Sean Smith, the guest of this episode, is a dedicated and innovative dairy farmer from Clanman Farm in Manitoba. With a deep-rooted family history in dairy farming, Sean has embraced both traditional practices and modern technology to enhance his farm's operations. His commitment to sustainable farming is evident in his adoption of Jersey cows for their high butterfat content and the integration of advanced robotic milking systems like the DeLaval VMS. Sean's passion for dairy farming was kindled in his youth through participation in 4-H clubs and cattle shows, and he continues to build on his family's legacy of responsible and efficient farming.
- This episode covers a range of topics including:
- The evolution of Clanman Farm and its use of Jersey cows
- Integration of robotic milking systems and their impact on operations
- Canada’s supply management system and its effect on small farms
- Strategies for balancing grazing with Total Mixed Ration feeding
- The role of dairy genetics and the use of sexed semen in herd management
- Sustainable pasture management practices and soil health
- Insights from a soil microorganisms class and its influence on farm practices
- Practical advice for aspiring farmers and Sean’s favorite resources for grazing
Listeners should tune in to this episode for a comprehensive understanding of how tradition and innovation can coexist in modern dairy farming. Sean Smith offers a wealth of knowledge and practical advice for both seasoned farmers and newcomers, covering everything from pasture management to advanced breeding techniques. His passion for sustainability and efficiency shines through, making this episode an inspiring resource for anyone interested in the future of dairy farming. Whether you're looking to enhance your current practices or simply gain insights into the evolving landscape of agriculture, Sean's experiences and expertise provide valuable takeaways.
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Clanman Jerseys
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Insiders
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Original Music by Louis Palfrey
Chapters
- (00:00) - Introduction and Fast Five with Sean Smith
- (00:34) - History of Clanmen Jerseys
- (01:18) - Welcome to the Grazing Grass Podcast
- (01:52) - Ranch Management Courses Announcement
- (03:00) - Sean's Early Farming Influences
- (04:08) - Transition to Robotic Milking
- (06:11) - Regenerative Practices on the Farm
- (09:36) - Challenges and Innovations in Grazing
- (15:47) - Supply Management System in Canada
- (20:30) - Genetics and Breeding Strategies
- (26:43) - Choosing Beef Breeds: Angus and Wagyu
- (28:03) - Raising Calves on Nurse Cows
- (30:02) - Overgrazing Section: Redmond Minerals
- (31:12) - Forage Management for Dairy Cows
- (34:07) - No-Till Farming and Herbicide Use
- (35:31) - Winter Forage Strategies
- (36:40) - Soil Microorganisms and Composting
- (43:15) - Future Plans for Dairy Farming
- (47:23) - Famous Four Questions
- (54:00) - Conclusion and Listener Resources
NOTE This file was generated by Descript
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: So, Sean, we'll get started with the Fast Five today.
00:00:03 --> 00:00:03 What's your name?
00:00:04 --> 00:00:05 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Sean Smith.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: And what's your farm's name?
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Our farm is clanmen jerseys.
00:00:11 --> 00:00:12 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: And where are you located?
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: we are located at Minidosa, Manitoba.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:19 So, it's on the western side of the province of Manitoba.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 Not too far from Brandon.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 It's kind of our closest city.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:24 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh yes.
00:00:25 --> 00:00:29 And if you're listening to this as soon as it releases, know that
00:00:29 --> 00:00:33 some of Sean's weather got down in my country and I'm not a big fan.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 What year did you all start grazing animals?
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, I guess we've kind of always been grazing.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 Yeah, my, my grandparents were the first ones to get dairy animals on the farm.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 But our farm is a century farm.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:53 So we got some Jersey cows in the 60s, my grandparents, and they expanded to
00:00:53 --> 00:01:00 shipping milk in the 80s, and that's when my dad took over, and yeah, we just grazed
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 ever, the whole time, never stopped.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:04 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh very good.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 And what livestock do you graze?
00:01:07 --> 00:01:08 I heard you mentioned dairy cattle.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:12 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yes, we are pretty much only a dairy farm.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 We do a little bit of beef, but Majority is dairy, so we
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 have purebred Jersey genetics.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:19 Cal: Welcome to the grazing grass podcast.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 The podcast dedicated to sharing the stories of grass-based
00:01:23 --> 00:01:27 livestock producers, exploring regenerative practices that improve
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 the land animals and our lives.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:34 I'm your host, Cal Hardage and each week we'll dive into the journeys,
00:01:34 --> 00:01:39 challenges, and successes of producers like you, learning from
00:01:39 --> 00:01:44 their experiences, and inspiring each other to grow, and graze better.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 Whether you're a seasoned grazier or just getting started.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:50 This is the place for you
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 Attention ranchers, ready to improve your land and boost your bottom line?
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 Join Noble Research Institute for its March Ranch Management Courses.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:05 Business of Grazing in Edmond, Oklahoma, March 4th through 6th.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:09 Learn to create detailed grazing plans, optimize profitability, and
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 make smart infrastructure investments.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:16 Noble Grazing Essentials in Huntsville, Texas.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 March 25th through 27th.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:23 Discover how to assess carrying capacity, implement adaptive grazing
00:02:23 --> 00:02:27 strategies, and develop effective pasture recovery techniques.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 Expert facilitators with decades of ranching knowledge will guide you through
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 practical field and classroom training.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:41 Receive exclusive benefits include virtual meetings and one on one consultations.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:42 Space is limited.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:43 Visit noble.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 org to enroll and invest in your land.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 Livestock and legacy.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:49 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: if you're watching on YouTube and
00:02:49 --> 00:02:53 you see my cup, this is not my cup, it's my daughter's cup.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:57 got it because it's bigger and it holds more liquid, and I thought I needed more.
00:02:59 --> 00:02:59 Okay, Sean.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 When you were growing up, did you always think, hey, I'm going to
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 stay home and work on the dairy?
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: for the most part, yeah, like there's some other
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 things I was interested in growing up.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:14 But when I was about 13 or so our family, along with another
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 family, started a 4 H club.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:17 And so I
00:03:18 --> 00:03:24 got into the I was already in 4 H just not in dairy 4 H, but we got into dairy
00:03:24 --> 00:03:29 4 H and started showing cattle a little bit at, like, the achievement and local,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:36 local shows and that's kind of what really got me you know, interested in farming and
00:03:36 --> 00:03:40 really kind of put a permanent permanent bug in my system in terms of farming.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Now, on your, your dairy, I spent most of
00:03:45 --> 00:03:49 my, this is really going to show how uncool I was as a teenager.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 Boy, I wanted to dairy.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 I, I was growing up on dairy, knew that's what I wanted to do.
00:03:54 --> 00:04:01 I used to love drawing plans for milking parlors, dairy barns,
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 and all the lots to go with it.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 I spent way too many hours drawing that up.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 What kind of parlor do you all have?
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: We built a new barn seven years ago,
00:04:11 --> 00:04:16 and so when we built a new barn, we installed a DeLaval VMS robot.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 And what were you, were you milking in a stanchion barn before
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, a TIE stall, yeah.
00:04:24 --> 00:04:24 Not,
00:04:25 --> 00:04:25 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: a
00:04:25 --> 00:04:26 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: with old stanchions, just, yeah,
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 just old individual stalls.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 I think those grazing, those grazing, grazing robots,
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 those are what we call cows.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:43 The, the robotic milker, I think is really fascinating.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:47 Before we talk more about your robot and some of the grazing management that
00:04:47 --> 00:04:55 causes you to do, your, your grandparents got jerseys, why did they go with
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: my understanding is that
00:04:57 --> 00:04:58 when they first started,
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: not shipping fluid milk, they
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 were just shipping the cream.
00:05:03 --> 00:05:08 So, they would milk their two or three cows, and then separate the cream,
00:05:08 --> 00:05:13 and then they'd ship the cream off just in like, those old metal cream
00:05:13 --> 00:05:17 jars that you see, you know, that every dairy farm has in front of
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 their milk house, painted up nice.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 Yeah, so they used to they used to just ship cream, so of
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 course jerseys are really high butterfat, so higher cream content.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 So that's why they started with jerseys, and we've just never,
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 never went to anything else.
