Sustainable Stock: Reviving Legacy Genetics
Sustainable Stock: Reviving Legacy Genetics is a podcast dedicated to exploring the power and potential of traditional cattle genetics while celebrating the ranchers who are bringing these practices back to life. Hosted by Patrick Powers, it connects the past with the present, showcasing the resilience, efficiency, and fertility of cattle breeds from the 1960s and '70s. Each episode features in-depth conversations with ranchers and breeders rediscovering time-tested cattlemen practices, blending wisdom of the past with modern sustainable solutions. The podcast emphasizes returning to fundamentals, prioritizing what's best for the land, livestock, and rancher.
Episodes
Episode 30: PCOS Round Table
Episode 30: PCOS Round Table-Full video episode available on YouTube-What started as scattered observations across different herds slowly turned into a much bigger conversation.In this episode, Patrick Powers sits down with John Atkinson of Cashmere Cattle, Grant Vassberg of Kallion Farms, and Dr. David Rainosek to discuss fertility, hormonal balance, embryo production, and a growing theory surrou
Episode 29: Profit Per Acre and Practical Fertility with Johann Zietsman
Episode 29: Profit Per Acre and Practical Fertility with Johann Zietsman -Full video episode available on YouTube-Bigger cattle. More inputs. Lower fertility. Slower progress.If that sounds familiar, this conversation challenges what “better” cattle and “good” management have come to mean.In this episode, Patrick Powers is joined by Johann Zietsman, a world-renowned cattleman, grazing consultant,
Episode 28: The Next Steps in Herd Improvement with Hays Boyd
Episode 28: The Next Steps in Herd Improvement with Hays Boyd -Full video episode available on YouTube-What separates cattle that look good from cattle that actually hold up?In this episode, Patrick Powers sits down with Hays Boyd of Backbone Ranch to walk through his recent trip across Australia, sharing photos, stories, and the cattle behind them.From ranch to ranch across Victoria, New South Wa
Episode 27: Volatile Markets, Reliable Cattle with Chengetai Mukosera
Episode 27: Volatile Markets, Reliable Cattle with Chengetai Mukosera -Full video episode available on YouTube-What happens when unstable markets force you to rethink what actually holds value?In this episode, we sit down with Chengetai Mukosera of Zimbabwe, an accountant turned cattleman who entered the industry with spreadsheets and theory, only to have real world conditions reshape his entire a
Episode 26: The Gap Between Function and the Show Ring
Episode 26: The Gap Between Function and the Show Ring-Full video episode available on YouTube-What happens when the traits rewarded in the show ring drift away from the traits that keep cattle productive in the pasture?In this episode, Patrick Powers is joined by Grant Vassberg and John Atkinson to discuss Grant’s recent trip to Thailand, where he judged cattle and got a firsthand look at how sho
Episode 25: Panama’s Fertility Paradox with Dr. Roderick Murray
Episode 25: Panama’s Fertility Paradox with Roderick Murray-Full video episode available on YouTube-What happens when a country selects cattle for trophies instead of calves?In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Roderick Murray to unpack hard numbers, hard lessons, and a practical path back to fertility and profitability on grass. Drawing from herd-level observations and long-term production data,
Episode 24: Matching Cattle to Country with Matt Robbins
Episode 24: Matching Cattle to Country with Matt Robbins What if the fastest path to profit is choosing cows that match your weather, then letting grass lead the schedule? We sit down with Matt Robbins to unpack how his family left hay dependence, heavy inputs, and misaligned genetics behind and built a resilient, profitable herd for hot, humid Arkansas.Matt explains why management and genetics ha
Episode 23: Small Acreage, Big Results with Joseph Klotz
Episode 23: Small Acreage, Big Results with Joseph Klotz What if a 12-acre ranch could outlast drought, dodge input spikes, and still raise fertile, gentle cattle that pay their way? That is the story Joseph Klotz tells from Seely, Texas, a rancher who proves you do not need a thousand acres or a show banner to build a profitable, resilient herd. We dig into how his family’s weekend Brahman opera
Episode 22: What Dairy Can Teach Beef with Ben Gotschall
Episode 22: What Dairy Can Teach Beef with Ben Gotschall What happens when a poet comes home to rebuild a family dairy with grass, genetics, and a bison herd as his calendar? Ben Gotschall invites us inside Holt Creek Jerseys, a ranch dairy in the Nebraska Sandhills that treats milk like a seasonal food and manages cows by the rhythm of the prairie, not the demands of a spreadsheet.We dig into wh
Episode 21: Grazing School with Charlie Totton, Courtney Tyrrell & Bart Carmichael
Episode 21: Grazing School with Charlie Totton, Courtney Tyrrell & Bart Carmichael Think you know what your cattle will eat? Watch that certainty crumble when ten heifers meet a “weedy” paddock and turn it into beef and soil armor.We sit down with Charlie Totton and Courtney Tyrrell, along with educator and rancher Bart Carmichael, to unpack the South Dakota Grassland Coalition 2025 Grazing Sc
Episode 20: Preserving a Legacy with Watt Casey Jr. of Casey Beefmasters
