TRUST IN BEEF

First-Gen Farmers Unlock New Perspectives With Regenerative Grazing

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:03:18 GMT

When Mike and Amanda Butterfield purchased their Pennsylvania farmland, they saw more than just a beautiful patchwork of rolling fields. They saw a new beginning — and a way to raise cattle differently.

The Butterfields wanted to trade the dairy life for a new mission: raising beef cattle while restoring the soil and serving their community.

“We purchased a farm in 2017 and honestly, the property was beautiful,” says Amanda Butterfield. “It was the right price, it was the right place, it was the right timing—and it was a time for us to convert from dairy into something a little less labor-intensive.”

Now they call themselves “reformed dairy farmers.”

Discovering Purpose Through Land Management

The transition wasn’t solely about profit. Their experience working with dairy cattle inspired a deep attention to, and passion for, animal health.

“I think that’s kind of our superpower,” Amanda says. “Since we were dairy farmers, we’re really good at animal husbandry, spending time with our cattle and noticing things to increase longevity.”

Amanda Butterfield is a passionate first-generation farmer managing a sustainable beef cattle operation focused on land stewardship and biodiversity. She is also an advocate for food security and the future of agriculture.

(Joelle Orem)

For Mike, the transition allowed them to have more to show for the dollars and hard work they were putting in.

“When we decided to quit milking, we wanted to stop renting from other people, put our money to work for us, and build something that would be ours—something that would build equity,” he says.

“We decided it was not going to be a dairy.”

Through collaboration with USDA–NRCS , Maple Valley Cattle Company found the opportunity to reorient themselves as land managers as well as animal caretakers. Amanda describes her perspective shift as becoming “grass producers, not beef producers.”

Turning Rough Ground into Rich Pasture

Grazing cattle on what Mike describes as “lower-quality and quite rough” ground required grit, flexibility and patience.

“Instead of having bare soil with corn and soybeans, getting the grass on it and having it year-round makes way more sense,” he explains. “We could take poorer-quality land and make it more profitable with animals than just with row crops.”

In fall 2017, when Mike and Amanda Butterfield purchased the farm, the pastures were overgrazed.

(Amanda Butterfield)

The family’s collaborative approach sets them apart.

“We had never grazed before,” Amanda shares. “We were learning that we’re more grass producers than beef producers. If you take care of the land, the soil and everything else, then the beef comes naturally after that.”

Mike and Amanda’s daughter, Evelyn, is a next-generation contributor to the farm and takes her job seriously. Duties are divided among the family, with each person contributing in unique ways.

“During the summer, I usually help move the cows whenever we have to work them,” she says. “I have my own horses that I rotationally graze as well, and I take care of them. I just really do whatever I can to help on the farm.”

Cattle are rotationally grazed along the hillside of Maple Valley Cattle Company

(Joelle Orem)

The Butterfields are innovators. Amanda describes their approach as fairly low-tech.

“Since we are first-generation farmers, we didn’t want to invest in too much. We don’t own a lot of equipment or anything that depreciates,” Amanda shares.

Still, they adopt new tools when it supports their goals—from better grazing records to experimenting with drones for field spraying.

Partnerships have been key to the transformation of Maple Valley Cattle Company. Amanda highlights several that have been crucial: “NRCS and the resources they have, and other organizations like PASA and Shroud Water Center.” The Butterfields also lean on local agronomists and other producers for support and guidance.

They are driven to increase not just their farm’s productivity, but also its biodiversity.

“One of the projects I’m working on is changing some of the wildlife areas — adding more wildflowers, trees, and shaded spots,” Amanda says.

These small changes add up.

“Even in just seven years, we’ve seen an increase in bobolinks, which are birds that nest in grazing areas,” she adds.

The family has also seen more honeybees and monarch butterflies on their property.