00:05:33 --> 00:05:37 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Those milk cans, we have, I don't have any at my house.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 My parents have a couple at their house.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:42 My grandparents have a couple that we've painted up, like you mentioned.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:47 Grandpa used to run a milk route years ago and pick up milk and cream.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:48 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, okay.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:48 Yeah.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 , cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: but those milk cans are becoming harder
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 and harder to find these days.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 You just don't see them
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, well, not ones that are in good shape.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 We have some around, but they're, they're pretty rusty.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 I don't know what they'd be worth, but
00:06:01 --> 00:06:05 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Right, true, So your your grandparents
00:06:05 --> 00:06:11 got jerseys, they're grazing, they're feeding in a tie barn.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:16 What did you or when did you get introduced to regenerative practices?
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 Was that something you brought to the farm?
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 Was that something your parents did or even your grandparents?
00:06:21 --> 00:06:25 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, my, my parents and my, and my grandparents,
00:06:25 --> 00:06:33 especially kind of always had the mindset that, you know, they're going to farm in
00:06:33 --> 00:06:41 a way that, you know I guess was thinking about, you know, not just the farm, but
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 kind of the ecosystem around the farm.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:43 And.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:48 They're really, you know, loved all animals, loved waterfowl, especially
00:06:48 --> 00:06:52 my grandparents were big big into duck hunting and goose hunting,
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 so they loved their waterfowl.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:59 So they wanted to keep all the natural aspects of the farm that they could, and
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 so they weren't really the type of people who were out pushing bush down to make
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 more, more cropland or anything like that.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:10 And so that, that's kind of like the mindset that was passed on to my dad too.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:11 It's just that we're going to.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 We're going to farm in a way that, you know, we can be profitable,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 but we're not going to get rid of all the natural habitat.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:24 And then my dad also kind of has always had the mindset of just, he was going
00:07:24 --> 00:07:29 to do stuff in ways that reduce the labor in the barn because especially
00:07:29 --> 00:07:34 with a tie stall, we used to, in our tie stall, it was all small squares.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 That's all we fed.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 So, so we were bringing in.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:43 bringing in like 40 to 50 small squares a day by hand and so when you're doing that
00:07:43 --> 00:07:49 every day you start thinking of ways you can do less and less of that and and the
00:07:49 --> 00:07:55 easiest way is to let the cows go out and graze themselves and so yeah like that's
00:07:55 --> 00:07:59 kind of how he always farmed it's just like i'm gonna get these cows outside as
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 quick as i can in the spring and leave them out as late as i can in the fall
00:08:03 --> 00:08:09 and so we do that by you know feeding bales out on pasture in the spring before
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 it's green and same within the fall.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:15 Do it, let them out during the day all the way till December to try
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 to just keep them out of the barn so there's less work in the barn.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:22 And so it wasn't really regen as much as it was, you know, trying to cut down
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 on that labor aspect of in the barn.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And then, yeah, I guess we kind
00:08:28 --> 00:08:32 of, We've always been, yeah, like I said, we've always been grazing.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:38 We had some employees from New Zealand and Australia and the UK
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 that were, spent summers here.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 And they really helped us improve our grazing.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: of course, New Zealand is known for,
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 for its good grazing management.
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 So they helped us improve that.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:55 So we, with our dairy herd, we were moving them twice a day for the last 30 years.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 trying to get as much milk as we can from grazing.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 And so, yeah, we were doing all these things, but we didn't really
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 know it was regen or didn't, no one called it regen then.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:07 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Right.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And until I guess 2010, my dad
00:09:11 --> 00:09:15 went to a holistic management, a little weekend workshop thing.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:19 And that's kind of when, when the word regenerative ag started being used.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 And then we kind of started doing a bit more of our own research
00:09:23 --> 00:09:28 and, and, I guess, kind of focusing on that, that type of farming.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:30 Yeah.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 it way before it got cool and got a name like
00:09:34 --> 00:09:34 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Now, with your grazing, and starting that so
00:09:39 --> 00:09:45 far back, I assume you all were using some, some reels and polywire early on.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, we were.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 We were using We were using that, like, poly tape, even, before
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 there was, like, good wire.
00:09:51 --> 00:09:57 Which, that stuff is not very fun to work with, and, And fiberglass posts that give
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 you slivers if you're not wearing gloves.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:00 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: yes.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: so yeah, that's how long ago we were doing it.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:08 But yeah, nowadays we've got some got, well, we've too many
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 reels to keep track of, to be honest, on our farm at this point.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:16 And yeah, we still do a lot of poly wire fencing and, and lots
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 of you know, whether it's a multi.
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 moves a day or every second day depending on on what our goal is
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 and what group of animals it is.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Now something I haven't asked of our guest in a long time
00:10:29 --> 00:10:34 that I used to ask more often, but do you have some preferred brands of reels
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 and posts that you use in PolyBraid?
00:10:36 --> 00:10:40 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: I like the pigtail posts, I think.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 Yeah, no, no, I can't even blank it on names here.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:49 Gallagher, I think, makes like the lighter kind of pigtail ones.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:51 So I like their posts.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:56 Staff X makes the best in my opinion, the best connectors like the
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 handle for when you're connecting.
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 'cause you can do
00:10:58 --> 00:10:58 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: the positive or the, you can like
00:11:01 --> 00:11:05 connect a positive or you can just connect it and end it right there.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:05 Like,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:06 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 I have a dead
00:11:07 --> 00:11:07 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:07 a dead
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 handle.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 So those ones are nice.
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 And I think, I don't know, I probably have a preference of the
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 Gallagher reels at this point.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 They seem to last a bit longer, be a bit more hardy.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:16 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:23 Do you get the reels that's got all the, I've complained about this on a past
00:11:23 --> 00:11:27 episode, with the guard to keep your hand from hitting the The poly braid
00:11:27 --> 00:11:30 and then they have the little latch on the end that keeps it on the fence.
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yes, yeah, we have the one that has the latch to keep
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 it on the fence, the Gallagher one, yeah.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, because those little extras drive me a little
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 crazy because it's like I don't need all this But then again when I'm not getting
00:11:43 --> 00:11:48 shocked by the poly braid I'm like, okay, maybe it's not so bad because I
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 I've thrown a reel or two on the ground
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, yeah, well those guards to keep the
00:11:53 --> 00:11:58 reel, or like the poly on the reel, they can be handy, because if you get
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 going fast, and you're not quite paying attention, then all of a sudden you
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 look down, and you have a rat's nest.
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 There are you, I've just gotten to the point where
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 to the point where I just cut the, cut the wire at this point
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 have enough time to try to undo that.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, I've had rats nests happen
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 too often and yeah, no fun.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:24 Now one thing with your dairy That's gonna be a little different than
00:12:24 --> 00:12:29 when we talk about like beef cattle grazing them Your cows have to come
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 back to the dairy barn every day
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yes.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:32 Yeah.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: you have do you have some lanes fixed up?
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 them to get out to different paddocks?
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: So the way we have it set up is our, we're
00:12:42 --> 00:12:46 lucky our barn is pretty much in the center of our quarter section and,
00:12:47 --> 00:12:51 and so it gives us lots of opportunities of pastors to reach to, so we have about
00:12:51 --> 00:12:59 14 paddocks, all between 5 and 10 acres, and then laneways to each of them.
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 And so,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:06 so our cows, in the summer months, basically they have 24 hour access to the
00:13:06 --> 00:13:11 pasture, but they have to go through the robot before they can access that pasture.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:13 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And so that's just a way to make
00:13:15 --> 00:13:19 sure that they are visiting the robot because you still want to get
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 milked at least two times a day.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:26 And so they, we have a series of one way gates where once they go through the
00:13:26 --> 00:13:30 robot, they can go through these gates and they can decide to go to pasture
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 or they can come back into the barn.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 It's up to them.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 So that's how we keep them.
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Do you have to go out to the pasture and
00:13:38 --> 00:13:42 bring them in every so often to make sure they go through that?
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Usually the only time we're
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 doing that is in the morning.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:51 and we'll either call them, they're pretty good at coming to a call, or we'll go get
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 them with the dog and, and bring them in.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: You mentioned 14 paddocks varying sizes.
