JMR Farm's WV Legacy: Custom Grazing, Katahdin Sheep (218)

Justin Frye of JMR Farm in Baker, West Virginia joins the show to talk about building a farm from scratch on a family property that's been in his family since 1847. He and his wife Maggie custom graze cow-calf pairs, run a Katahdin hair sheep flock, and buy and finish feeder lambs — all while working off-farm jobs and figuring out what enterprises fit their operation best.Justin shares the story of how his grandfather's surprise offer to sell the family farm set everything in motion, how a connection through a mentor led to their first custom grazing arrangement, and what three consecutive years of drought have taught him about managing grass for someone else's cattle. He also walks through the sheep learning curve, going from 89 ewes down to 30 through hard culling, and explains their feeder lamb protocol from receiving through market.Topics covered:Growing up on a family farm in West Virginia and the influence of mentors at Potomac State CollegeBuying the family farm (in operation since 1847) and what made it financially possibleHow a mentor connection led to their first custom grazing opportunityWhat services JMR Farm provides under the custom grazing agreement, daily moves, pink eye treatment, weaning and vaccinating calves, getting them started on feedManaging three consecutive drought years while grazing someone else's cattleMoving toward 60-day rest periods and what they've learned about residual sward heightBuilding 13,000 feet of exterior and cross fence with just Justin and MaggieSilvopasture plans: thinning wooded areas and controlling multiflora rose and autumn oliveWhy they chose Katahdin hair sheep, the profitability case, and the steep learning curveFAMACHA scoring, dewormer resistance, and culling hard for a parasite-resistant flockGrazing sheep with cattle: their plan for this seasonThe feeder lamb operation: buying 40-60 lb lambs, feeding to 80-100 lbs, sell-buy marketingCattle handling with a Bud Box, the DS Livestock sheep system, and tips for lo