Observation-Guided Grazing

Maple Valley Cattle Company recently welcomed attendees of the Trust In Beef Sustainable Ranchers Tour for a firsthand look at its cattle operation and management practices. During the tour, Noble Research Institute’s Josh Gaskamp evaluated pasture soil and applauded the Butterfield’s approach.

Gaskamp says the Butterfields are a strong example of adaptive, rather than prescriptive, grazing.

“Instead of following a set schedule for moving cattle, they look at their forages and say, ‘Okay, now it’s time to move them,’” he explains. “They’re increasing stock density, which allows them to utilize a larger proportion of the forage species and grow more forage per acre.”

Noble Research Institute’s Josh Gaskamp evaluates pasture soil at Maple Valley Cattle Company during the Trust In Beef Sustainable Ranchers Tour in September, 2025.

(Joelle Orem)

Adapting and Moving Forward

No season is predictable.

“Last year was a complete disaster,” Mike reflects. “We had a devastating drought. We fed hay ten months out of twelve—the weeds got ahead of the grass, and now our pastures are really weedy.”

For the Butterfields, adaptation is constant.

Mike Butterfield uses temporary fencing and a water tub as part of an NRCS-assisted grazing system with 17 hydrants from a main well, boosting forage efficiency and biodiversity while reducing waste.

(Joelle Orem)

“We’re always changing things to make sure that every year becomes more efficient, easier on the cattle—which means easier on us,” Amanda explains.

Tough decisions, like investing in new barn housing or tackling weed problems, are faced as a family, with an eye on the long game.

“Hopefully, if it’s been 20 years and I can’t do it anymore, it’ll be better than when I started — but that’s going to be a long-term process,” Mike adds.

Cultivating the Next Generation

Evelyn’s passion for agriculture extends beyond the property lines. Her work on the farm isn’t just chores—it’s a launching pad for community impact and advocacy.

“My mom has always loved gardening, and she’s gotten me into it too,” Evelyn says. “For the last couple of years, we’ve been growing produce to donate to the Somerset County Mobile Food Bank. It makes me feel really great that we’re helping the community and using our ability as farmers to help people.”

Mike and Amanda’s daughter, Evelyn, is a next-generation contributor to the farm

(Joelle Orem)

She is carving a path through agricultural leadership and advocacy.

“I want to introduce not only young people, but especially girls, to agriculture, because I think that’s a big issue,” Evelyn shares.

Serving their local community is woven into the Butterfields’ routine. Amanda is proud to support programs like Beefing Up for Backpacks , a program she co-founded with the Pennsylvania Beef Foundation and Nichole Hockenberry.

“It’s very important to me to see kids who are hungry get food. It’s very impactful to see this happening, and everyone’s excited about the project and donations that are coming in.”

The Rewards of Stewardship

Mike knows there’s still much work ahead.

“Putting the barn up and building a fence are short projects, but improving the land is our long-term goal,” he says.

Evelyn treasures seeing their progress. “When I get home from school and I just step outside and look around—that’s very rewarding.”

For the Butterfields, this different path has been worth taking and serves as a testament to other producers seeking to pivot.

Trust In Beef works to secure the future of American ranching by providing the information ranchers need to make the decisions that impact the resiliency, profitability and resource management of their working lands. Learn more about Trust In Beef and their Sustainable Ranchers Tour by visiting www.trustinbeef.com

YOUR NEXT READ:

Making Every Acre Pull Double Duty

The Power of a Decision

Trust In Beef™ Further Invests in Rancher Support by Adding Noble Research Institute to Coalition Partnership

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 11:02:31 GMT

Since the program’s founding four years ago, Trust In Beef ™ has been empowering a more resilient future for America’s beef supply chain by leveraging the power of Farm Journal’s Trust In Food ™ and Drovers brands with the ingenuity and innovation of private-sector and non-profit partners.