00:13:57 --> 00:14:03 Are those Semi permanently or permanently fenced that way, and then you, do you
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 break them up any when you turn the cows out by giving them a portion of it?
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, so they're all, they're all
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 permanently fenced with tensile.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:12 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And then when we're giving them pasture
00:14:16 --> 00:14:21 every day, We are using poly wire to split those up even more so.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:21 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:14:22 --> 00:14:22 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah.
00:14:22 --> 00:14:27 we'll give them, we're usually giving them between like half and three quarters
00:14:27 --> 00:14:31 of an acre per twice a day type thing.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 So
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 Which, sounds like that all worked really good.
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 I'm kind of curious about your robot milker.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 I think you said you got it about seven years ago?
00:14:44 --> 00:14:50 Did that your grazing, when you installed that?
00:14:50 --> 00:14:54 Did, and for instance, what I'm thinking about, were you able to graze
00:14:54 --> 00:14:58 more efficiently or did it kind of put a damper on it because you're not
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 moving the whole herd at one time?
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 How did it affect your grazing?
00:15:02 --> 00:15:07 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: it's, it has limited the amount we can graze in
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 terms of our cows daily dry matter intake.
00:15:10 --> 00:15:15 So, back in the old barn, they would pretty much get 100 percent
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 of their dry matter from grazing.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 They would get a little bit of grain twice a day when they came in to
00:15:21 --> 00:15:26 get milked, but otherwise they would just be on grass, whereas nowadays
00:15:26 --> 00:15:32 they are getting between 40 and 60 percent of their daily dry matter
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 from grazing, depending on the season
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37 and, and what path, or like what type of forage they are eating.
00:15:38 --> 00:15:43 So we still do mix a TMR every day and, and put it in the barn and, and
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 they still eat that as well as grazing.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:51 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Now, you're located in Canada, so milk's
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 a little bit different there.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 You all have a quota that you're working with.
00:15:56 --> 00:16:00 How has that affected, affected your all's operation?
00:16:01 --> 00:16:06 maybe just for people not familiar with your base or quota, whatever
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 wording you use for it, can you describe what that is for them?
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, for sure.
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 So, we call it the supply management system.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:21 And so, basically the idea is that Canada is only going to produce
00:16:21 --> 00:16:24 enough milk to, for Canadians.
00:16:24 --> 00:16:30 So, we're not going to overproduce and export and then . So we're
00:16:30 --> 00:16:36 only producing for what our, you know, domestic market needs.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:37 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:43 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: so in doing that, we all, we can't overproduce.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:48 So therefore, every farm has a strict quota that they're allowed to fill.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 And you can't go over that quota because there's no market
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 for that milk that goes over.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 And so every farm has a set amount of.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 Kgs of butterfat that they're allowed to ship per day.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 It's all based on your butterfat.
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 How many kilograms of butterfat?
00:17:03 --> 00:17:13 It's not based on liters and so for us with the grazing it it There's a little
00:17:13 --> 00:17:17 bit of a challenge in the sense that our butterfat goes down on really fresh
00:17:17 --> 00:17:26 grass So we're not shipping as many kgs every day, but There's also You can
00:17:26 --> 00:17:30 stockpile some Kgs in the form of what they call credits where you can like
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 if you don't fill them this month You can fill them next month type thing.
00:17:33 --> 00:17:39 So there's we do have a bit of flexibility that Makes it so that if we don't ship
00:17:39 --> 00:17:43 as much in the summer, we can make up for that in the winter months So that's
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 that's how we make it work for us
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, very good.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:55 As a, a younger dairying, I always thought the, the supply management system
00:17:55 --> 00:17:58 that Canada in place was just crazy.
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 I thought, no way.
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 know, I was, I was very pro capitalism with it.
00:18:04 --> 00:18:09 But, as I've aged, it really seems like a good method to me now.
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 Because here in the U.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:11 S.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:17 we had a small dairy, but we couldn't keep our, our costs low enough with the
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20 price of milk and everything we sold out.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:26 And when I look at the supply management now, it seems to me that's
00:18:26 --> 00:18:31 a, a good way for smaller dairies to stay in business, because that quota
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 has some value, and you've got it.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, and and the biggest thing is we have a very
00:18:38 --> 00:18:43 Because we're not ever exporting, we're not, we're also restricting imports.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 So we're,
00:18:45 --> 00:18:49 so like, Canadian government puts really high tariffs, which we don't need to
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 talk too much about tariffs, right,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:55 right now, but but they put high tariffs on milk products that
00:18:55 --> 00:19:00 are imported so that, so that our milk price stays really steady.
00:19:01 --> 00:19:01 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: But the way they set our milk price,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:06 just so people don't think that it's like, you know, an inflated
00:19:06 --> 00:19:10 milk price that, you know, that you're making consumers pay more.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:15 The way they set our milk price is they do a cost of production
00:19:16 --> 00:19:20 analysis on multiple farms every year.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:23 I think it's about 10 percent of the farms in Canada.
00:19:23 --> 00:19:28 A third, a third party comes, does a cost of production analysis on And
00:19:28 --> 00:19:33 then they take that analysis to figure out the average cost of production
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 and then they set the milk price based on that cost of production.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:41 So that then, if you're a farmer who is under the average cost of production,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:43 you're going to be more profitable.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:46 If you're a farmer that's over the average cost of production,
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 you're going to be less profitable.
00:19:47 --> 00:19:51 So it's still, it's not like we're propping up farms or anything like that.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:53 Like you're still going to be more profitable by trying to
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 reduce your cost of production.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 And it's still based on an average.
00:19:57 --> 00:20:00 So the whole industry is still make, try and have that goal
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 of a lower cost production.
00:20:04 --> 00:20:06 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: And that really gives you some feedback on
00:20:06 --> 00:20:10 what you're doing as you know your costs, and you can say, hey, here's
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 what these guys are averaging.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 Where do we fall into that?
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 Where can we get better?
00:20:16 --> 00:20:18 That's, that's nice information to have.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah, for sure.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 It's great to be able to like benchmark a little.
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24 Yeah,
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Let's shift focus just a little bit before
00:20:27 --> 00:20:29 we dive deeper into your forages.
00:20:30 --> 00:20:33 And I want to cover genetics.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:36 You know, we, we ran hostings.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 Because that's what everybody did, basically.
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 But then, our cows, we grazed them.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:47 But we didn't, we did a little bit of grazing management, but not a lot.
00:20:47 --> 00:20:51 And at the time, there was some New Zealand genetics coming in
00:20:51 --> 00:20:53 that was more grazing genetics.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:56 And I really wanted to use them, and we just didn't get
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 there in the time we dairied.
00:20:59 --> 00:21:02 Have you all used any grazing genetics or are you using
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 pretty standard Jersey genetics?
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: For the most part we have just
00:21:07 --> 00:21:10 been using North American genetics.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:15 Like a lot, yeah, a lot of Canadian and US bulls, kind of a mix
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 of the two, because they both.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 Yeah, like the genetic pools are different.
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 They go for different things.
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:21:21 --> 00:21:24 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Canadian is more high components,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 butterfat and protein.
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 The U.
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 S.
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 is more high liters of milk.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:31 so we kind of use a bit of both to try to get that balance.
00:21:32 --> 00:21:36 And then, in the last few years, Australian genetics have started
00:21:36 --> 00:21:39 making a big Yeah, a lot of interest in North America, so we've
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 started using a little bit of them.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 Yeah.
00:21:41 --> 00:21:44 And a little bit of Danish, because they have extremely high
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 components, the Denmark jerseys.
00:21:48 --> 00:21:51 But we've never, we've never gone the route of like, looking
00:21:51 --> 00:21:54 specifically for grazing genetics.
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: we, well for one, our, our grazing season is only
00:22:00 --> 00:22:02 four and a half to five months long.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:04 So it's less than half of our year.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:09 So If we focus completely on that, well, they might not be as profitable
00:22:09 --> 00:22:11 for the other seven months of the year.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And the, and the other thing is I've kind
00:22:14 --> 00:22:17 of just I'm, well at least I'm hoping this is how it's working on our farm,
00:22:18 --> 00:22:25 is that we've been doing this for long enough, and that our own genetics and
00:22:25 --> 00:22:28 our epigenetics on our farm have adapted to the type of grazing that we're doing.
