No Risk Ranching: Custom Grazing on Leased Land - Paperback

by Greg Judy (Author)

"No Risk Ranching should be read by every young grazier dreaming of having a big place someday. Judy will show you that you can have it very fast if you will just ask for it."-Allan Nation, The Stockman Grass Farmer

Greg Judy was forced to liquidate his cow herd to pay debt in 1996. By the end of the following year he was dead broke and figured the family farm was history. A quote from Allan Nation, editor of The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine changed his whole view of ranching. Nation said, "Your sole purpose should be not to own the land, but to make a living from the land."

Inspired by that approach, Judy started looking for idle, non-developed pastureland. By focusing on leasing rather than owning land, his grazing operation grew from 40 stockers to 1100 head. By custom grazing on leased land he was able to pay his entire farm and home loan within three years. Today he has four farms and leases 12.

No Risk Ranching, Custom Grazing on Leased Land describes how he found and managed his first and subsequent leases. He offers a detailed guide for other graziers to follow on how to find idle land to lease; calculate the cost of a lease; draft and write a land lease contract (with examples included); develop good water and portable fencing on leased land; promote wildlife and improve timber stands; keep accurate records and more.

No Risk Ranching was written to help other graziers from making the same mistakes Judy made. He writes, "I am convinced that in the USA our pastures are one of our most underutilized natural resources. I am not against land ownership. I just feel like it is an awful hardship on a new blooming grazing business."

Author Biography

Along with his wife Jan, Greg Judy of Clark, Missouri, runs a grazing operation on 1620 acres of leased and owned land. Greg and Jan went from near bankruptcy in 1999 to paying off a 200-acre farm and house in 3 years with custom grazing on leased land and are completely debt free today.

Today they own 4 farms and lease 12 farms. Holistic High Density Planned Grazing is used to graze cow/calf pairs, bred heifers, bulls, and stockers. They own a 350 head grass genetic cow herd, 200 hair sheep flock, graze heritage breed pigs, train guardian dogs, and raise shitake mushrooms. They have also begun an on-farm sawmill operation to direct market lumber from the timbered areas on their farms. They direct market grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, mushrooms and lumber. They also market grass genetic bulls and heifers along with parasite resistant rams and ewe lambs.

Greg & Jan also have a ranch internship program that brings young folks onto their ranch to teach them how to manage their own successful grazing operations.