As the program expands to meet the significant challenges faced by agriculture, it welcomes new partner Noble Research Institute to bridge the gap in technical support for on-the-acre conservation change. Existing partners who provide technical expertise in the partnership include ABS, Merck Animal Health, Ducks Unlimited, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Enogen/Syngenta, Tyson Foods, EarthOptics, National Grazing Lands Coalition, VENCE and U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

“Research shows that many ranchers are ready to make positive changes for their operations but feel like they need additional support before doing so,” says Andrew Lyon, director of technical assistance, Farm Journal. “This is the critical gap where Trust In Beef can help move the industry forward and that mission aligns with Noble Research Institute’s premier research and education.

“Noble truly holds the key for many ranchers in enhancing their operations by increased resource management, enhanced profitability and better land stewardship. Through our collaboration with Noble Research Institute, more ranchers can gain access to the information they need to become more resilient during these challenging times.”

Since 1945, Noble Research Institute has served as a trusted leader in agricultural research and education dedicated to land stewardship. The organization supports producers with farm and ranch management resources focused on regenerating soil health to improve their land, livestock and livelihood. Noble manages 13,500 acres of working ranchlands, offering real-world demonstrations of regenerative practices that help producers restore and enhance their grazing lands.

“Noble Research Institute has been helping producers implement practical solutions on their land for 80 years, and this partnership with Trust In Beef extends that expertise to more ranchers across the country,” says Hugh Aljoe, director of ranches, outreach and partnerships, Noble Research Institute. “We know producers want to adopt conservation practices that improve soil health and profitability, but they need trusted guidance to make those changes work for their specific operations. This collaboration gives us another avenue to provide that support when and where ranchers need it most.”

Trust In Beef provides technical resources, insights, data analysis and support to help empower beef producers to understand, value and implement conservation practices while also connecting consumers to the industry’s accomplishments in conservation.

To learn more about Trust In Beef™ and its partners, visit www.trustinbeef.com .

Making Every Acre Pull Double Duty

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:04:11 GMT

On the 700-acres of cropland at Clear Springs Cattle Company in Minnesota, every inch is working overtime.

The Wulfs grow crops for feed so that their registered Simmental and SimAngus herd can withstand the tough Northern winters, but they usually don’t use that feed until at least Christmas. Keeping their herd on forage has a number of benefits, according to patriarch Jim Wulf.

“In the past, we would get to Thanksgiving without feeding anything and my dad would pat me on the back and say I was doing really good,” Wulf says. “Now, we typically get to Christmas or even into January without feeding any cows, which is a huge cost savings and labor savings for us so we can focus on other parts of our operation.”

The longer the cattle stay on forage, Wulf believes, the better they set up their calves for success.

“They depend on mom up until weaning time, and they’re learning because they’re grazing, but if you take mom out of the picture, if you just put that animal in the pen and feed it out of a bunk, and then next summer, you turn out to graze, did they really know how to graze?” he says. “This way you wean that calf, make that animal graze all the way up until the snow flies and you’ve set that animal up next year to be a good grazer too.”

Maximizing the Feed

Thirteen years ago, when Wulf and his wife, Twyla, bought the property that would become Clear Springs Cattle Company, they bet on it being a place where they could invest in the future of their immediate family. Middle son Travis took control of the livestock genetics on the farm, protecting their herd that is “bred for balance” for their land and climate.

But, the family had the cropland and knew it wasn’t reaching its full potential. Jim and Travis hired someone to custom plant, spray and harvest, but it needed some investment of both time and strategy.

The crop management role is where Brady Wulf, the youngest son, decided to plant his on-farm roots.

He invested in education at South Dakota State University, staying an extra year to study agronomy, took an internship at Jorgensen Land & Cattle and then went to work for another farm as their agronomist.

Youngest son Brady Wulf studied agronomy so that he could contribute agronomic strategy to boost his family farm’s profitability and long-term success.

(Trust In Beef)

Innovating an Old Idea

Brady had grown up with cover crops. His dad had always used the practice. After all – the Wulfs are cattlemen – it made sense.