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:32 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: when you have, when you have old cows
00:22:32 --> 00:22:37 that have been in your herd for, you know, 10 years and you have seven
00:22:37 --> 00:22:41 daughters off her, you know, she's in your herd for 10 years for a reason.
00:22:41 --> 00:22:44 It's because she matches your, matches your program.
00:22:44 --> 00:22:47 And hopefully, hopefully that's like how we're getting our own type
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 of genetics that suit our program.
00:22:51 --> 00:22:53 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: And I think that's valid with
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 when we think about jerseys.
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 Like I mentioned, we milked Holsteins.
00:22:57 --> 00:23:00 And I think there's a bigger discrepancy between the two.
00:23:01 --> 00:23:06 The standard North America hosting versus grazing genetics hosting.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:10 I when I think about jerseys, I don't think maybe there's that
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 much difference between the two.
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 But I'm sure there's, there's some.
00:23:15 --> 00:23:18 Now you mentioned there having an old cow and like seven heifers out of her.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:24 If we've got two or three heifers out of a cow, we were We were ecstatic
00:23:24 --> 00:23:28 because it's just difficult to raise enough heifers out of a cow.
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 What are you doing?
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 So you get so many heifers.
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, we we've been using sex semen
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: oh
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: the past
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And a little bit before that when the
00:23:40 --> 00:23:46 technology just came out, but in the last, yeah, 10 years, I've been very,
00:23:47 --> 00:23:52 very heavy, using sex even very heavy to try to make sure that I'm always
00:23:52 --> 00:23:57 getting daughters off my best cows and, and so that's It's, it's got its good
00:23:57 --> 00:24:02 things in terms of like our, our herd has improved a lot in the last 10 years.
00:24:03 --> 00:24:06 But we also have way too many heifers on our farm.
00:24:06 --> 00:24:10 not very good at I'm not very good at deciding which ones get the sex semen
00:24:10 --> 00:24:12 and which ones just get beef semen.
00:24:12 --> 00:24:17 I like my cows too much and I, I end up breeding them all to sex semen, so.
00:24:18 --> 00:24:23 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well we dairied we never had enough heifers and now we've
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 got beef cows we never have enough bulls
00:24:26 --> 00:24:35 know, it's it's just part of that Yeah you using I'm not familiar with sex semen.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:37 That happened after we were AI ing.
00:24:38 --> 00:24:42 Except I think I've seen there's like 75 percent sex semen and there's
00:24:42 --> 00:24:44 90 percent sex semen, as I recall.
00:24:45 --> 00:24:49 one are you using and do you find those numbers pretty accurate?
00:24:49 --> 00:24:52 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: We pretty much are only using the 90 percent now.
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh
00:24:54 --> 00:24:57 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: I think 75 might still be out there available,
00:24:57 --> 00:25:01 but it was kind of one of those it was kind of like a lower price range when
00:25:01 --> 00:25:04 they first came out with sex semen and people weren't sure if they wanted to
00:25:04 --> 00:25:06 spend twice as much money on semen.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:11 So they came out with this 75, but I think pretty much everything is around that 90%.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, okay.
00:25:13 --> 00:25:17 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And it's It seems to be at least that, like,
00:25:18 --> 00:25:23 we get the odd bowl that's off a sex semen that's not supposed to be a bowl.
00:25:23 --> 00:25:27 But for the most part, it's yeah, we're pretty happy with it.
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 And,
00:25:28 --> 00:25:31 the biggest thing is they've, the technology has really improved.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:33 So, conception rate is really high.
00:25:33 --> 00:25:36 When sex semen first came out, your conception rate was lower.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:41 And so You're spending more money on the semen and not getting as
00:25:41 --> 00:25:45 many pregnancies But now especially with jerseys with that are very
00:25:45 --> 00:25:49 fertile to begin with our conception rates pretty high with sex semen.
00:25:49 --> 00:25:52 So We're pretty happy with it
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: before we move off of jerseys a little
00:25:56 --> 00:26:00 bit, majority of your cows A2 A2?
00:26:01 --> 00:26:05 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: don't I mean I think I think like
00:26:05 --> 00:26:13 It's something like 70 percent of Jersey breed is a2 at this point Yeah
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 think our herd is probably around that.
00:26:15 --> 00:26:21 I don't, if there's a really good bull that has A1, I'll
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 probably still use him, but
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:26:24 --> 00:26:26 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: most of the semen companies are only taking A2
00:26:26 --> 00:26:28 bulls at this point, so that's kind of,
00:26:29 --> 00:26:33 like they don't really buy any, buy any bulls that aren't A2, so it's
00:26:33 --> 00:26:36 kind of made it so like the whole breed is, is shifting that way.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, okay.
00:26:38 --> 00:26:43 Yeah, you mentioned you're using bulls on some of your cows.
00:26:43 --> 00:26:45 What beef breeds are you going with?
00:26:45 --> 00:26:48 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: The majority we are going with is just Angus
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 just because it's really cheap semen.
00:26:51 --> 00:26:54 And it's good, good fertility and easy calving.
00:26:54 --> 00:26:58 We do use a little bit of Wagyu just as a bit of an experiment.
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 So we have some steers on the ground.
00:27:01 --> 00:27:05 I haven't butchered anything yet, but we have some Jersey Wagyu steers.
00:27:05 --> 00:27:08 So, look, looking forward to that.
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: That'll be
00:27:09 --> 00:27:12 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, yeah, so we'll see, like,
00:27:12 --> 00:27:16 I, I, I'm gonna grass finish them.
00:27:16 --> 00:27:18 They're grass fed and grass finished.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 And I raise them on cows.
00:27:20 --> 00:27:24 I don't ball raise them, I just put them on a nurse cow and raise them on a cow.
00:27:24 --> 00:27:30 So, I think it'll be interesting to see, like I don't see many Wagyu
00:27:30 --> 00:27:34 that's grass fed, you don't see, most Wagyu is grain fed, so it'll be
00:27:34 --> 00:27:36 interesting to see what the results are.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 And,
00:27:38 --> 00:27:43 in like visual marbling and flavor, because I'm sure you know the
00:27:43 --> 00:27:46 difference between a grass fed steak and a grain fed steak, there's
00:27:46 --> 00:27:48 a bit of a flavor difference.
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 And it's mainly comes from the fat.
00:27:50 --> 00:27:53 So if you have twice as much fat, are you going to have
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 twice as much flavor difference?
00:27:55 --> 00:27:58 And yeah, so I'm, we'll see.
00:27:58 --> 00:28:02 I hope, I hope it's not a, I hope it's not, you know, too extreme, I guess.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:08 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, it'll be interesting to see and how that
00:28:08 --> 00:28:13 goes now you mentioned something there raise those calves on nurse cows.
00:28:13 --> 00:28:15 Do you raise all your calves on nurse cows?
00:28:15 --> 00:28:17 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: I know majority,
00:28:18 --> 00:28:22 yeah, majority, majority of our heifer calves get raised on a bottle.
00:28:23 --> 00:28:27 Any, any breeding bowl that we're going to keep gets raised on a cow because
00:28:27 --> 00:28:31 they, have a much better temperament when they're older, if they're raised on a cow.
00:28:31 --> 00:28:35 And
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Great point about
00:28:37 --> 00:28:39 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah, it, it makes a big difference.
00:28:39 --> 00:28:43 And the people who buy those bulls from us comment on it too, how it's like night
00:28:43 --> 00:28:47 and day, the difference between raised on a cow compared to raised on a bottle.
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 So
00:28:48 --> 00:28:53 yeah, we have done the odd heifer calf raised on a cow.
00:28:55 --> 00:28:57 It's a little bit better now with the robot because I'm not the one getting
00:28:57 --> 00:29:02 kicked when I, when I go to milk him.
00:29:03 --> 00:29:05 But in the old Tysol it wasn't very much fun.
00:29:07 --> 00:29:09 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, I was thinking as you said that, boy, I
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 wouldn't want a heifer raised on a
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: No.
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 No.
00:29:12 --> 00:29:15 We used to put Jersey ambrose in beef cows actually.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 And let,
00:29:17 --> 00:29:20 let the beef cow raise the Jersey calf once it was born.