Episode 20: Preserving a Legacy with Watt Casey Jr. of Casey Beefmasters What does it take to build cattle that pay their way without props? We sat down with Watt Matthews Casey Jr. of Casey Beefmasters to trace a 77-year line of selection grounded in the Six Essentials—fertility, weight, conformation, hardiness, milk, and disposition—and a ruthless commitment to real-world performance. From a cl
Episode 19: Generations of Stewardship with George Kempfer
Episode 19: Generations of Stewardship with George Kempfer What happens when cattle are expected to perform in one of America's most challenging environments? They either adapt or fail. At Kempfer Cattle Company, five generations of ranching experience have created herds specifically designed to thrive where others can't survive.George Kempfer takes us inside his family's operation
Episode 18: Docile Brahmans?!? with Grant and Nicole Vassberg of Kallion Farms
Episode 18: Docile Brahmans?!? with Grant and Nicole Vassberg of Kallion FarmsWhat happens when a breeder decides to push back against everything the cattle industry holds sacred? Grant and Nicole Vassberg of Kallion Farms have been doing exactly that with their bold approach to Brahman cattle.For 15 years, Kallion has carried the label of “black sheep” in the Brahman world - systematically breedi
Episode 17: Soil to Steak with Steve Campbell
Episode 17: Soil to Steak with Steve CampbellForgotten wisdom meets modern ranching challenges in this fascinating conversation with Steve Campbell, a seasoned cattle coach who helps producers improve everything from soil health to cattle selection. Campbell shares the profound concept of the "Solo Cup Cow" – a simple yet powerful visual guide that reveals why cattle conformation matters
Shooting The Bull: Episode 4 Preview
Shooting The Bull: Episode 4 PreviewWhat happens when cattle breeding principles stay focused on function instead of fashion for three generations? The Meitler brothers reveal the extraordinary power of consistency at their family's Hereford operation, where their bulls routinely work for 10 to 12 years while mainstream operations sell replacements every 2 to 3 seasons.From their hunting cabi
Episode 16: From the Breaks, Built to Last with Charlie & Courtney Totton
Episode 16: From the Breaks, Built to Last with Charlie & Courtney TottonDeep in South Dakota's challenging Missouri River breaks, Charlie Totton and his daughter Courtney are quietly revolutionizing cattle production with a refreshingly straightforward approach. For nearly three decades, they've focused on breeding moderate-framed, fertile, low-maintenance Angus cattle that thrive w
Shooting The Bull: Episode 3 Preview
Shooting The Bull: Episode 3 PreviewWhat does “proven” really mean in the cattle industry?In this preview, Patrick Powers sits down with John Atkinson and Grant Vassberg to pull apart one of the most overused and misleading terms in the business. From herds with 900-day calving intervals still being sold as “elite,” to bulls kept marketable with 30 pounds of grain a day, they call out the marketin
Episode 15: French Cattle. American Truth. with Scott Fredrickson & Matt Henley
Episode 15: French Cattle. American Truth. with Scott Fredrickson & Matt HenleyWhen two cattlemen from opposite corners of the country—Scott Fredrickson in Montana and Matt Henley in North Carolina—land on the same obscure French cattle line without ever comparing notes, it raises eyebrows. But when those cattle quietly outperform mainstream genetics in both programs, you start paying attentio
Episode 14: Timeless Cattle in a Trend Driven World with Mark DeBoo
Episode 14: Timeless Cattle in a Trend-Driven World with Mark DeBoo "Cattle have to earn their keep." That straightforward philosophy has guided three generations of the DeBoo family at Diamond D Angus in Montana, were function trumps fads and longevity reigns supreme. Mark DeBoo joins us to share how his family's no-nonsense approach to cattle breeding has created extraordinary re
Episode 13: Sell Truth, Not Hype with John Atkinson
Episode 13: Sell Truth, Not Hype with John AtkinsonA candid conversation with Australian cattleman John Atkinson reveals profound insights about the cattle industry's struggle with honesty, fertility, and sustainable breeding practices. Since our last conversation, John's operation has secured a milestone export deal to Africa, not through slick marketing, but through straightforward com
Shooting The Bull: Episode 2 Preview
Shooting The Bull: Episode 2 PreviewNot everything worth knowing comes with a data sheet.In this episode, Patrick Powers is joined once again by John Atkinson of Australia, and Kansas cattleman Darris Meitler, for a conversation about the kind of cattle that last. They don’t chase trends, they watch cows. They visit herds. They ask the right questions before ever looking at an EPD.From moderate fr
Episode 12: It's About the How, Not the Cow with Bogs Peralta
Episode 12: It's About the How, Not the Cow with Bogs PeraltaWhat if everything we've been taught about cattle breeding is wrong? In this eye-opening conversation with Filipino cattleman Bogs Peralta, we explore how conventional wisdom about "bigger is better" has led ranchers astray across the globe.From the lush tropical landscapes of the Philippines emerges a story that will
Shooting The Bull: Episode 1 Preview
