212 | Mike Guebert, Oregon | How Two Former Vegetarians Built a Multi-Species Direct-to-Consumer Farm

Mike Guebert of Terra Farma in northwest Oregon joins Cal to share how he and his wife built a multi-species, direct-to-consumer farm over more than 20 years, from early days as first-generation farmers to running meat CSA sales, improving grazing systems, and teaching others through the Oregon Pasture Network.  In This Episode, We Explore:  Starting a first-generation farm from a blank slate with invasives, no fencing, and rough infrastructure  Moving from vegetarian to raising and processing poultry on-farm  Building a multi-species operation including beef, pork, sheep, goats, poultry, and more  Managing grazing in a high rainfall, dry-summer region without irrigation  Chicken tractor evolution, daily moves, and using a winch system for efficiency and injury prevention  Marketing changes over time including launching a meat CSA in 2020 and the plan to transition away from it  Stopping raw milk sales after losing liability insurance and regaining time and flexibility  Moving toward a more seasonal, grass-only beef model to reduce winter feeding  Teaching and producer support through pasture walks, cohorts, mentorship, and events with Oregon Pasture Network  Conservation district work including farmland protection tools like conservation easements  Why This Episode Matters  This conversation is a practical look at how farm enterprises, marketing, and even personal capacity change over time, and why building community learning opportunities like pasture walks and cohorts can help producers avoid common pitfalls while improving grazing, profitability, and quality of life.  Resources Mentioned  Acres USA annual conference  Ranching for Profit School  Executive Link (Ranching for Profit)  Oregon State University Small Farms Conference  Oregon Pasture Network pasture walks  Oregon FarmLink (Friends of Family Farmers)  Find Out More  Terra Farma website | terrafarmaers.net  Terra Farma Instagram | @terrafarmaers  Oregon Pasture Network | oregonpasturenetwork.org  Friends of Family Farmers | friendsoffamilyfarmers.org  East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District | emswcd.org   Looking for grass-based breeders? Explore the Grass Based Genetics directory.Visit our Sponsors:Noble Research InstituteRedmond Agriculture Grassroots CarbonGrazing Grass LinksWebsiteCommunity (on Facebook)Original Music by Louis Palfrey