00:29:20 --> 00:29:22 And, but we did that for two seasons.
00:29:23 --> 00:29:26 Once we started calving them out, we never did that again because
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:29:27 --> 00:29:29 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: were they were, they were wild and
00:29:29 --> 00:29:31 they never lost it their whole life.
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 Like they could be old,
00:29:34 --> 00:29:38 cows and they still just had that little bit of edge to them that you didn't really
00:29:38 --> 00:29:40 want to be working with on a daily basis.
00:29:41 --> 00:29:46 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, never raised any dairy heifers on cows, but
00:29:46 --> 00:29:51 I have had a few dairy goats just off and on, and I've had some raised on the
00:29:51 --> 00:29:55 nanny versus, or on the doe versus us bottle raising them, and the ones that are
00:29:55 --> 00:29:58 raised on the doe are just so much more
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah,
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: for a simple word.
00:30:01 --> 00:30:01 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah,
00:30:03 --> 00:30:08 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, it's time we transition to our overgrazing section.
00:30:08 --> 00:30:12 Speaker 2: At Redmond, we know that you thrive when your animals do.
00:30:12 --> 00:30:16 That's why it's essential to fill the gaps in your herd's nutrition
00:30:16 --> 00:30:18 with the minerals that they need.
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00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 Learn more at redmondagriculture.
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 com
00:31:06 --> 00:31:08 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: And for the overgrazing section we take a deeper
00:31:08 --> 00:31:12 dive into some practice your operation.
00:31:12 --> 00:31:14 And today we're gonna talk more about your forages.
00:31:14 --> 00:31:21 And your Specifically your forages forage mixes that you are putting down because
00:31:21 --> 00:31:27 as you graze dairy cows very different than grazing beef cows or hair sheep.
00:31:27 --> 00:31:32 I like to think of beef cows and hair sheep as beginner grazer friendly.
00:31:33 --> 00:31:36 But when you talk about dairy cows, they have much more nutritional
00:31:36 --> 00:31:39 requirements than those other classes.
00:31:40 --> 00:31:46 So what are you doing so that your forages can meet as much of that as they can?
00:31:48 --> 00:31:51 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: the biggest thing for the dairy herd, like
00:31:51 --> 00:31:55 when we were talking about grazing, milking, lactating cows is you're right.
00:31:55 --> 00:31:58 We need to keep like a really high plane of nutrition.
00:31:59 --> 00:32:03 And so that's where your pasture management really comes in, in terms
00:32:03 --> 00:32:06 of going to the pasture that's ready.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:08 You know, when it's ready.
00:32:08 --> 00:32:13 Always trying to graze in that vegetative state, the plant, before, before it starts
00:32:13 --> 00:32:18 going into the reproductive state, because that's when it changes from putting, you
00:32:18 --> 00:32:22 know, energy into the leaves to putting energy into trying to make a seed.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:29 And so, we're usually a fairly short rotation, because
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh yeah.
00:32:30 --> 00:32:32 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: grazing it, and then we want to be back onto
00:32:32 --> 00:32:35 it before it heads out a second time.
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 So, we're liking that.
00:32:37 --> 00:32:40 In our area, it's like 30 to 35 day rotation where we're coming back
00:32:40 --> 00:32:43 to it really quick and trying to keep it in that vegetative state.
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh yeah.
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 Yeah.
00:32:47 --> 00:32:48 Excellent points there.
00:32:49 --> 00:32:51 are you grazing mainly perennials or annuals?
00:32:52 --> 00:32:54 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Our pastures are split up that
00:32:54 --> 00:32:58 majority of it is perennials, multi species perennial mixes.
00:32:58 --> 00:33:05 So at this point, those mixes are usually made up of about four or five
00:33:05 --> 00:33:10 legumes like alfalfa, a clover or two.
00:33:12 --> 00:33:18 Cicer milkvetch, birdsfoot trefoil, those ones will be in there, and then
00:33:18 --> 00:33:24 we usually have a brome grass, and then something like chicory, like, or a
00:33:24 --> 00:33:26 plantain, plantain or something like that.
00:33:28 --> 00:33:33 So those are our perennial mixes, and like our fields will be mainly perennial
00:33:33 --> 00:33:38 pastures, but then we will have about 10 15 percent of our pastures sowed
00:33:38 --> 00:33:40 down to a multi species annual mix.
00:33:41 --> 00:33:41 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:33:42 --> 00:33:44 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: And so in those mixes, usually we have
00:33:44 --> 00:33:51 a forage oats, forage peas, Italian rye grass, turnips, clover, fennel.
00:33:52 --> 00:33:55 Depending on the year, we'll have, we're always trying something
00:33:55 --> 00:34:00 different in our mixes, so we'll have, like, kale you know, hairy vetch,
00:34:01 --> 00:34:04 sorghum, just a bit of everything.
00:34:04 --> 00:34:06 We try a few different things every year.
00:34:07 --> 00:34:10 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: O on those annuals that you're sewing,
00:34:10 --> 00:34:15 sewing, are you using no-till or are you going in and tilling that
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17 and using a prepared seed bed?
00:34:17 --> 00:34:20 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: We've been doing majority no till.
00:34:20 --> 00:34:26 We bought a John Deere drill, six years ago and, and switched to going
00:34:26 --> 00:34:28 no till, which has been very nice.
00:34:28 --> 00:34:34 But we are probably going to start doing a little bit of tillage just because we
00:34:34 --> 00:34:38 are a little worried about I guess our lack of options for herbicides when
00:34:38 --> 00:34:40 you're doing these multi species mixes.
00:34:41 --> 00:34:43 so we're kind of going back to the same herbicide year after
00:34:43 --> 00:34:46 year and we're worried that we're going to build up some resistance.
00:34:46 --> 00:34:51 So, I think we're gonna at least experiment again with tillage and just
00:34:51 --> 00:34:54 see, see how that goes that way too.
00:34:55 --> 00:34:58 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Do you think with your no till and using
00:34:58 --> 00:35:02 those annuals, your weeds would just take over too much that it's not
00:35:02 --> 00:35:04 practical to do it without herbicide?
00:35:05 --> 00:35:10 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, basically, it's, we've done it, I
00:35:10 --> 00:35:13 shouldn't say we've tried it without herbicide, but we've done it when we
00:35:13 --> 00:35:14 haven't had a good kill of herbicide.
00:35:14 --> 00:35:18 Yeah, kind of the same.
00:35:18 --> 00:35:20 And it's really noticeable.
00:35:20 --> 00:35:23 You just aren't getting the yield you want and just not the
00:35:23 --> 00:35:24 production you want out of those.
00:35:25 --> 00:35:26 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:35:28 --> 00:35:31 with your forages, you talked a little bit about that.
00:35:31 --> 00:35:34 Earlier on, you mentioned you've only got five months of
00:35:34 --> 00:35:36 a really good grazing season.
00:35:36 --> 00:35:36 Mm hmm.
00:35:37 --> 00:35:42 So, what are you doing to use those forages during the other seven months?
00:35:43 --> 00:35:47 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: So we make pretty much all of our own forage on farm.
00:35:47 --> 00:35:54 And so it's about split 50 50 between perennials and multi species annuals.
00:35:54 --> 00:35:59 And so our perennial mixes is fairly similar to our pastures, about
00:35:59 --> 00:36:03 four or five different legumes, and yeah, basically the same mix.
00:36:03 --> 00:36:05 Then we'll do two or three cuts off it.
00:36:06 --> 00:36:06 And then,
00:36:07 --> 00:36:13 then our annual mixes, we have basically gone, narrowed down to a high
00:36:13 --> 00:36:20 digestibility, high protein mix that we're mixing and cutting early to try to get
00:36:20 --> 00:36:22 that high digestibility and high protein.
00:36:23 --> 00:36:27 And then we have another mix that we call our high starch mix, which
00:36:28 --> 00:36:33 we are letting grow a bit further along so that we get some starch out
00:36:33 --> 00:36:39 of the grains in that mix and try to reduce our purchase grain costs.
00:36:40 --> 00:36:45 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Now, I think a few years ago you went to Alberta a hands
00:36:45 --> 00:36:48 on class about soil micro organisms.
00:36:48 --> 00:36:52 Let me try that again.
