When Fences Fail, Bulls Brawl!

Colonel’s Blog, Earthdate 28 June 2024

Hey Y’all!

Good morning and happy Fast-jet Friday from Air2Ground Farms! The fast jets today are the Mighty-Mighty F-15E Strike Eagle flying low through the Lake District of England this week.  The weather has gone from 6 inches of snow to the temps being in the 50s today.  Rain is in the forecast this afternoon and the temps will drop as arctic air arrives Sunday.  Our lows will be in the single digits with negative windchills.  The animals are doing very well and taking the changing weather in stride.  The big happening on the farm this week is going to take a bit of explaining.  The best soil on our farm is on the same level as our house but the soil here, like the rest of the farm, is in need of some regenerating.  Considering this, we decided to combine the sheep and beef herd into a FLERD this winter, unroll hay in this pasture, and have some significant regenerative impact on this soil.  After running the beef herd through the pens on Sunday we loaded 2 steers to take to the processor and moved the remaining beef herd into the paddock with the sheep and their 3 guardian dogs.  On Monday, after delivering the steers, we went to Springfield for a belated birthday shopping trip for Makaylah.  On Tuesday, Makaylah and I built a new paddock for the dairy cows that put them directly adjacent to the newly formed flerd.  It’s time for Artie to be bred and we use our beef bull to get the job done so we had to get those two in the same area.  Neither of them are willing to move without their respective herds, so by Tuesday afternoon, we took down the electric fence between the 4 cows of the dairy herd and the flerd.  That means we now have 4 diary cows, 34 beef cows, 50 sheep, and 3 LGDs in the same paddock.  Although it looks a bit chaotic to us, things were going well until our neighbor’s bull decided he wanted to be a part of the fun.  The top pic is the ensuing bull-fight.  The next pic was taken a couple of hours prior showing a couple of the dairy cows, beef cows, and sheep all mingled together.  Both our cows and the neighbor’s cows started freaking out with the fighting bulls and before we could get the bulls separated, one of our steers went through the fence to join in the fun in their pasture.  After a bit of work, Makaylah and I got everybody back where they belonged.  Until the next day when their bull came back and in the ensuing tussle our bull ended up in their pasture.  I got him back on our side and Shelley and I put up a 3-wire electric fence keeping our bull from going near the shared fence line.  The bulls have talked smack to each other since but we haven’t had a fence-crossing.  Needless to say, we’re all going to work on the fence this weekend.  It’s always something on a farm!  We’re wrapping up a whirlwind of a year, and as we move into 2025, it’s a great time to reflect on everything we accomplished and what’s ahead. From opening a new store to expanding our farm operations, 2024 was packed with growth, challenges, and a whole lot of learning.

2024: A Year of Big Moves and Hard Work

This past year, we saw major expansions in nearly every aspect of our farm and business.

• Air2Ground Meats Storefront – The biggest move of the year was opening our brick-and-mortar store in Ava, Missouri. What started as a need for a better retail space beyond farmers' markets turned into a thriving local food hub. It’s been amazing to see our community rally behind fresh, local, regeneratively farmed meats.

• Bigger Livestock Operations – We started farrowing our own Berkshire pigs (so much for that no farrowing decision back in 2023!), increased our beef herd to 36 cows, processed over 550 pastured chickens, and ramped up lamb and dairy production.

• Partnerships for Food Security – We began collaborating with other small farms, providing a new market for their regeneratively raised livestock. This not only supports local agriculture but also helps maintain food security in our region.

• Continuous Growth in YouTube & the Dust’er Mud Podcast – Our YouTube channels have continued to grow, and the Dust’er Mud Podcast found a permanent home on its own channel. We've loved engaging with folks who care about food, freedom, and farming.

Looking Ahead to 2025: Growth, Innovation, and New Ventures

2025 is shaping up to be even bigger. Here’s what’s on the horizon:

1. Expanding Our Reach with Air2Ground Meats

We’re transitioning our website from Wix to Grazecart, a platform specifically designed for farms like ours. This will allow us to sell products by weight, improve inventory tracking, and eventually make shipping more seamless. Heads up – the site may be a little glitchy during the transfer, but we’re working on getting everything running smoothly.

2. Air2Ground Thrive: Educating & Empowering

Shelley is launching Air2Ground Thrive, a new project focused on real food education and support. After years of personal fitness training and a deep dive into nutrition, she’s passionate about helping women over 50 reclaim their health through real food and sustainable living. This will be an exciting addition to what we already do!

3. More Livestock, More Local Food

Our production is increasing in every category:

• Pigs: We’ll process 33 feeder pigs this spring and start farrowing again in March for fall processing…more than triple what we processed in 2024. 

• Beef: We already have 13 beef processing appointments booked for 2025—more than double what we processed in 2024!

• Lamb: While our own flock size will stay about the same, we’re increasing our partnerships to bring in more high-quality local lamb for customers.

• Milk & Eggs: With three dairy cows in milk, we’re set to double our raw milk production. Our egg production is also expanding significantly to meet growing demand.

4. Engaging More with Our Community

• YouTube Live Streams – We’re looking to introduce live farm updates and interactive Q&A sessions.

• Podcast Expansion – We may even try live podcast episodes to interact in real time.

Why It All Matters

This isn’t just about growing our farm—it’s about changing how food is produced, distributed, and valued. Between the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Chevron Doctrine and Rep. Thomas Massie’s proposed Food Freedom Amendment, there’s a real shift happening in how farmers and small businesses operate. Throughout 2025, we’ll continue advocating for food sovereignty and local, regenerative agriculture.

Final Thoughts

2024 was a year of pushing boundaries, making big decisions, and building something that lasts. 2025 is all about refining what we do, expanding in a sustainable way, and continuing to serve our community with the best food possible.

Thanks to every one of you who has supported us—whether through shopping at our store, following our journey online, or just sharing in our mission for real food, real freedom, and real farming.

Here’s to another year of growing, thriving, and farming!

If you missed our YouTube video where we discussed our 2024 accomplishments and 2025 plans, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/ztiJ8IP2dB8

This week on the Dust'er Mud Podcast, we discussed 10 easy pantry swaps to help transition from ultra-processed foods to REAL FOOD. Check it out! https://youtu.be/LoP_bkt2jIg

Cheers!

Psycho & Shelley