AoR 186: Doug Tolleson on Grazing Nutrition and a Century of Data

Doug Tolleson is the longtime Chief Scientist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Sonora Research Station and recently retired director of the Grazing Animal Nutrition (GAN) Lab. In this episode, Tip visits with Doug about a career spent connecting animal nutrition to grazing management—from fecal near-infrared spectroscopy that lets managers "read" diet quality of rangeland forage, to prenatal programming that affects animals all the way to finished meat. Doug reflects on the enduring principles beneath every buzzword—holistic, sustainable, regenerative—and on managing for a moving target in a climate of rising variability, where six years in ten are dry and the Sonora "Flex" experiment builds adaptability by managing for drought and swinging for home runs in the wet years. The conversation closes on the value of long-term research stations, some celebrating their second century, and Doug's advice to young range professionals: stay a "specialized generalist," never be afraid to learn something, and let the land, the animals, and the weather keep humbling you. Support for The Art of Range Podcast comes from RanchBot, Western SARE, and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Visit the episode page at artofrange.com for the transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned during the conversation. Music by Lewis Roise.