Justin Frye of JMR Farm in Rio, West Virginia joins the show to talk about building a farm from scratch on a family property that's been in his family since 1847. He and his wife Maggie custom graze cow-calf pairs, run a Katahdin hair sheep flock, and buy and finish feeder lambs — all while working off-farm jobs and figuring out what enterprises fit their operation best.
Justin shares the story of how his grandfather's surprise offer to sell the family farm set everything in motion, how a connection through a mentor led to their first custom grazing arrangement, and what three consecutive years of drought have taught him about managing grass for someone else's cattle. He also walks through the sheep learning curve, going from 89 ewes down to 30 through hard culling, and explains their feeder lamb protocol from receiving through market.
Topics covered:
- Growing up on a family farm in West Virginia and the influence of mentors at Potomac State College
- Buying the family farm (in operation since 1847) and what made it financially possible
- How a mentor connection led to their first custom grazing opportunity
- What services JMR Farm provides under the custom grazing agreement, daily moves, pink eye treatment, weaning and vaccinating calves, getting them started on feed
- Managing three consecutive drought years while grazing someone else's cattle
- Moving toward 60-day rest periods and what they've learned about residual sward height
- Building 13,000 feet of exterior and cross fence with just Justin and Maggie
- Silvopasture plans: thinning wooded areas and controlling multiflora rose and autumn olive
- Why they chose Katahdin hair sheep, the profitability case, and the steep learning curve
- FAMACHA scoring, dewormer resistance, and culling hard for a parasite-resistant flock
- Grazing sheep with cattle: their plan for this season
- The feeder lamb operation: buying 40-60 lb lambs, feeding to 80-100 lbs, sell-buy marketing
- Cattle handling with a Bud Box, the DS Livestock sheep system, and tips for low-stress flow-through
- Freeze branding: liquid nitrogen vs. dry ice, container options, and offering it as a service
- Cattle breed direction: Leachman Stabilizer genetics and why it fits their marketing channel
- The sentimental story of buying back Maggie's heifer (M005) on Valentine's Day
Find Out More
JMR Farm on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550043373027
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Original Music by Louis Palfrey