00:36:52 --> 00:36:54 About soil micro organisms.
00:36:54 --> 00:36:58 How was that class and how did it affect your practice?
00:36:58 --> 00:36:58 Okay.
00:36:59 --> 00:37:00 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: It was, it was really good.
00:37:00 --> 00:37:06 It was at the Kera Soil Health Lab in Oyin, Alberta.
00:37:07 --> 00:37:14 And so, basically we went and spent one session inside a lab where they
00:37:14 --> 00:37:19 showed us how to look underneath a microscope to look at soil microorganisms.
00:37:20 --> 00:37:25 And so we kind of, that was kind of the idea was that if you want to, you could
00:37:25 --> 00:37:27 do that at home then once they taught you.
00:37:28 --> 00:37:38 but the microscope was 3, 000 and I don't have that much free time, but yeah,
00:37:38 --> 00:37:39 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: 100x,
00:37:40 --> 00:37:40 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah,
00:37:40 --> 00:37:41 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: if I recall
00:37:41 --> 00:37:42 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:37:42 --> 00:37:47 It was definitely more than like your classroom science lab microscope.
00:37:48 --> 00:37:52 But it was really, for me, I found it really beneficial because I'm a
00:37:52 --> 00:37:54 visual learner, and so it was nice.
00:37:55 --> 00:37:58 I could be looking underneath the microscope, and they actually had, like, a
00:37:58 --> 00:38:02 microscope that would show what, what you were looking at underneath the microscope
00:38:02 --> 00:38:04 on the screen, like, behind you.
00:38:05 --> 00:38:07 And so then the instructor's telling you, it's like, okay, that, like,
00:38:07 --> 00:38:11 what you're looking at right there is a little bacteria, that little dot.
00:38:12 --> 00:38:15 Or, this is, like, a strand of, You know, fungi.
00:38:15 --> 00:38:17 And this is an amoeba.
00:38:17 --> 00:38:22 And, and so it's like kind of, it's very hands on and visual.
00:38:22 --> 00:38:25 And so for me, it kind of helped.
00:38:25 --> 00:38:29 And then the next day we're in more of a presentation area where
00:38:29 --> 00:38:30 they're really going through.
00:38:30 --> 00:38:37 It's like, okay, so the protozoa comes and it eats this bacteria and digests it.
00:38:37 --> 00:38:42 And when it passes through, then it comes out as a, in a variable form of nitrogen.
00:38:42 --> 00:38:48 For your plants and so it's very like yeah, just put it all together and
00:38:48 --> 00:38:49 I found it very beneficial that way.
00:38:52 --> 00:38:54 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Did it cause you to change any practices at home?
00:38:56 --> 00:38:57 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, I guess it probably the biggest thing
00:38:57 --> 00:39:04 was it, it motivated me to continue to try to do some different things and
00:39:05 --> 00:39:05 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:39:06 --> 00:39:08 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: so on our farm one thing we haven't
00:39:08 --> 00:39:14 touched on yet is that our cows live on a compost bedded pack and And
00:39:15 --> 00:39:15 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:39:15 --> 00:39:18 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: So the way that works is we put down a
00:39:18 --> 00:39:24 bunch of wood shavings and then the cows sleep on there and deposit their
00:39:24 --> 00:39:26 manure and urine into the wood shavings.
00:39:27 --> 00:39:31 And then twice a day we take a little cultivator and cultivate this wood
00:39:31 --> 00:39:36 shavings and mix in the manure and urine and it turns into compost.
00:39:37 --> 00:39:42 And so the cows are actually living on compost and we add shavings
00:39:42 --> 00:39:43 when we need to, when it's time to.
00:39:44 --> 00:39:48 When it needs to get a little you know, just to dry it out, but otherwise
00:39:48 --> 00:39:52 we're just composting this manure and urine and wood shaving, shavings.
00:39:52 --> 00:39:56 And then we're using that compost as fertilizer on our farm.
00:39:56 --> 00:39:57 And so,
00:39:57 --> 00:39:58 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: yes,
00:39:58 --> 00:40:02 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: so by going to that soil health lab and like
00:40:02 --> 00:40:06 realizing what these microorganisms do, it kind of really, Really made me
00:40:06 --> 00:40:11 think about like, you know, how can we, how can we use our compost even more?
00:40:11 --> 00:40:16 So I've since started using some compost extracts from a Johnson's Zoo
00:40:16 --> 00:40:21 Bioreactor they have on farm and trying out stuff like that as as inoculants
00:40:21 --> 00:40:23 for our seed and soil inoculants.
00:40:23 --> 00:40:27 It's
00:40:28 --> 00:40:31 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: it's kind of outside the scope of the podcast, but
00:40:31 --> 00:40:37 you're going through that and cultivating it twice a day or incorporating the
00:40:37 --> 00:40:40 manure that compost twice a day.
00:40:40 --> 00:40:44 Is that an attachment you have on like a skid loader or is it
00:40:44 --> 00:40:47 on a tractor or is it by hand?
00:40:47 --> 00:40:51 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: on a little tractor, so it was a There's a
00:40:51 --> 00:40:56 three point hitch cultivator that had probably been sitting in a tree line for,
00:40:56 --> 00:40:59 I don't know, probably at least 40 years.
00:40:59 --> 00:41:04 And it got pulled out of the bush and, and strapped to a little Massey tractor.
00:41:04 --> 00:41:05 And,
00:41:05 --> 00:41:06 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:41:06 --> 00:41:07 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: it just, it's nice because it's small
00:41:07 --> 00:41:09 enough that it just stays in the barn.
00:41:09 --> 00:41:11 You don't have to open up any doors or anything to do it.
00:41:11 --> 00:41:13 It just got a little parking spot in the barn.
00:41:13 --> 00:41:15 We just, twice a day, cultivate with that.
00:41:15 --> 00:41:20 Yeah,
00:41:20 --> 00:41:22 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: but how are you doing it?
00:41:22 --> 00:41:23 So that works out good.
00:41:23 --> 00:41:29 Have you noticed, by going to that compost bed, has it affected your somatic
00:41:29 --> 00:41:32 cell count or mastitis incidence, Sini?
00:41:33 --> 00:41:36 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: our somatic cell count is, usually stays like
00:41:36 --> 00:41:43 a pretty respectable number, like around that 80, 000 to 120, 000 so it's good.
00:41:43 --> 00:41:48 I will say that, you know, I think there, there probably is, we have some type of
00:41:48 --> 00:41:53 mastitis that's popping up because we'll have cows that, they're not getting sick.
00:41:53 --> 00:41:56 enough that, like, I can see, like, look at her and be like, she's
00:41:56 --> 00:41:58 sick and then, and then treat her.
00:41:59 --> 00:42:03 But all, it's more so just all of a sudden I'll notice that one quarter has gone
00:42:03 --> 00:42:09 dry because she obviously had mastitis at one point and we didn't pick up on it.
00:42:10 --> 00:42:11 So that, that is frustrating.
00:42:11 --> 00:42:17 We're trying to decide if we're going to go the route of Like a somatic cell
00:42:17 --> 00:42:23 tester in our robot because you can, you can install that, but it is a little
00:42:23 --> 00:42:28 pricey and I've heard mixed, mixed opinion on if it worked good or not.
00:42:29 --> 00:42:33 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: That was kind of my My thoughts there, where you're
00:42:33 --> 00:42:39 not actively milking them and the robot's doing it, it, you miss out on that daily
00:42:39 --> 00:42:45 feedback, twice a day feedback, of how that quarter health or utter health is.
00:42:45 --> 00:42:46 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, definitely.
00:42:46 --> 00:42:51 Like, that's, that's something that we've noticed is that you just, you
00:42:51 --> 00:42:54 know, you're not, when you're not hands on or on them twice a day, then you're
00:42:54 --> 00:42:59 not picking up on those things the way you would In the old, old barn.
00:42:59 --> 00:43:04 So now the next option is, you know, spend more money and upgrade
00:43:04 --> 00:43:06 the, upgrade the equipment.
00:43:07 --> 00:43:07 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Everything
00:43:08 --> 00:43:08 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah.
00:43:08 --> 00:43:09 Yeah.
00:43:09 --> 00:43:10 So it definitely has its drawbacks.