Shooting The Bull: Episode 1 PreviewSomething feels off, and veteran cattlemen can see it a mile away.In this preview of our debut episode of Shooting The Bull, host Patrick Powers sits down with Grant Vassberg and Australian breeder John Atkinson to expose the red flags that reveal a breeding program built on marketing, not function.From donor cows that never calve to surrogates doing the real wo
Episode 11: Wrong Background, Right Results with Jesse Colón
Episode 11: Wrong Background, Right Results with Jesse ColónWhat happens when a California city boy inherits his father's struggling cattle ranch in Mexico? For Jesse Colón, it became the unlikely beginning of a regenerative ranching revolution in the semi-desert of Zacatecas.Jesse's story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most innovative paths forward begin with honoring what ca
Episode 10: Durability Over Dependency with Arron Nerbas
Episode 10: Let the Cows Do the Work: Durability Over Dependency with Arron NerbasArron Nerbas of Nerbas Bros Angus challenges mainstream cattle breeding philosophies by creating a herd built on durability rather than dependency. This third-generation Canadian cattleman shares how his family transformed their operation by focusing on three fundamentals: grass, pressure, and purpose.The conversatio
Episode 9: Fat Cows, Fat Soil, Fat Wallet: Real Wealth Ranching with Jim Elizondo
Episode 9: Fat Cows, Fat Soil, Fat Wallet: Real Wealth Ranching with Jim ElizondoRegenerative agriculture expert Jim Elizondo reveals the profound connection between cattle genetics and land health in this transformative episode. Drawing from his diverse expertise as an accountant, dairy nutritionist, and agronomy engineer, Elizondo shares how modern cattle selection has inadvertently led to degra
Episode 8: AI in the Arctic — Building Better Cattle with Hailey Edwards
Episode 8: AI in the Arctic — Building Better Cattle with Hailey EdwardsHailey Edwards takes us deep into the world of raising cattle in Alaska's most extreme environments, where temperatures plummet to -60°F in winter before soaring to 90°F in summer. Growing up on a family dairy that collapsed during industry-wide failures in 2000, Hailey pivoted to beef production and developed specialized
Episode 7: No Backbone, No Herd: Restoring Forgotten Genetics With Hays Boyd
Episode 7: No Backbone, No Herd: Restoring Forgotten Genetics With Hays BoydWhen nine-year-old Hays Boyd set out to find heat-tolerant, good-natured cattle that could thrive on grass, he had no idea his research would lay the foundation for one of America’s premier Murray Grey herds. Now a veterinarian and third-generation rancher, Hayes shares the journey of Backbone Ranch—where a commitment to p
Episode 6: Show Ponies and Paper Tigers with PJ Budler
Episode 6: Show Ponies and Paper Tigers with PJ BudlerIn this episode PJ takes us on a global cattle expedition that challenges everything we think we know about breeding. Having judged cattle in 48 countries, Budler offers a rare perspective on the disconnect between American cattle breeding philosophies and what actually works around the world.Budler introduces two powerful metaphors that perfec
Episode 5: Form Follows Function and the Bonsma Approach with Darris Meitler
Episode 5: Form Follows Function and the Bonsma Approach with Darris MeitlerWhat can a cow that's raised 16 calves teach us about sustainable ranching? More than any textbook, says Darris Meitler, a fifth-generation Kansas cattleman whose family has been raising functional, profitable cattle since 1932. The Meitler operation stands as a living testament that focusing on maternal traits, hor
Episode 4: What Happens When Cows Fly? With Renee Strickland
Episode 4: What Happens When Cows Fly? With Renee StricklandWhat does it take to move cattle across continents? In this episode, we sit down with Renee Strickland, a seasoned livestock exporter, to explore the challenges and opportunities in the global cattle trade. From sourcing the right cattle to ensuring their welfare in transit, Strickland shares firsthand insights into what it takes to succe
Episode 3: Shaping Regenerative Ranching with Austin Dillon
Episode 3: Shaping Regenerative Ranching with Austin Dillon of Counter Culture FarmsUnlock the secrets of sustainable ranching with Austin Dillon, owner and operator of Counter Culture Farms in East Texas. In this episode of Sustainable Stock, host Patrick Powers dives into Austin’s innovative approach to regenerative ranching, where traditional cattle genetics meet cutting-edge practices. Austin
Episode 2: Building the Bos Sires Legacy with Grant Vassberg
Episode 2: Building the Bos Sires Legacy with Grant VassbergIn this episode of Sustainable Stock, host Patrick Powers speaks with Grant Vassberg, owner of Kallion Farms and co-founder of Bos Sires. Grant provides an inside look at the roles within Bos Sires, the vision driving the program, and how newcomers can get involved.This episode serves as both an introduction to the structure of Bos Sires
Episode 1: Breeding Resilience with John Atkinson
Episode 1: Breeding Resilience with John AtkinsonIn the premiere episode of Sustainable Stock, host Patrick Powers sits down with John Atkinson, a seventh-generation Australian cattleman, breeder, representative, and consultant for Bos Sires. John shares his family's rich ranching legacy, including their pivotal role in developing the resilient Droughtmaster breed.This episode dives into low-
