344: The One-Cow Revolution with Shawn and Beth Dougherty

A Note from Michael:

The Thriving Farmer Podcast is currently on pause as we navigate a busy season on the farm. While we're taking this break, we're excited to share Farm in Focus, a special series of short, focused conversations recorded earlier this year. These bite-sized episodes highlight practical insights from farmers and experts across the industry. We hope they're helpful and encouraging as you continue your farming journey. 

Can one grass-fed cow truly become the heart of a food-independent farm?

In this Farm in Focus episode, Michael sits down with Shawn and Beth Dougherty, authors of One Cow Revolution, to talk about how a single dairy cow can transform a farm's productivity, resilience, and relationship with the land.

Drawing from decades of experience, the Doughertys explain why grass—not grain—is the foundation of sustainable dairy systems, how ruminants build soil fertility while producing food, and what new cow owners need to understand before bringing a milk cow home. This conversation blends philosophy with deeply practical advice, offering a grounded look at low-input, grass-based farming.

Whether you're dreaming of a family milk cow or simply curious about food independence, this episode offers timeless insights rooted in observation, experience, and respect for animals and land.

 

In this episode, you'll hear about:

The One Cow Revolution

• Why Shawn and Beth felt compelled to write One Cow Revolution [01:40]
• How cows fit into a sustainable, food-independent farm system [01:40]

Grass, Ruminants & Soil Health

• Why grass is the most important resource on the farm [03:34]
• How ruminants improve soil fertility while producing food [03:34]

Advice for New Cow Owners

• Why starting small is critical for success [07:50]
• How temporary electric fencing makes land integration easier [07:50]
• Why observation matters more than rigid systems [07:50]

The Abundance of a Dairy Cow

• Just how much food one cow can provide [13:34]
• Using milk to feed other animals and increase farm productivity [13:34]

Common Mistakes & Lessons Learned

• Where new cow owners often underestimate feed needs [16:14]
• Why practical experience matters more than theory [16:14]
• Why milking is simpler than many people expect [16:14]
  

 
About the Guests:

Shawn and Beth Dougherty have been homesteading together since 1985, for the past 35 years in northern Appalachia. They raise dairy and beef cows, pigs, and poultry on a small acreage designated by the state of Ohio as "not suitable for agriculture." The Doughertys write, teach, and speak on holistic grazing and inputs-free farming, using grass-fed ruminants to restore abused land and build fertile, resilient farmsteads. They are the authors of One Cow Revolution, The Independent Farmstead, and The Independent Farmstead's Field Guides to Inputs-Free Farming series.

Links:

🐄Visit Shawn & Beth's website: One Cow Revolution
📷 Instagram: @shawnandbeth
📚Their books: One Cow Revolution and The Independent Farmstead

 

This episode is brought to you by Farm on Central:

Looking for a unique, high-demand crop for your garden or farm? Farm on Central offers a wide selection of ginger and turmeric—two highly medicinal crops that are popular at farmers markets, with chefs, and among folks making their own wellness products.

These long-season crops thrive outdoors in southern climates, and growers in northern regions often succeed with them in tunnels or containers. Preorders are now open, with options ranging from seed rhizomes for adventurous growers to easy-to-grow started plants.

👉  Shop the full collection at shop.farmoncentral.com.