S9 Ep19: Graze the Day: Sustainable Secrets from a Sixth-Generation Ranching Family with Mandy Schmidt
“Our mission is to raise healthy animals, to get a healthy product by having healthy soil.” —Mandy Schmidt
Healthy soil leads to healthy animals, which in turn leads to nutrient-dense, sustainable food. This cyclical relationship holds the key to a more resilient food system.
Mandy Schmidt is a 5th generation rancher at Marin Coast Ranch, where she and her family have been raising grass-fed livestock for over 30 years. Committed to regenerative agriculture, Mandy prioritizes land stewardship and species-appropriate diets to produce the highest quality meat.
In this episode, Mandy shares the secrets to her family's sustainable ranching practices, from the importance of soil health to the benefits of grass-fed beef and lamb. Tune in as Justine and Mandy talk about the definition of grass-fed vs. grass-finished livestock, the role of soil health in animal and human nutrition, generational knowledge and continuous learning in family farming, transparency and consumer education in sustainable agriculture, and more.
Connect with Mandy:
Mandy Schmidt is a 5th generation rancher at Marin Coast Ranch in West Marin, California. Mandy and her family have been raising grass-fed beef cattle, sheep, and goats on their family ranch for over 30 years. Committed to sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices, Mandy prioritizes soil health and species-appropriate diets for her livestock. As a mother of two, Mandy is passionate about providing nutrient-dense, transparent food options for her community. Mandy leads ranch tours and educational events to connect consumers with the origins of their food. Through her work, Mandy aims to inspire others to make more informed choices about the food they consume and its impact on personal and planetary health.
Episode Highlights:
01:27 Traditional Livestock Care Methods
03:29 Grass0Fed vs Grass-Finished
07:08 Evolving Conversations About Food
10:34 The Role of Soil Health and Food Quality
14:58 Buying Power and Direct Relationships
18:35 Questions for Informed Choices
22:45 Generational Challenges and Continous Learning
27:10 Transparency and Consumer Education
Tweets:
Healthy soil, healthy animals, healthy food. Listen in and discover the cyclical relationship that holds the key to a more resilient food system with @jreichman and Marin Coast Ranch’s Mandy Schmidt. #podcast #entrepreneurship #socialgood #inspiration #impactmatters #NextGenChef #EssentialIngredients #Season9 #MarinCoastRanch #SustainableRanching #LocalLivestock
Inspirational Quotes:
01:15 “We prioritize soil and land health with the belief that that will lead to healthy animals.” —Mandy Schmidt
02:11 “There's been so much of an effort to make things grow faster or get it bigger. And so, we've come up with solutions and fixes but we're finding now that that has some negative effects so we're trying to be as clean and as transparent as possible.” —Justine Reichman
04:33“We believe that to make healthy animals, that they should be eating that species-appropriate diet.” —Mandy Schmidt
05:08 “ The future of our family is the future of the planet.” —Justine Reichman
12:52 “The number of kids with mental concerns and health concerns— that's a huge concern. People should be talking about how much of that is coming from their diet.” —Mandy Schmidt
14:25 “It's conversations that help people make more informed choices.” —Justine Reichman
15:02 “With buying power, we're making a choice. And if we all decide on that better choice, we're demanding that everybody move up to that level and create a choice that is equally as healthful, equally as mindful.” —Justine Reichman
23:52 “If you're not continuing to learn and try to do better, then you might as well close up shop.” —Mandy Schmidt
26:58 “Our mission is to raise healthy animals, to get a healthy product by having healthy soil.” —Mandy Schmidt
27:45 “If you haven't tried to articulate how your operation is making that food, it's not the consumer's fault that they don't know.” —Mandy Schmidt
29:11 “This platform without our guests is just a platform with no information.” —Justine Reichman
Transcriptions:
Justine Reichman: Good morning, and welcome to Essential Ingredients. I'm your host, Justine Reichman. I have such a pleasure to have with me today, Mandy Schmidt. She is a rancher on her family ranch here in West Marin in Tomales Bay. It's called Marin Coast Ranch. I'm so excited to have you here to share with our community a little bit more about Marin Coast Ranch, your philosophy and your values. We've got plenty of time to dig into that. In the meantime, maybe you can just give us your 32nd pitch as to what Marin Coast Ranch is.
Mandy Schmidt: First of all, thank you so much for having me here. I'm so excited to chat with you and your audience. We are, as you mentioned, out in West Marin. We're about two miles inland from Tomales Bay. We raise grass fed beef cattle and sheep. And to complete our biodiversity, we also have a few goats as well. Our family ranch is from a priority standpoint. We prioritize soil and land health with a belief that that will lead to healthy animals. We've been here about 30 years. But my kids would be 6th generation ranchers in Marin County.
“We prioritize soil and land health with the belief that that will lead to healthy animals.” —Mandy Schmidt
Justine Reichman: Wow, that's a big deal. It's such a nice thing to be able to have it in your family and pass down from generation to generation.
Mandy Schmidt: It's special too because we were following a lot of the same livestock care methods that my great grandparents used when raising their cattle. And I think that in a modern world where we try to cut corners, it's nice to fall back on, oh, well, what would great grandma do when she was raising these calves?
Justine Reichman: I think a lot to your point, that's happening a lot around the world in so many different ways, whether it's medicine, whether it's food, that we're going back to what people did beforehand because there's been so much of an effort to try to make things grow faster or get it bigger. And so we've come up with solutions and fixes that. I think we're finding now that that has some negative effects, so we're trying to be as clean and as transparent as possible. At least, that's what I'm finding.
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. I think produce is a good example of this. We're not farmers. But when you think about it as Americans, we've become so accustomed to, oh, it's December, and I want to buy a watermelon. Well, watermelons are not in season in December, but we're still wanting that right now, immediate gratification. Whereas back in the day, when we're sourcing local and wholesome foods, you're going to get stuff that's in season, and that's just what it's going to be.