“If you look around a pasture you never see the same species, like just one pasture that’s all say smooth brome or orchard grass,” he says. “You see a diversity, so we transitioned that into our cropping system as well.”

With his education, on-farm experience and boosted by an article from John Deere’s The Furrow magazine, Brady was ready to transform their crop acreage into a cover crop powerhouse.

The family first tried skip-row corn at 30-60-30 spacing but Brady says they struggled. So, they made their own algorithm, settling on 44-inch rows. The wider spacing was sufficient to leave room for their diverse cover crop mix, which shields the soil, keeps living roots in the soil and in the end, provides grazing material for his cattle.

The Wulfs landed on a 44-inch corn row spacing, which leaves room for their cover crops, after experimenting with a 30-60-30 and finding it not optimal for their land and needs.

(Trust In Beef)

“In this mix, we’ve gone pretty heavy on the brassicas, like radishes, and then some cool-season grasses like oats and annual rye grass,” he says. “Corn is our warm-season grass – you look at corn as part of the overall mix.”

Brady is also interseeding sorghum with corn for silage, which is working out well so far.

They carry this strategy over into their small grains as well.

“We just got our seed for small grains and I think there’s about 12 species in it,” Brady says. “We can plant corn into green rye, hairy vetch and winter camelina the following year to have something new and growing.”

Reaping the Benefits

Brady hears the naysayers – the ones who say he’s just farming for his cows. And, while he is, he’s also holding down corn yields that are going toe-to-toe with his cash crop counterparts.

Recently, during the Trust In Beef 2025 Sustainable Ranchers Tour, he told attendees his secret to still getting 200 bushel corn with the mix.

Clear Springs Cattle Company hosted a 2025 Sustainable Ranchers Tour for Trust In Beef in July, sharing the success of cover cropped corn with 100+ attendees.

(Trust In Beef )

“I think a big testament is that, in this system, we can do close to 200 bushels,” he says. “It all depends on the year, but anywhere from 180 to 210 bushel corn on 120 lb. of nitrogen. I put a lot of that to the cover crops that we’re putting after this small grain.”

Through their whole-operation rotation and diversification, they are lowering input costs and increasing yields.

“We’re doing all non-GMO corn, so we’re saving a lot on seed costs and we’re saving a lot on fertilizer costs because the only P&K we’re putting on is manure when we do the cover crops, and then some starter fertilizer, which saves us a lot.”

But, it’s not just benefits to the operation’s bottom-line that Brady is seeing.

“Last year, we planted the soybeans in standing rye and we had plenty of spring moisture that year so we let the rye and the beans grow together,” he says. “Because that rye was competing with those beans, it helped push those roots deeper, and when the rain shut off in August for us, they didn’t dry up near as quick as some of our neighbors.”

The long and living roots are working overtime to break up the soil and reduce compaction, which makes soil sampling noticeably easier on their farm than on their neighbors’ farms.

“Last year, the guy running the soil sampler called and told me that when he puts the probe in the ground on other fields, it practically lifts the pickup off the ground, but on ours the probe was going in like butter,” he says. “To me, that’s a good testament that our compaction layer is in the top half inch whereas in a row crop, they’re just burying their compaction layer so they don’t have to think about it.

“In our field, we can cut through with the corn planter with the drill and just take off.”

The Proof Is In The Sampling

Brady has been using soil sampling on their farm to render a baseline in organic levels, but he feels there’s more that sampling can unlock. He’s investing in that next, but for now, he likes what he sees from the data.

“When dad bought the farm, our soil organic matter was less than 1%,” he says. “Our last soil sample showed we were at 3.5% organic matter.”

For Jim, the soil health investments on their farm add up to protection of what he calls his two biggest assets.

“We have two things that we get free in agriculture — sunlight and water,” he says. “If you don’t have something growing, you’re not capturing them.”

