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Keystone Blog

Inquiries into and dispatches from our place in the world. Click below to read or subscribe to our blog.

We finally got our website up and running! Riley did a phenomenal job designing it and making the firehose of information I wanted on there digestible and easy to navigate.

We have a limited number of grass-finished regeneratively grazed beef shares available starting in June. Reserve yours on the website today and reach out with any and all questions. Link in bio.

We finally got our website up and running! Riley did a phenomenal job designing it and making the firehose of information I wanted on there digestible and easy to navigate.

We have a limited number of grass-finished regeneratively grazed beef shares available starting in June. Reserve yours on the website today and reach out with any and all questions. Link in bio.

I really like it here.

I really like it here.

Well managed livestock are the single best tool we have to restore and care for our grasslands and savanna’s. Thanks @jk_maxpower for covering the work we’re doing at Keystone and for providing a nuanced counter narrative to the reductive anti-cattle propaganda.

Well managed livestock are the single best tool we have to restore and care for our grasslands and savanna’s. Thanks @jk_maxpower for covering the work we’re doing at Keystone and for providing a nuanced counter narrative to the reductive anti-cattle propaganda.

You know how you used to love to splash around in creeks as a kid and move rocks around to make little dams? Well this is that for grownups. We’re really excited to share some of the work we’ve been doing to heal our watershed, care for our creek, and create habitat and we hope you can come help us do more of it!

If that sounds like a good day to you, come out to Reviving Creeks & Rangelands: A Hands-On Restoration Workshop on April 29, 2025, at Keystone Land and Livestock in Sutter County, CA. A few highlights:

🔹 Learn how low-tech process-based restoration + regenerative grazing = a healthier planet 🔹 Build beaver dam analogues, bank blasters & zuni bowls with your own hands 🔹 Enjoy a complimentary lunch featuring beef from an Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Ranch (vegetarian options available)

This FREE workshop is open to everyone! If you want to support the work, an optional $25 donation is encouraged.

📍 Spots are limited! Link to register in bio.
Thanks to Audubon Conservation Ranching (@audubonca) and the Wildlife Conservation Board (@wildlifeconservationboard) for supporting this project!

You know how you used to love to splash around in creeks as a kid and move rocks around to make little dams? Well this is that for grownups. We’re really excited to share some of the work we’ve been doing to heal our watershed, care for our creek, and create habitat and we hope you can come help us do more of it!

If that sounds like a good day to you, come out to Reviving Creeks & Rangelands: A Hands-On Restoration Workshop on April 29, 2025, at Keystone Land and Livestock in Sutter County, CA. A few highlights:

🔹 Learn how low-tech process-based restoration + regenerative grazing = a healthier planet 🔹 Build beaver dam analogues, bank blasters & zuni bowls with your own hands 🔹 Enjoy a complimentary lunch featuring beef from an Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Ranch (vegetarian options available)

This FREE workshop is open to everyone! If you want to support the work, an optional $25 donation is encouraged.

📍 Spots are limited! Link to register in bio.
Thanks to Audubon Conservation Ranching (@audubonca) and the Wildlife Conservation Board (@wildlifeconservationboard) for supporting this project!

Ri and I came down with COVID during one our busiest times of year, the week before we had planned to receive 500 of the 800 cattle we’ll have on the ranch this season.

Paige, Ben and Aaron all showed up over that week to support us on super short notice and we genuinely wouldn’t have been able to get through that without them. I feel lucky to have friends who are so generous with their time, who are such excellent stockmen, and who are down to work their butts off with smiles on their faces. @coastal.land.and.livestock @paigelynn_jane_trotter

Ri and I came down with COVID during one our busiest times of year, the week before we had planned to receive 500 of the 800 cattle we’ll have on the ranch this season.

Paige, Ben and Aaron all showed up over that week to support us on super short notice and we genuinely wouldn’t have been able to get through that without them. I feel lucky to have friends who are so generous with their time, who are such excellent stockmen, and who are down to work their butts off with smiles on their faces. @coastal.land.and.livestock @paigelynn_jane_trotter

It’s not how much rain you get, it’s how much rain you keep.

It’s not how much rain you get, it’s how much rain you keep.

Got all 378 tons (17 semi loads) of compost applied to 21 acres the day before the big storm! The idea is that a big influx of soil biology and nutrients will lead to an increase in the rate of carbon sequestration that extends above and beyond the initial amount of carbon applied. Can’t wait to see how the grass growth in the application area differs from the surrounding pasture this year, and to get the soil resampled a few years down the line. Big thanks to @wolfesneckcenter and to USDA’s Climate Smart Commodities program for supporting this project.

Got all 378 tons (17 semi loads) of compost applied to 21 acres the day before the big storm! The idea is that a big influx of soil biology and nutrients will lead to an increase in the rate of carbon sequestration that extends above and beyond the initial amount of carbon applied. Can’t wait to see how the grass growth in the application area differs from the surrounding pasture this year, and to get the soil resampled a few years down the line. Big thanks to @wolfesneckcenter and to USDA’s Climate Smart Commodities program for supporting this project.