00:43:10 --> 00:43:11 The robot.
00:43:12 --> 00:43:13 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh yeah.
00:43:15 --> 00:43:18 What do you see for the next few years for your dairy.
00:43:19 --> 00:43:20 Any changes?
00:43:20 --> 00:43:22 Are you continuing as is?
00:43:22 --> 00:43:23 What would you like to improve?
00:43:25 --> 00:43:28 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: I think our, in the short term, we're just
00:43:28 --> 00:43:32 trying to you know, focus on kind of like the little things, you know, dairy
00:43:32 --> 00:43:36 farming, it's very You know, there's, there's little things that can make a big
00:43:36 --> 00:43:38 difference if you're doing them right.
00:43:38 --> 00:43:42 So, you know, that's like dry cow management you know, even calf raising
00:43:43 --> 00:43:47 management, trying to reduce the amount of calves we're raising, stuff like that.
00:43:47 --> 00:43:53 In the long term, I could see us probably going towards processing our own milk as
00:43:53 --> 00:43:58 a way to try to get a premium, because You know, there's, there's really good
00:43:58 --> 00:44:00 things about the supply management system.
00:44:00 --> 00:44:06 But the one thing that at least where we are, that is a bit of a negative is that
00:44:06 --> 00:44:12 you, you don't have as many processors and so, and you don't have those,
00:44:12 --> 00:44:13 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:44:14 --> 00:44:16 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: you know, you don't have those options to
00:44:16 --> 00:44:20 go, or we don't, we honestly couldn't even go organic if we wanted to.
00:44:20 --> 00:44:22 We would have no one to buy our milk where we are.
00:44:23 --> 00:44:25 And it was the same with grass fed.
00:44:25 --> 00:44:30 We tried to go grass fed and it just, there just wasn't a processor that would
00:44:30 --> 00:44:33 be, you know, be able to do it for us.
00:44:34 --> 00:44:39 So I think if we want to get a premium whether it's grass fed or organic,
00:44:39 --> 00:44:43 I think we would have to just switch to start doing it ourselves, which
00:44:43 --> 00:44:48 would be a big step and a whole new, a whole new thing, but it's probably
00:44:48 --> 00:44:50 what we're gonna, it's probably what we're gonna do eventually, so.
00:44:51 --> 00:44:55 Yeah,
00:44:56 --> 00:44:58 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: I say that I haven't made very much cheese.
00:44:58 --> 00:45:01 I have gone to a cheese making class or two, and I even bought
00:45:01 --> 00:45:04 some dairy sheep a year years ago.
00:45:04 --> 00:45:06 Maybe 15, 20 years ago.
00:45:06 --> 00:45:12 That I wanted to start milking I just never, I never found the time
00:45:12 --> 00:45:16 and pushed it high enough on my priority list to get it done, but
00:45:16 --> 00:45:18 I love the idea of making cheese.
00:45:18 --> 00:45:21 It may be because that's one of my favorite snacks, but
00:45:22 --> 00:45:23 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: there's, there's nothing
00:45:23 --> 00:45:24 better than fresh cheese curds.
00:45:24 --> 00:45:28 Like, I've only done it a few times, but, like, when they're, like, just, like,
00:45:29 --> 00:45:31 Just right fresh, man, can't beat that.
00:45:32 --> 00:45:35 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: oh yeah, yeah, no, I agree.
00:45:36 --> 00:45:41 Sean, before we move on to the famous four, anything else you'd like to add?
00:45:41 --> 00:45:44 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: I guess just one, one other thing, just
00:45:45 --> 00:45:49 to go into a little more depth maybe about those multi species annuals.
00:45:49 --> 00:45:50 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, okay.
00:45:50 --> 00:45:53 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: like the only, yeah, the only thing I would say
00:45:53 --> 00:45:58 is just, if anyone's listening who's a dairy farmer and has thought about this,
00:45:58 --> 00:46:06 is that my advice would be to start simple and just make your own blends, rather
00:46:06 --> 00:46:09 than go to a premix blend, unless the,
00:46:10 --> 00:46:13 the seed company that you're looking to buy from is making
00:46:13 --> 00:46:14 like a dairy specific blend.
00:46:15 --> 00:46:19 Pre mix blend that is like made for dairy quality feed.
00:46:19 --> 00:46:24 I would say just do it yourself because at least in my area, most of these pre
00:46:24 --> 00:46:29 mix blends that are like getting promoted by cover crop cover crop seed companies
00:46:29 --> 00:46:34 or, or anything like that, they're, they maybe don't fit that high quality
00:46:34 --> 00:46:36 feed that a dairy farmer would need.
00:46:36 --> 00:46:38 And so you might be disappointed.
00:46:39 --> 00:46:41 I've heard too many dairy farmers who said they bought a pre mix,
00:46:42 --> 00:46:46 had good yield, but not the quality that they want, and now they're just
00:46:46 --> 00:46:49 going back to you know, monoculture.
00:46:49 --> 00:46:53 And so I'd say just, if you're going to do it, just make it yourself, and
00:46:53 --> 00:46:55 make a blend that fits your program.
00:46:55 --> 00:46:59 Yeah,
00:47:00 --> 00:47:02 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Of course as dairymen, dairy people know that those
00:47:02 --> 00:47:07 nutritional requirements of dairy cows are so much greater than what you're
00:47:07 --> 00:47:14 dealing with with beef cows or we can get by on a lot less feeding scrub to
00:47:14 --> 00:47:15 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: well, yeah, beef cows, I
00:47:15 --> 00:47:16 mean, they're, they're good.
00:47:17 --> 00:47:19 They're really good at converting, converting feed.
00:47:19 --> 00:47:21 I mean, that's what, that's what they're good at.
00:47:21 --> 00:47:21 So,
00:47:23 --> 00:47:26 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, Sean, it's time for our famous four questions.
00:47:26 --> 00:47:29 Today's famous four questions are sponsored by Manderley
00:47:29 --> 00:47:30 farms grazing conference.
00:47:31 --> 00:47:34 Attention, all farmers, ranchers, and land enthusiast.
00:47:35 --> 00:47:38 Join us for owned forgettable grazing conference on
00:47:38 --> 00:47:43 February 21st and 22nd, 2025.
00:47:44 --> 00:47:47 At the beautiful Manderley farms in Pikeville, Tennessee
00:47:47 --> 00:47:50 nestled in the scenic Sequatchie valley.
00:47:50 --> 00:47:53 This is your chance to learn from the best in the business.
00:47:53 --> 00:47:54 Our speakers include
00:47:54 --> 00:47:59 the renowned, Greg Judy, alongside the dynamic duo, Greg and Debbie Brann.
00:48:00 --> 00:48:05 Expect engaging sessions, informative pasture walks and interactive question
00:48:05 --> 00:48:08 and answer sessions with our experts.
00:48:09 --> 00:48:12 Discover help to revolutionize your land management with
00:48:12 --> 00:48:15 regenerative grazing practices.
00:48:15 --> 00:48:17 Whether you're looking to enhance
00:48:17 --> 00:48:21 whether you're looking to enhance soil health, increase, biodiversity,
00:48:22 --> 00:48:24 or improve your pasture productivity.
00:48:24 --> 00:48:26 This conference is tailored for you.
00:48:27 --> 00:48:31 Don't miss this opportunity to grow your knowledge and your farm.
00:48:31 --> 00:48:34 For more details and secure your spot.
00:48:34 --> 00:48:38 Visit www.manderlyfarms.com.
00:48:38 --> 00:48:44 That's M a N D E R L E Y.
00:48:44 --> 00:48:46 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Same four questions we ask of all of our guests.
00:48:47 --> 00:48:48 Our first question.
00:48:48 --> 00:48:52 What is your favorite grazing grass related book or resource?
00:48:53 --> 00:48:55 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: I can't say that I have too many books
00:48:55 --> 00:49:03 specifically on grazing, but probably my, my best resource is actually our
00:49:03 --> 00:49:05 local Ducks Unlimited has a grazing club.
00:49:05 --> 00:49:06 And
00:49:07 --> 00:49:12 that has been something that has been like a really good resource, whether it's.
00:49:12 --> 00:49:17 We do field days where we'll go to a farm or they bring in good speakers.