Trust In Beef works to secure the future of American ranching by providing the information that ranchers need to make the decisions that impact the resiliency, profitability and resource management of their working lands. Learn more about Trust In Beef and their 2025 Sustainable Ranchers Tour by visiting www.trustinbeef.com

YOUR NEXT READ: Grazing Cover Crops Adds Value

Trust In Beef Expands Solution-Set for Ranch-Gate Conservation with New Partnerships

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:16:35 GMT

Since the program’s founding two years ago, Trust In Beef ™ has been working to empower beef producers on their sustainability journeys by leveraging the power of Farm Journal’s Trust In Food ™ and Drovers brands with the ingenuity and innovation of private-sector and non-profit partners.

“Trust In Beef brings to bear the full capabilities of Farm Journal’s Trust In Food, providing data and intelligence as well as reach at-scale, and then we layer that reach with conservation solutions and technical assistance from the nation’s leading innovators, truly providing a program that is having significant impact on helping to build a more sustainable beef supply chain in the U.S.,” says Andrew Lauver, director of climate-smart programs, Farm Journal .

Entering the program’s third year, Trust In Beef welcomes two new partners, Country Natural Beef and Powerflex Supply , to bolster the technical expertise provided by the coalition’s existing partners including ABS, Merck Animal Health, Ducks Unlimited, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Enogen/Syngenta, Tyson Foods and U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Country Natural Beef (CNB) is the largest ranching cooperative in the western U.S. with nearly 100 members across thirteen states. Over the course of the last 38 years, CNB has created marketing opportunities for cattle that maximize premiums to rancher members and sustain multi-generational ranches. Together with their ranchers, they work to improve soil and water while protecting plant and wildlife diversity across more than 4 million acres.

Powerflex Supply is a national retailer specializing in rotational grazing supplies. Founded by ranchers for ranchers, Powerflex Supply manufactures and sources the highest quality products, leveraging its buying power to offer these products at affordable prices and providing expert advice on products and rotational grazing practices, helping ranchers achieve the best results for their ranch.

“Joining the Trust In Beef coalition allows us to strengthen our commitment to sustainable practices and amplify the positive impact our ranchers make across the land they steward,” says Valerie Rasmussen, vice-president of marketing & communications, Country Natural Beef. “At Country Natural Beef, we believe that doing right by people, animals and the planet leads to lasting value for our ranching families and the broader communities we serve. This partnership equips us with new educational tools for our rancher members, and a voice among industry leaders on the Trust In Beef advisory council, where we can collaboratively shape a sustainable future for beef.”

“Our partnership with Trust In Beef and work alongside Farm Journal’s Trust In Food Partners and our ranching customers across the United States and beyond is a testament to our shared vision,” says Troy Goldhammer, CEO, Powerflex Supply. “We are committed to promoting and supporting regenerative ranching practices that not only enhance ranch profitability but also improve soil health, livestock well-being and biodiversity. Together, we are creating a sustainable future for ranching that benefits both the land and the people who depend on it.”

Trust In Beef provides technical resources, insights, data analysis and support to help empower beef producers to understand, value and implement conservation practices while also connecting consumers to the industry’s accomplishments in climate-smart production. Foundational partners serve as technical advisors to those efforts.

To learn more about Trust In Beef™ and its partners, visit www.trustinbeef.com .

Want to Avoid Leaving Climate-Smart Money On the Table? There's An App for That

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 23:02:47 GMT

In 2023, USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities turned on the spigot to fund 141 projects, totaling $3 billion. Understanding the projects — each run by a different organization with its own unique offerings and structure — begs the question: Is it possible to have too much of a good thing?

“Producers are always interested in looking at opportunities, but we can’t review 141 grants,” says Jimmy Emmons, western Oklahoma rancher and Trust In Food vice president.

To cut out the time-consuming task of wading through the climate-smart projects, a new app pilot, the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator , seeks to remove the paperwork clutter and match farms and ranches with the right Climate-Smart Commodity grant project in minutes.

