Christian L

Check all experience and education that apply to you and your farming partners

Agriculture-related college degree, Farm/Crop management (over 3 years), General college degree, General farming (over 3 years), Other experience/license/agriculture or business training

Other experience/license/agriculture or business training:

Ranching For Profit Alumni

Briefly describe your current occupation(s) and responsibilities and list previous agricultural employment and experiences. If you are currently farming or ranching, please state the size, type(s), and location of the operation.

I own and operate Gallatin Grassfed LLC with my partner, Cassie. Together we use holistic planned grazing methods to produce grass-finished beef which is sold locally and regionally in the greater Bozeman area. Our current land base is in Gallatin Gateway and we are quickly outgrowing it. We would love to add a new lease to steward and grow our business.

Currently, Cassie is managing the business while I am away working for a larger grass-finished cattle operation in Harlowton, Montana through the Fall. This operation is run by me and one other person. We run 500 cow/calf pairs and 125 yearlings on 12,000 acres in the Central Montana Plains. We use high density, short duration mob grazing to mimic wild herbivore patterns of the past (i.e. bison). Cattle are moved every 1-3 days, and are often rested for 12-18 months before they are revisited. Horses and electric fence are the main methods used for herding and placing cattle.


Previous Experience:
2020/2021 - Assistant Manager @ North Bridger Bison, Wilsall, MT
2015/16/17/18/19 - Owner @ Two Roots Farm LLC
2014/2015 - Agriculture Manager at ACES at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO

Counties of interest

Broadwater, Gallatin, Jefferson, Madison, Meagher, Park Livingston, Sweet Grass, Yellowstone

Acreage

41-100, 101-500, 500+

Planned Operation

Hay & Forage, Large Animal (cattle, sheep, goats)

Farming Practices

Organic, Other

Please elaborate on the type(s) of agricultural operation you plan on running.

Our business, Gallatin Grassfed, is a Bozeman based grass-finishing operation where we utilize the six soil health principles to restore landscapes, increase biological diversity, improve grassland productivity, and produce incredibly healthy and nutritous livestock. We would like to grow our impact on the land--our demand for grass-finished beef and lamb has exceeded our current land base. We would love to partner with a landowner to meet their land health goals and grow our business simultaneously. We believe herbivores are an incredible tool for mitigating soil health, drought resilience, and ecological health issues. We move our cattle often, most times we move them daily. They get fresh feed and put on great weight, while also maximizing the grasses ability to recover before they are grazed again. We use portable electric fence to manage the herd, which is very effective and allows us to operate without putting in much permanent infrastructure.

Land Tenure

Buy/Sell, Cropshare, Lease, Partnership, RSA Grass Link, Open to other arrangements

Please elaborate on the kind of additional training/information that would help you:

Specific land - based training would be helpful to get a better jump on a specific property. That may include land knowledge on irrigation system, high production/ low production areas, wet spots at certain times, etc.

Elaborate on the farming practices you plan on using.

Our guiding principles are the Six Soil Health Principles.

1. CONTEXT - This is the most important. Context includes production and financial goals, historical production factors, ecological parameters, community dynamics (neighbors, friends, landowners, etc), and philisophical beliefs.

2. Minimize disturbance - This includes tillage, synthetic, chemical, and manure applications. All forms of disturbance of these types have potential to harm our soil biology and physical structure.

3. Armor on the soil - Keep the soil covered at all times. Keeping the soil covered with a combination of living plants and plant residue protects soil temperature and moisture, keeps the soil microbes functioning and cycling nutrients, and progresses the regenerative process.

4. Diversity - Diversity includes diversity in plant species, soil microbial species, insects, birds and other wildlife.

5. Living Roots Year-Round - Keeping living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible is very important to us. Living roots support soil microbial life and heightened activity. Living roots support building of soil organic matter, enhanced water filtration and carbon sequestration.

6. Livestock integration - Virtually all land-based ecosystems in the world evolved through the influence of grazing, browsing, and foraging ruminants. Proper grazing strategies stimulates heightened effects in soil biology and sets in motion a series of positive compounding and cascading effects.