2025 Midwest Grazing & Soil Health Summit Sessions & Presenters
Schedule At-A-Glance (full details below)
Thursday, March 20
7:30am - Breakfast
8:30am - Breakouts (repeat from yesterday):
- Anneliese Walker, Room 1
- Jeff Duchene, Room 2
- Margaret Chamas, Room 3
9:30am Break/exhibitors
9:45am - Breakouts (repeat from yesterday):
- Brett McRae, Room 1
- Melinda Sims, Room 2
- Jim Gerrish, Room 3
10:45am Break/exhibitors
11:00am - Breakouts:
- MN Grazing Lands Panel, Room 1
- Margaret Chamas, Room 2
12:00pm - Lunch and Table Topics – Room 3
1:20pm - Brett McRae – Room 3
2:30pm Break/exhibitors
2:50pm - Melinda Sims – Room 3
4:00pm Break/exhibitors
4:20pm - Jim Gerrish – Room 3
Thursday, March 20th: Full Descriptions & Bios
7:30 a.m. Breakfast, Coffee and Exhibitors
8:30 a.m. Breakout Session (repeat from the day before)
Breakout 1
Anneliese Walker: Foundations in Graze Planning
Is it possible to be understocked and overgrazed at the same time? The answer is a resounding yes. If you want to learn the foundations of graze planning and how it impacts your Profit and Loss Statement, this is the session for you. We will discuss how to create and monitor inventories, common considerations when creating a graze plan, and how graze planning can positively impact your business finances.
Speaker Bio:
Anneliese Walker is a speaker, educator and livestock producer located in Princeton, Minnesota. She has been practicing rotational grazing since 2016 and has been supporting ranchers across North America in adopting rotational grazing and online grazing platforms since 2019. She is passionate about supporting graziers in creating successful and profitable grazing operations.
Breakout 2
Jeff Duchene: NRCS State Grazing Lands Specialist:
NRCS Conservation Practices and Programs Overview
This session will provide an overview of the Natural Resources ConservationService (NRCS), assistance NRCS can provide, and an overview of the common conservation practices that may be applicable to grazing livestock operations. It will also provide an overview of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation StewardshipProgram (CSP), which are the main funding sources available through NRCS.
Speaker Bio:
Jeff Duchene is the State Grazing Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Minnesota and is based out of Fergus Falls. He has been in this role for 2.5 years and his primary responsibilities include developing and updating technical information for NRCS conservation practices related to grazing lands, working with partners to promote grazing management, and training conservation staff in grazing lands planning and management. Prior to becoming the State Grazing Specialist, Jeff was a Grazing Specialist with NRCS for over 13 years. During that time, his work focused on providing technical assistance regarding grazing lands management to livestock producers and landowners in NW MN. Jeff was also a Grazing Specialist in the Root River Watershed located in SE MN for two years prior to working with NRCS.
Breakout 3
Margaret Chamas, Practical Farmers of Iowa:
Emerging Technologies in Grazing - the Potential of Virtual Fence
Virtual fence is an exciting new technology that opens the gates - literally - to grazing more acreage with less fence-building labor. It is not without its costs and limitations though. This session will cover the function and workings of virtual fence, its applications in different grazing scenarios, and will cover the latest information on cost-share opportunities through EQIP.
Speaker Bio:
Margaret Chamas serves as the Livestock Viability Manager for Practical Farmers of Iowa, where she provides technical and financial assistance to livestock farmers of all types. Her favorites are goats though, and she raises dairy and brush goats near Kansas City with her husband, at Storm Dancer Farm. She has been in the targeted grazing industry since 2018, and currently works for Goats On The Go as affiliate support.
9:30 a.m. Break & Exhibitors
9:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions (repeat from the day before)
Breakout 1
Brett McRae
Corn Grazing 101
Brett has been successfully grazing corn for over a decade. In this presentation he will cover: field selection, variety selection, agronomics, estimating yield, fall field setup, supplementation, and winter management. This presentation will be everything you need to know to graze corn this year, from start to finish.
Speaker Bio:
Brett and Chantel McRae own and operate McRae Land & Livestock near Brandon, MB, where they manage 2,000 acres of land, raising commercial cattle and growing a diverse mix of crops, including cereals, canola, pulses, and corn. They also offer custom seeding and bull clipping services and manufacture cattle scratchers on-site. Committed to regenerative agriculture, the McRaes focus on soil health, resiliency, and practical field-scale solutions. Married in 2020, Brett and Chantel are part of Ranch Management Consultants’ Executive Link program and strive to integrate land conservation with productive, profitable farming.
Breakout 2
Melinda Sims
Profitable, Adapted Livestock: The Art of Winter Grazing at 7200’
Sims Cattle Company has utilized winter grazing for over 30 years. Winter grazing has allowed us to move towards adapted animals and adapted animals allow us to winter graze more effectively. And while beginning slowly, it’s now a vital part of our operation that fits perfectly into our mission of producing quality livestock for a healthy environment and creating opportunities for personal growth.
