Moving cattle from your desktop? While it’s not exactly that advanced, virtual fencing is being trialed by two northern Montana ranchers. Hear from Ranchers Stewardship Alliance President Leo Barthelmess and Secretary Tyrel Obrecht as they discuss the technology.

In this episode, we discuss virtual fencing:

· Costs

· Relationship to Grazing Strategies

· Opportunities and Challenges

· Technical Components

· Physical Setups

· Animal Reaction

· Management Changes in Response to Technology

Want to learn more about what RSA is up to? Sign up for our e-newsletter at https://ranchstewards.org/contact-us/

The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is a rancher-led, grassroots organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural communities throughout the Northern Great Plains. Through collaborative conservation projects, rancher education events, and local community outreach, RSA works to strengthen our rural community, economy, and culture for generations to come.

For more on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, head to www.RanchStewards.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Your feedback is always welcome. Email info@ranchstewards.org. Want to support our mission? Visit https://ranchstewards.charityproud.org/Donate.

A bonus episode from the Ranch Stewards podcast, this "Success Story" features Saco, Montana rancher Paul Williams. For full story, photos, and video content, visit RSA's website or YouTube channel.

Water Weary Rancher Resourcefulness

How community and the internet set one rancher’s capacity to create ablaze.

Birds chirp in no-man’s land. A tall red barn, weathered paint but no hint of a lean, stands as the beacon welcoming you into the yard of Paul Williams, military veteran and newly invested Montana landowner. For all the silence, his yard is lively. A smiling Jack Russell Terrier looks up from the seat of an old ranch pickup. The reluctant Australian Cattle Dog keeps a wary eye on a drone capturing aerial footage, eager to grab hold if it gets too close. Crisply colored chickens waddle behind the slight buzz of their electrically charged enclosure. Through the fence line, tall green grass sways in the breeze.

It is in this private sanctuary that Paul is carving out this season of life on his land north of Saco, Montana. Purchased just shy of five years ago, he immediately went to work remodeling and improving. High on that list was addressing water scarcity.

Cue rancher resourcefulness.

Faced with high costs and an undersupply of tradespeople to drill a well, Paul turned to his own hands and mind to solve the problem. Following hours of YouTube tutorials and some engineering assistance from a Great Falls, Montana company, Paul built a custom drilling rig powered by a 5-horsepower motor. “It’s slow as the dickens,” he laughs, “but I’ve got lots of time.”

Story continued at www.RanchStewards.org...

The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is a rancher-led, grassroots organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural communities throughout the Northern Great Plains. Through collaborative conservation projects, rancher education events, and local community outreach, RSA works to strengthen our rural community, economy, and culture for generations to come.

For more on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, head to www.RanchStewards.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Your feedback is always welcome. Email info@ranchstewards.org. Want to support our mission? Visit https://ranchstewards.charityproud.org/Donate.

Mark Twain coined it: "Water is for fighting, Whiskey is for drinking."

While we’re not doing any fighting today, it’s not that kind of podcast, we are echoing the sentiment of importance.

In this episode, we’re focusing on mesic restoration. Joining host Haylie Shipp to unpack this topic are two incredible guests who bring hands-on experience and insight to the table: Brian Fox, a rancher from Turner, Montana, and a board member of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, and Autumn Holzgen, with the Montana Conservation Corps, who has been instrumental in bringing conservation efforts to life across the state. Together, we’ll talk about practical strategies for water retention and how improving water resources on your land can mean healthier cattle, better forage, and increased profitability for your ranch.

The exciting part is that livestock grazing and habitat restoration aren’t at odds—they’re mutually beneficial. By increasing water retention in mesic areas, ranchers can ensure that pastures remain lush and usable longer into the season. At the same time, the landscape itself becomes more resilient, better able to withstand periods of drought and offer a refuge for the diverse array of species that rely on these habitats.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs)
• Mesic Restoration
• Grassland Response to Mesic Restoration
• Grass Utilization/Grazing Management
• Wildlife Habitat
• Collaborative Conservation
• Volunteerism
• Sage Grouse
• Cattle Health

Also mentioned in this podcast, the Montana DNRC Guidance for Landowners and Practitioners Engaged in Stream and Wetland Restoration Activities.

The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is a rancher-led, grassroots organization, dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural communities throughout the Northern Great Plains. Through collaborative conservation projects, rancher education events, and local community outreach, RSA works to strengthen our rural community, economy, and culture for generations to come.

For more on the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, head to www.RanchStewards.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Your feedback is always welcome. Email info@ranchstewards.org. Want to support our mission? Visit https://ranchstewards.charityproud.org/Donate.