
  • Mobile range coop pastured poultry production, daily moves, and labor efficiency
  • Processing options, state-inspected processing, and why time is often the limiting resource
  • Marketing channels including direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and opportunities in ethnic markets


Why This Episode Matters

If you are building or rebuilding a grazing business, Jonathan lays out a realistic path that balances production, business management, and family life. This conversation is a good reminder that experience matters, time is a real constraint, and matching livestock, grazing, and marketing to your context is what keeps the whole system working.


Resources Mentioned

  • Ranching for Profit School
  • Executive Link program (Ranching for Profit)
  • Google Sheets
  • Excel
  • ChatGPT
  • Gemini
  • P.L. 90-492 (Poultry Products Inspection Act exemption referenced in the discussion)

Find Out More

  • Red Lantern Ranch website | https://redlanternranch.com
  • Kilpatrick Land & Livestock website | https://www.kilpatricklandandlivestock.com
  • Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) | https://sfa-mn.org


Looking for grass-based breeders?
 Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.

Upcoming Grazing Events

Visit our Sponsors:
Noble Research Institute

Redmond Agriculture
Grassroots Carbon
Apr 22-24 3 Springs Utah

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
188. Simple Recipe for Cattle Production with Bruce Shanks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:59
Bruce shares his journey from managing sheep and goats to building a South Poll seedstock operation, the pivotal experiences that shaped his philosophy, and how he balances practicality with profitability. He also reflec…
185. Hair, Grass, and Virtual Fences with Todd Barkley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:07
Todd Barkley of Barkley Ranch in Southeast Montana joins us to share his journey as a fourth-generation rancher balancing education, cattle, and regenerative practices. Todd talks about building his cow herd through AI,…
184. Grit, Grazing, and Grass-Fed Dairy with Wyatt Jones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:49
In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, Cal visits with Wyatt Jones of Happy Meadow Farm in Pisgah, Alabama. Wyatt shares his family’s journey from military life to building a thriving grass-based farm, raising bee…
183. Beef is the Waste Product with Hobbs Magaret [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:46
In this episode, Hobbs Magaret, author of Herd: Animals That Gave Rise to Humanity and Why We Need Them More Than Ever, joins Cal for a deep, thought-provoking conversation about grazing, ecology, and shifting our perspe…