00:49:17 --> 00:49:22 So they've probably been, like, my best resource apart from, I guess, YouTube.
00:49:22 --> 00:49:24 It's always, that's always,
00:49:24 --> 00:49:24 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:49:27 --> 00:49:28 And that's interesting.
00:49:28 --> 00:49:29 Ducks Unlimited.
00:49:29 --> 00:49:31 Is that who you said that's doing
00:49:31 --> 00:49:32 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, yeah.
00:49:33 --> 00:49:34 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yes.
00:49:34 --> 00:49:38 That's resource don't normally think of.
00:49:38 --> 00:49:41 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, well, it's We're losing
00:49:41 --> 00:49:46 so much I guess grassland on the prairies in Canada right now.
00:49:46 --> 00:49:49 So much of it is getting converted to just rope, or to grain crops.
00:49:50 --> 00:49:55 So, so Ducks Unlimited is really trying to focus on Making beef producers, mainly,
00:49:56 --> 00:49:59 because there's not as many dairy, but trying to help them be more profitable
00:50:00 --> 00:50:04 so that they stay in business and their land doesn't get converted to cropland.
00:50:04 --> 00:50:08 So, so this is one, this is one way they're doing it is offering this
00:50:08 --> 00:50:10 grazing club and this resource.
00:50:11 --> 00:50:12 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, very interesting.
00:50:14 --> 00:50:17 Our second question, what's your favorite tool for the farm?
00:50:17 --> 00:50:21 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: You know, I I really like our John Deere drill.
00:50:21 --> 00:50:24 I'm not, I'm not a big machinery guy, but that's actually something that I always
00:50:24 --> 00:50:26 get excited by when I'm driving it.
00:50:27 --> 00:50:31 So I like that, and then probably a poly reel is, is something
00:50:31 --> 00:50:32 that you know, I really like.
00:50:32 --> 00:50:38 You know, it's, I like being able to, whether it's, you know, putting a group
00:50:38 --> 00:50:43 of, you know, yearlings in a pen where I'm trying to get a ton of trample
00:50:43 --> 00:50:47 to get some ground cover and I make a nice little tiny one or with the dairy
00:50:47 --> 00:50:51 herd just making a, giving them a new piece of grass and seeing them just
00:50:51 --> 00:50:55 clip it all off at an even level with, I like that, being able to do that.
00:50:56 --> 00:50:57 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh, yeah.
00:50:57 --> 00:50:59 I thought you might say your robotic milker.
00:51:01 --> 00:51:06 As, as I think about milking, it's a love hate relationship for me.
00:51:06 --> 00:51:08 I love milking cows.
00:51:08 --> 00:51:08 Yes.
00:51:09 --> 00:51:13 Part I didn't like was it happened twice a day on a very set schedule and there
00:51:13 --> 00:51:17 was days I was like, I don't want to be here, but I really enjoyed it and
00:51:17 --> 00:51:25 miss it now But a robot milker would solve some of those problems Yeah,
00:51:26 --> 00:51:28 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Except it's a love hate with technology.
00:51:28 --> 00:51:33 Yeah, so yeah, I mean, the robot definitely makes our lives more flexible.
00:51:34 --> 00:51:36 We're not as set in our daily routine.
00:51:37 --> 00:51:37 But,
00:51:37 --> 00:51:38 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: oh
00:51:38 --> 00:51:40 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: it's a, it's an expensive piece of equipment.
00:51:40 --> 00:51:47 And And yeah, it's got some pluses and some minuses, so it's definitely
00:51:47 --> 00:51:49 not on the top of my favorite things.
00:51:50 --> 00:51:54 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah Our third question Sean, what would you
00:51:54 --> 00:51:56 tell someone just getting started?
00:51:57 --> 00:52:01 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: So yeah, what I would say to a farmer who's
00:52:01 --> 00:52:05 Just thinking about trying out some of these things that we're doing is
00:52:05 --> 00:52:07 just start, start with something easy.
00:52:08 --> 00:52:11 You know, I think about people who are growing barley every
00:52:11 --> 00:52:13 year and making silage out of it.
00:52:13 --> 00:52:20 It, it's really easy just to add some clover and some Italian rye to that and,
00:52:20 --> 00:52:25 and just when it, after you cut it for barley, it'll regrow and you can stick
00:52:25 --> 00:52:27 some heifers out there to graze it.
00:52:28 --> 00:52:31 Or if it's close enough to your barn you can graze your milking herd And
00:52:32 --> 00:52:35 and it would just be a really easy thing to do just as an experiment
00:52:35 --> 00:52:37 to kind of dip your toe in the water
00:52:39 --> 00:52:41 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Yeah, get, get started, try that out, yeah.
00:52:42 --> 00:52:45 And lastly, Sean, can others find out more about you?
00:52:46 --> 00:52:47 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: The best place is probably our facebook
00:52:48 --> 00:52:53 page, Clanman Jerseys I In the summer, I definitely am posting more stuff
00:52:53 --> 00:52:57 about what's going on day to day on the farm in terms of some of the stuff
00:52:57 --> 00:53:01 We're doing in the winter it's more pictures of cows, so if you like,
00:53:02 --> 00:53:02 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Oh,
00:53:02 --> 00:53:04 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah, if you like seeing pictures of Jersey
00:53:04 --> 00:53:06 cows then you can see them on there.
00:53:09 --> 00:53:11 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, we're going to add a bonus question in.
00:53:11 --> 00:53:14 Where did the name Clanman Jerseys come from?
00:53:14 --> 00:53:18 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: It came from my, well, my grandpa, he picked it,
00:53:19 --> 00:53:23 and he picked it because a village that we're like right beside, a mile down the
00:53:23 --> 00:53:30 road, is called Clanwilliam, and it's so Clanman is the start of Clanwilliam
00:53:30 --> 00:53:32 and the start of Manitoba put together.
00:53:32 --> 00:53:32 So
00:53:32 --> 00:53:33 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Clanman,
00:53:33 --> 00:53:33 okay.
00:53:34 --> 00:53:34 very
00:53:34 --> 00:53:35 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: yeah.
00:53:37 --> 00:53:39 cal_1_02-18-2025_152859: Well, Sean, we appreciate you coming
00:53:39 --> 00:53:40 on and sharing with us today.
00:53:40 --> 00:53:41 sean-smith_1_02-18-2025_152859: Thanks for having me on.
00:53:42 --> 00:53:46 It's been yeah, it's been a cold two weeks in Manitoba.
00:53:46 --> 00:53:49 So it's nice to Get on and chat about some of the fun stuff that we
00:53:49 --> 00:53:51 do around here in the summer months.
00:53:51 --> 00:53:52 Get excited for that.
00:53:52 --> 00:53:59 Yeah.
00:54:00 --> 00:54:03 Cal: Thank you for listening to this episode of the grazing grass podcast,
00:54:04 --> 00:54:08 where we bring you stories and insights into grass-based livestock production.
00:54:08 --> 00:54:11 If you're new here, we've got something just for you.
00:54:11 --> 00:54:13 Our new listener resource guide.
00:54:13 --> 00:54:17 Is packed with everything you need to get started on your listening
00:54:17 --> 00:54:20 journey with a grazing grass podcast.
00:54:20 --> 00:54:23 It gives you more information about the podcast about myself.
00:54:24 --> 00:54:25 And next steps.
00:54:26 --> 00:54:29 You can grab your free copy at grazinggrass.com
00:54:29 --> 00:54:30 slash guide.
00:54:31 --> 00:54:32 Don't miss out.
00:54:33 --> 00:54:35 And Hey, do you have a grazing story to share?
00:54:36 --> 00:54:40 We're always looking for passionate producers to feature on the show,
00:54:40 --> 00:54:45 whether you're just starting out or have years of experience your story matters.
00:54:46 --> 00:54:47 Head over to grazing grass.
00:54:47 --> 00:54:49 Dot com slash guest.
00:54:49 --> 00:54:52 To learn more and apply to be a guest.
00:54:52 --> 00:54:56 We'd love to share your journey with our growing community of grazers.
00:54:57 --> 00:54:58 Until next time.
00:54:59 --> 00:55:00 Keep on grazing grass.
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