Four Hard Lessons Learned Starting a Farm from Scratch By Mark Shephard

In this episode, Mark Shepard shares the humbling — and humorous — journey of building a regenerative farm from the ground up in northern New York. Through trial and error, he’s learned four hard lessons that every beginning farmer should hear before jumping in with both boots.

From mismatched leases and overfed pigs to undersized sheep and a rotten stock trailer, Mark’s reflections reveal what it truly takes to start from scratch — and keep going.

🔑 Key Points Covered:

1. Finding Land: How to navigate difficult landowner relationships and find the right collaborative match.

2. Pigs Require Inputs: Why raising your own breeders doesn’t always pencil out — and how to learn from emotional attachments.

3. Sheep Selection: The importance of carcass size, genetics, and breed management for long-term success.

4. Stock Trailers & “Tuition”: The expensive lessons hidden underneath the surface — literally.

🌱 Actionable Insights:

1. Keep looking for landowners who share your values — the right fit is worth the wait.

2. Be realistic about inputs and economics before scaling livestock.

3. Select breeds for function and environment, not just reputation.

4. Consider every mistake a form of “tuition” on the road to mastery.

📌 For more insights and resources, visit stockmangrassfarmer.digital to access hundreds more from leaders in regenerative agriculture.

👉 Tune in to The Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast on your favorite podcast app and discover more stories of resilience, renewal, and lessons learned from the pasture.