Speaker Bio:
Melinda Sims graduated from the University of Wyoming in 2000 with a degree in Animal Science, specializing in production. While at UW, she met and married her husband, Shanon. After graduation, they joined the family business, Sims Cattle Company, in McFadden, Wyoming, where they raise their two children, Kagan and Jentry—the fifth generation on the ranch.
Over her 24 years on the ranch, Melinda has taken on diverse roles, from managing daily operations to overseeing long-term planning and business strategy. She completed the Ranching for Profit school, was an Executive Link member for two years, and became a Ranching for Profit instructor in 2022.
Melinda is passionate about helping ranchers build profitable, resilient businesses. She applies holistic management principles at Sims Cattle Company, working closely with Shanon and their family to breed cattle that thrive in their environment while embracing sustainable, profitable practices.
Breakout 3
Jim Gerrish:
Grazing Management for Targeted Animal Performance
In this breakout session, a panel of seasoned producers managing cattle, sheep, and goats will share their insights on key components of grazing systems, including watering systems, fencing, buildings, and equipment that drive efficient livestock management. Discover how they’ve tackled challenges, implemented innovative solutions, and optimized resources to improve animal health and profitability. This session provides practical advice, real-world examples, and ample opportunities for Q&A, making it a valuable resource for farmers seeking to enhance their grazing systems sustainably.
See Speaker Bio below.
10:45 a.m. Break & Exhibitors
11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions
Breakout 1
MN Grazing Lands Conservation Association Panel Adaptive Grazing Infrastructure for Multiple Livestock Species
Panelists: Dave Evans, Morgan Kauth, and Troy Salzer
Moderated by Dean Thomas
In this breakout session, a panel of seasoned producers managing cattle, sheep, and goats will share their insights on key components of grazing systems, including watering systems, fencing, buildings, and equipment that drive efficient livestock management. Discover how they’ve tackled challenges, implemented innovative solutions, and optimized resources to improve animal health and profitability. This session provides practical advice, real-world examples, and ample opportunities for Q&A, making it a valuable resource for farmers seeking to enhance their grazing systems sustainably.
Breakout 2
Margaret Chamas Diversifying With Small Ruminants
Small ruminants represent big opportunities for cattle-centric operations. The different grazing habits and preferences, more rapid reproduction rates, and off-cycle market peaks make them an intriguing addition to the farm. However, they require different fencing, have some 'odd' nutritional requirements, and it's hard to find veterinarians with much experience. Margaret Chamas has raised goats, cattle, and some sheep across a few states and will review the major differences between the species and their care, and will offer some thoughts on how the different animals can fit on the same operation.
See Margaret's speaker bio above.
12:00 p.m. Lunch, Table Topics & Exhibitors
1:20 p.m. Brett McRae
McRae Land & Livestock: Building a Systematized Regenerative Farm
McRae Land & Livestock is a profitable and enjoyable business that strives to improve land, livestock, and lives. In this presentation, Brett will cover their strategies of crop and livestock management, including using Johnson Su compost extract on a field scale level, the key financial ratios they use in decision making, and how they are building their operation to be a resilient, mobile and modular farming system for the future.
2:30 Break & Exhibitors
2:50 p.m. Melinda Sims
Session Sponsor
Profit and Legacy: Ensuring Ranch Viability for Successors
Managerial succession is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires a holistic approach, considering land, livestock, finances, and people. As the Ranching for Profit school teaches, “Profit is to business what breathing is to life.” Sims Cattle Company has thrived through four generations and is now transitioning to include the fifth. Melinda, along with her kids Kagan (21) and Jentry (18) will share key lessons they have learned thus far in their succession process, along with lessons learned from Ranching for Profit to simplify and strengthen the succession plan.
See Speaker Bio above.
4:00 p.m. Break & Exhibitors
4:20 p.m. Keynote Jim Gerrish
7 Things I Have Learned about Profitable Farming & Ranching Over 45 Years
With 45 years of experience as a researcher, educator, and practitioner in the world of grazing, Jim has gained a unique perspective on what truly matters for building a profitable and enjoyable ranching business. In this session, we’ll explore seven key principles that drive long-term success in your operation, focusing on practical strategies that improve both profitability and land stewardship. Whether you're new to grazing or looking to refine your approach, this session will provide valuable insights to help you make the most of your land, livestock, and resources.
Speaker Bio:
Jim Gerrish is a renowned grazing lands educator, consultant, and writer who works with farmers and ranchers across the US and internationally through American GrazingLands Services LLC. Based in Idaho’s Big Lost Valley, he advises on irrigated pastures, native rangelands, and high-rainfall livestock systems.
With over 22 years of experience in beef-forage research at the University of Missouri, Jim played a pivotal role in elevating its Forage Systems Research Center to national prominence. His work laid the foundation for principles of Management-intensive Grazing.
Jim has authored three acclaimed books on grazing: Management-intensive Grazing (2004), Kick the Hay Habit (2010), and Keeping it Green: A Handbook for Creating and Managing Irrigated Pasture (2022). He also revised the second edition of Allan Nation’s classic Quality Pasture in 2019. Additionally, he contributes a monthly column to The Stockman Grass-Farmer.