209 | Jacob Harriet, Oklahoma | From Wildlife Warden to Grazier: Prescribed Burns, Leased Land, and Following the Animals

209 | Jacob Harriet, Oklahoma | From Wildlife Warden to Grazier: Prescribed Burns, Leased Land, and Following the Animals

Author: Grazing Grass February 4, 2026 Duration: 1:25:44

Jacob Harriet of Shepherd Farms shares how his background in wildlife management in central Oklahoma shaped the way he uses livestock, prescribed fire, and land restoration to build better habitat and a workable farm business. From starting on a small homestead to managing over 1,240 acres through creative lease agreements, Jacob walks through what has worked, what he learned the hard way, and how grazing fits into a broader land stewardship plan.


In This Episode, We Explore:

  • Jacob’s path from wildlife law enforcement to using livestock as a habitat tool
  • Turning an over-timbered 80 acres into productive grazing and wildlife habitat
  • Using rotational grazing to improve land function, manure distribution, and plant recovery
  • Tree and timber management decisions focused on getting sunlight to the ground
  • Prescribed fire vs mechanical clearing for controlling woody encroachment, especially cedar
  • How burn associations, burn plans, and local support make prescribed fire safer and more practical
  • Managing land for wildlife needs alongside grazing goals, including turkey and quail habitat
  • Finding and using grants for infrastructure, water, timber work, and prescribed fire
  • Building a mixed-species orchard and using chickens to manage pests and understory
  • A lease model that trades professional habitat management for grazing access across multiple properties
  • Tracking grazing and land work with mapping tools and documentation


Why This Episode Matters

This conversation is a practical look at connecting grazing, habitat, and land access in a way that works in the real world. If you are trying to improve a neglected property, reduce cedar pressure, learn why prescribed fire matters, or find a creative path to more grazing acres without buying land, Jacob’s approach offers clear ideas you can adapt to your own place.


Resources Mentioned

  • Natural Resource University (podcast network)
  • OnX Hunt Maps (phone app)
  • NRCS (local office support for conservation programs and grants)
  • National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
  • Quail Forever
  • Ty Ty Nursery (trees for the orchard)

Find Out More

  • Shepherd Farms | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087351095567




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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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