David B

Counties of interest

Big Horn, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone

Planned Operation

Hay & Forage, Large Animal (cattle, sheep, goats), Small Animal (pigs, rabbits, poultry), Vegetable

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

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

Land Tenure

Buy/Sell, Cropshare, Lease, Partnership

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 currently work at a steam electric power plant and ranch outside of work. I own my own land and lease a summer pasture for my cows in which I winter, feed, and calve on our own place. In my own name I have 32 head of pairs, my family, in which I help have another 55 pairs. We are located in Forsyth. I want to keep growing but it's so hard to come across any land or come across leases available. Seems like everyone just runs to the biggest guys in town (understandable) if they have something to lease or sell.

Acreage

41-100, 101-500, 500+

Farming Practices

Other

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

In the perfect world, I would like my operation to be regenerative. I want to do intensive grazing with daily to weekly moves of the animals. I would like my animals to give birth out in pasture unassisted. I would like to supply the minimum amount of supplemental hay and have the animals grazing fields. I know and understand a lot of this would be difficult in Montana with the lack of rainfall. I would also have a 100 acre or so irrigated piece in order to put up hay for the winter. I want to continue to sell cow/calf pairs but I would also like to get into finishing my own beef and marketing directly to the consumers. Take out the middle man.

Elaborate on the farming practices you plan on using.

Regenerative farming. Intensive grazing with daily to weekly moves. Best would be summer pasture to be around a pivot and rotate around the pivot. Cover crop grazing-late season into winter grazing and spring time grazing into summer pasture. Less equipment the better.

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

I have worked in ranching and historically we raise our pairs and take them to auction. Every year. That's it. I would like to get involved with and understand more of marketing my own product. Take out the auction yards, take out the corporate feed lots, take out the corporate slaughterhouses. I want to direct market my products directly to the end consumer. develop and relationship and help local communities and people understand and know how their product was raised, treated, and butchered for their consumption.