It’s time for our seasonal migration from @ottervalleyfarm to the Buttes. I’m gonna miss this beautiful place and the badass people that care for it all year long @may.the.forest.be.with.you @neatg

It’s time for our seasonal migration from @ottervalleyfarm to the Buttes. I’m gonna miss this beautiful place and the badass people that care for it all year long @may.the.forest.be.with.you @neatg

Some great shots of me and Red at @the_lees_working_dogs clinic.

Some great shots of me and Red at @the_lees_working_dogs clinic.

That’s a wrap! 600 hundred cattle, counted, sorted, and shipped to greener pastures. It’s a huge weight off of our shoulders to go from being responsible for that many lives to just our little herd of 13 and it feels great to have another successful grazing season under our belts.

That’s a wrap! 600 hundred cattle, counted, sorted, and shipped to greener pastures. It’s a huge weight off of our shoulders to go from being responsible for that many lives to just our little herd of 13 and it feels great to have another successful grazing season under our belts.

With some help from a few good friends (@rangerrobbyn )Ri and I got 124 pairs gathered sorted and shipped. It was our first year running pairs and there was a steep learning curve and a bit of the requisite chaos that always accompanies doing something new. But all in all we’re gonna miss these gals.

With some help from a few good friends (@rangerrobbyn )Ri and I got 124 pairs gathered sorted and shipped. It was our first year running pairs and there was a steep learning curve and a bit of the requisite chaos that always accompanies doing something new. But all in all we’re gonna miss these gals.

Gathering cattle or on our way to Mordor?

Gathering cattle or on our way to Mordor?

Take care of the grass and the cattle will take care of themselves (mostly)

Take care of the grass and the cattle will take care of themselves (mostly)

Dog updates (all of which happened within a 3 day period): 1. We have a new member of the family. Indie is a precocious little pup from our friends at @groundedgrassfed and we’re pretty smitten with her.
2. Keno has retired to our other home @ottervalleyfarm to chase sheep around and lay in the sun for his golden years.
3. Echo got kicked by a cow and fractured her ankle. She doesn’t want you to sign her cast so don’t ask.

Dog updates (all of which happened within a 3 day period): 1. We have a new member of the family. Indie is a precocious little pup from our friends at @groundedgrassfed and we’re pretty smitten with her.
2. Keno has retired to our other home @ottervalleyfarm to chase sheep around and lay in the sun for his golden years.
3. Echo got kicked by a cow and fractured her ankle. She doesn’t want you to sign her cast so don’t ask.

Without the ongoing support and mentorship we’ve gotten from @groundedgrassfed we wouldn’t be where we are, doing the work we’re doing today. Super grateful to spend some quality time with the whole family, playing in creeks, talking about grass, and smashing some jumbo sized mallows.

Without the ongoing support and mentorship we’ve gotten from @groundedgrassfed we wouldn’t be where we are, doing the work we’re doing today. Super grateful to spend some quality time with the whole family, playing in creeks, talking about grass, and smashing some jumbo sized mallows.

All one watershed, from ridge top to flood plain. Our goal is to store as much water as we can as high in the watershed as possible in soils, ponds, and vegetation. It’s not how much rain you get, it’s how much rain you keep.

All one watershed, from ridge top to flood plain. Our goal is to store as much water as we can as high in the watershed as possible in soils, ponds, and vegetation. It’s not how much rain you get, it’s how much rain you keep.

It’s January and we’ve already got more grass than we know what to do with! This is a good problem to have.

It’s January and we’ve already got more grass than we know what to do with! This is a good problem to have.

Might need to start setting some boundaries with my co-workers.

Might need to start setting some boundaries with my co-workers.

Got a chance to check in on some monitoring photos showing RDM (residual dry matter) between last fall before we took over management of the ranch and this fall after a year of adaptive rotational grazing. Keeping the soil covered like this protects it from wind, rain and sun, and sets us up for a great grazing season this year.

Got a chance to check in on some monitoring photos showing RDM (residual dry matter) between last fall before we took over management of the ranch and this fall after a year of adaptive rotational grazing. Keeping the soil covered like this protects it from wind, rain and sun, and sets us up for a great grazing season this year.

Ever since Riley first took me to this special place we’ve been dreaming of building a life around caring for it. It’s taken half a decade of learning and planning and preparing to get ready for this first year of grazing and it’s been a whirlwind.

There’s been the fun stuff like learning to move cattle calmly, training our dogs, and mediating the complex relationship between ruminant and grass. And there’s been the stressful stuff like formulating lease and cattle contracts and understanding taxes, accounting and insurance. It’s taken all we’ve got and then some to get this business off the ground. But looking at thousands of acres of covered soil and seed heads blowing in the wind when just a year ago this was mostly cracked bare dirt, I feel grateful.

We’ve got a long way to go. Yes the ground is covered, but too much of that cover is foxtail, star thistle and medusahead. Perennials are recovering from overgrazing, but still compose only a tiny fraction of the forage base. Vegetation around riparian areas is lush, but gullies still yawn and head cuts still eat their way up streams. It’s going to be a long road but at least we’re headed the right direction and that puts a smile on my face.