“Quicker and more efficient means to evaluate opportunities will increase participation, offer simple communication avenues, and, ultimately, get funding into the hands of growers so they can quickly turn those dollars into applied practices,” says Joelle Mosso, Western Growers Association associate vice president of science.

How Does the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator Work?

The app pilot, created by Farm Journal’s Trust In Food and AgWeb, is powered by USDA data on the 141 projects, most of which are focused on major commodities such as corn, soybeans and livestock. Harnessing this data in an app, producers can input their operation basics – such as location, commodities produced, and production practices and interests – and be matched with one or more of the Climate-Smart Commodities projects that fit their individual specs.

The app provides a basic description of each program match along with contact information so it’s easy to compare options and take the next step to participate.

For example, an Indiana corn grower interested in adopting no-till and cover crop practices would input their data to the Climate-Smart Commodities Opportunity Navigator. In four questions, the tool matches the farm’s profile and interests with 11 possible grant projects, such as:

Field to Market’s “Climate-Smart Agriculture Innovative Finance Initiative”
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s “Farmers for Soil Health Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership”

In contrast, a Colorado beef and bison producer looking to adopt prescribed grazing and soil health improvement practices on pasture would input their information to the Navigator tool and it matches the farm’s profile and interests with 9 grant projects that includes:

American Sustainable Business Institute Inc.’s “The Growing GRASS Project”
Sustainable Northwest’s “Building a Regenerative Ranching Economy in the West”

A Pennsylvania dairy producer interested in adopting nutrient management and cover crop practices matches with 9 grants, such as:

Truterra LLC’s “Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Ag’s Regenerative Transformation)”
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s “Scaling Methane Emissions Reductions and Soil Carbon Sequestration – A Value-Added Commodities Approach for U.S. Dairy”

And an Indiana pork producer who practices feed management and integrates cover crops matches with 2 grant projects:

Fischer Farms Natural Foods LLC’s “Fischer Farm Ultimate Beef and Pork Strategy”
Farm Journal’s “The Connected Ag Project”

Big Picture: The Perfect Climate-Smart Project Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

“It’s great there are lots of opportunity for producers with USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, but with so much opportunity it can be very overwhelming,” says Andrew Lyon, Trust In Food’s director of technical assistance and Kansas rancher. “By putting in specific information about your operation, the Navigator tool allows you to whittle down grant opportunities to the handful that are most applicable to you and provides you contact information so that you could follow up with those few opportunities that best suit you.”

While Farm Journal is excited about its own $40 million Climate-Smart Commodity grant, The Connected Ag Project , it wants producers to get in touch with the opportunity that best suits them, Lyon adds.

Test Drive the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator Tool

Farm Journal’s AgWeb and Trust In Food look forward to hearing from producers about their experience using the beta version. Take the Climate-Smart Opportunity Navigator for a test run, and let us know what worked and what didn’t.

USDA’s Climate-Smart Commodities, Explained

In 2021, USDA announced a historic investment in farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners through a program dubbed the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities . The goal? To scale climate-smart agricultural production practices across the U.S. and to promote and market climate-smart commodities in thriving markets.

To do this, over the next 5 years USDA is financing 141 pilot projects to support the production, tracking and marketing of these climate-smart commodities.

While the specific Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant projects vary widely, each boil down to putting financial incentives or technical support directly into the hands of U.S. farmers, ranchers and landowners to produce and market climate-smart agricultural commodities.

While the term, “climate-smart commodity” is relatively new, the farming and ranching practices it describes have, largely, been around for much longer. Incorporating cover crops, grazing and rangeland management, prairie restoration and nutrient management are just some of the practices that fall under the climate-smart umbrella.

For many producers, participating in a CSC grant translates to getting credit and even cash payment for practices already in place on farm. What’s more, for producers seeking funding sources or simply a push to try something, new these grants are an opportunity to make a change with support along the way.