Ever since Riley first took me to this special place we’ve been dreaming of building a life around caring for it. It’s taken half a decade of learning and planning and preparing to get ready for this first year of grazing and it’s been a whirlwind.

There’s been the fun stuff like learning to move cattle calmly, training our dogs, and mediating the complex relationship between ruminant and grass. And there’s been the stressful stuff like formulating lease and cattle contracts and understanding taxes, accounting and insurance. It’s taken all we’ve got and then some to get this business off the ground. But looking at thousands of acres of covered soil and seed heads blowing in the wind when just a year ago this was mostly cracked bare dirt, I feel grateful.

We’ve got a long way to go. Yes the ground is covered, but too much of that cover is foxtail, star thistle and medusahead. Perennials are recovering from overgrazing, but still compose only a tiny fraction of the forage base. Vegetation around riparian areas is lush, but gullies still yawn and head cuts still eat their way up streams. It’s going to be a long road but at least we’re headed the right direction and that puts a smile on my face.

“Excuse me sir, we’re ready to move”

“Excuse me sir, we’re ready to move”

We are selling Stevie, our wonderful home for the last 4 years. Fully remodeled as a 34 ft tiny home with a king sized bed, wood stove, beautiful kitchen, bamboo floors, outdoor shower, and a lot more. If you’re interested holler! Link to Craigslist ad with a lot more info in bio.

We are selling Stevie, our wonderful home for the last 4 years. Fully remodeled as a 34 ft tiny home with a king sized bed, wood stove, beautiful kitchen, bamboo floors, outdoor shower, and a lot more. If you’re interested holler! Link to Craigslist ad with a lot more info in bio.

Followed up on some photo monitoring we did last year. Same photo point, same time of year. There are two huge differences between these two years. The first is rainfall, we were in a historic drought last year, this year we got a prodigious amount of rain. The second is management. We have the ranch stocked at 60% what it was at during the drought, we have gone from set stocking the whole thing to moving cattle through 8 different paddocks according to an adaptive grazing plan, and we have done a lot of work to keep them out of low heavy clay areas with electric fences during rain. This comparison is temporal; it’s looking at change over time, which makes it very challenging to parse out whether change should be attributed to climate or management (though of course it’s always a combination of those two things). Spacial comparisons are useful in removing the climatic variable, which is why these fence line photos at the end demonstrating contrasts between us and our neighbors who set stock their cattle are also revealing. I find these photos incredibly exciting and encouraging.

Followed up on some photo monitoring we did last year. Same photo point, same time of year. There are two huge differences between these two years. The first is rainfall, we were in a historic drought last year, this year we got a prodigious amount of rain. The second is management. We have the ranch stocked at 60% what it was at during the drought, we have gone from set stocking the whole thing to moving cattle through 8 different paddocks according to an adaptive grazing plan, and we have done a lot of work to keep them out of low heavy clay areas with electric fences during rain. This comparison is temporal; it’s looking at change over time, which makes it very challenging to parse out whether change should be attributed to climate or management (though of course it’s always a combination of those two things). Spacial comparisons are useful in removing the climatic variable, which is why these fence line photos at the end demonstrating contrasts between us and our neighbors who set stock their cattle are also revealing. I find these photos incredibly exciting and encouraging.

Moved the whole herd 4.5 miles yesterday, from one end of the ranch to the other. Normally we would move them low along the perimeter of the ranch because it’s flat and there’s a fence along one side the whole way, but because of all the rain this year we’ve set up a bunch of electric fence to exclude cattle from these low wet areas prone to pugging and compaction. So in order to avoid pushing 350 head through our exclosures we had to bring them up through the mountains which means going through 3 different paddocks, most of which you can’t get a quad through because of steep hills, brush and lots of rocks. Riley, Chip, Echo and I were all feeling pretty triumphant by the time the last one sauntered through the final gate. Feeling lucky to be a part of an incredible little team out here and for those hard days that end up being the best days.

Moved the whole herd 4.5 miles yesterday, from one end of the ranch to the other. Normally we would move them low along the perimeter of the ranch because it’s flat and there’s a fence along one side the whole way, but because of all the rain this year we’ve set up a bunch of electric fence to exclude cattle from these low wet areas prone to pugging and compaction. So in order to avoid pushing 350 head through our exclosures we had to bring them up through the mountains which means going through 3 different paddocks, most of which you can’t get a quad through because of steep hills, brush and lots of rocks. Riley, Chip, Echo and I were all feeling pretty triumphant by the time the last one sauntered through the final gate. Feeling lucky to be a part of an incredible little team out here and for those hard days that end up being the best days.

Sprained my ankle trying to get our neighbors fence hopping bull into our corrals. Still had to move our 350 head to their next pasture. Thank god for @rileyrenee.s and 3 incredible dogs. I love this job, but sometimes I really wish I could call in sick.

Sprained my ankle trying to get our neighbors fence hopping bull into our corrals. Still had to move our 350 head to their next pasture. Thank god for @rileyrenee.s and 3 incredible dogs. I love this job, but sometimes I really wish I could call in sick.

All in a days work

All in a days work

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