Justine Reichman: And when I grew up years ago in New York, we had access to everything. And it's not necessarily a great thing because they're bringing it from Mexico, and they're bringing it from all these different places to give people more choice, and quote unquote, accessibility. But as a result, they're transporting it very far, and you're eating things that are not in season for you. And from a health food standpoint, and that's a whole nother conversation that people talk about. You should eat what's in season. So that's a different conversation. But in the meantime, I want to touch on something that you mentioned. You said grass fed. So A, why is that good? And B, is it also grass finished? Is that important?
“We believe that to make healthy animals, that they should be eating that species-appropriate diet.” —Mandy Schmidt
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. I'm glad you made that distinction between grass fed and grass finished, because that is key. And I think that trips a lot of consumers up as well. We are grass fed and grass finished in how we raise our livestock. Reason we do that is we believe in a species appropriate diet, not only for our cows, but also for our family. For our cows specifically, cows are ruminants, and they're designed for optimum gut health to only eat forages. So grass when it's in season. And when it's not in season, we will feed them dried grass or hay. Their gut is designed to break down and ferment with the microbes that are in their stomach. We believe that to make healthy animals, that they should be eating that species' appropriate diet so that we aren't having to intervene with man made health interventions like health treatments, or growth hormones, or things that they're really unnatural to be giving these animals, but also unnatural for us to be consuming too completely.
Justine Reichman: And I think that you guys do this is really very thoughtful, both for the present and the future. And when I say the present, the future, I'm talking about our family. The future of our family is the future of the planet. And I know that you're pregnant, and I know that you have a three year old. I'm wondering, as a mom, did that alter your thinking or impact your thinking in any way?
Mandy Schmidt: Oh, absolutely. I was the typical college kid who would eat whatever, whenever. And now, when I think back, I'm like, oh, my gosh, I was putting that in my body. But now as a mom, we're being mindful about what we're feeding our kids because they don't have a say in it. What we put down on their plate, they will hopefully mostly eat. Hopefully, most of it doesn't end up on the floor. But when you think about if we're setting them up for future gut health, which impacts future mental health, when you do a deep dive into what are the nutrients in this food that we're providing them, it's really pretty scary when you don't know how that food was produced or where it's came from. As humans, we have very basic needs if you really drill it down. We need food. We need water. That's what we need. But very few of us, or at least in my opinion, really drill down, where did those basic needs come from? What am I actually putting into my body? So that's why we feel really strongly about going back to where the food actually came from, both for what we're selling to our customers, but what I'm feeding my kids too.
Justine Reichman: You said it's going to be six generations at some point. So you're the fifth generation? When your family started this, what was the conversation then about how you raise cows, and how you feed them as it relates to people's health and wellness? Was that even a conversation?
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. We believe very much in the old saying, and I know it's overused, but that you are what you eat. If you think about some of these cattle that are being fed grain, and nothing against beef that's being fed grain. That it is still providing essential nutrients, so that's all that you have access to. I'm not saying don't eat beef. But if you want to take it a step further into a healthier beef product, grass fed beef is going to be something that's more nutrient dense, but also those animals are hypothetically going to be healthier because they're eating what Mother Nature intended them to be eating. We went down a rabbit hole. My mom when she was raising my brothers and I, what's a natural diet and what's healthy for my kids? And then as she's going down that process, it was kind of a wake up moment of, okay, so what am I feeding these cattle are ultimately going to end up for my kids. She's also been a huge advocate for land conservation and soil health on our ranch as well. She truly believes that our core, and all of us do that, if your soil is healthy, you're going to have healthier, more productive fields. And then turn those cattle, and sheep, and goats that are grazing on it will also be more healthy and productive.
Justine Reichman: So when I'm listening to you talk about this, and this seems like a much bigger conversation from previous years. A lot of people are talking about this. I don't want to say everyone, but a lot of people talk about this. People are getting more educated, wanting to understand the difference in grass fed and grass finish, and why that's important. And I think back to when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's while my mom was very advanced and making sure it was organic, and went to the organic market of fruits and vegetables. Whether it was me or whatever, we really came from New York City, I didn't know much about farmers. We went to the grocery store and bought the USDA prime or something like that. But I don't remember anybody telling us or even knowing to ask the question, how is this animal fed? I'm curious, right? Your parents were talking about this way before this became mainstream, and they were right. It sounds very advanced. And so what do you think was the pivotal moment when this became so important for us all to get on the bandwagon. Was there more education about it? Did it get more press? Was it impacting people's health? And they figured it out. Do you know what that moment was that really created that change?
Mandy Schmidt: Having a lot of conversations with our consumers, and I should back up a little. But we also do a lot of ranch tours. So on Fridays and Sundays, we offer ranch tours for not only our customers, but people who are in the beautiful West Marin area who have never seen a cow before. A lot of our conversations are sparking these questions when we, I hate the word teach because it's such, inform, provide information, or even just have the conversation. That's really what it is about. Why we're choosing to feed our cows this way is kind of a light bulb moment. When we saw that big switch from customers just wanting to buy local beef from us to actually wanting to know more. Not just us educating them, but wanting to know more. During COVID when there was food shortages and beef prices skyrocketed, and people were asking the question, well, why do I see cows in the field? Why is there a beef shortage all of a sudden? And part of that problem is that our US food system has become so centralized.
So in the US, there's about 30 meat processors total. So if one of them is down or goes out of production short term. That's a huge impact on our food supply. So I had a lot of people during COVID, coming out of COVID, that were saying, that's really scary that we're not asking where our food is going to come from in the event of a crisis. We want to know our local farmers. We want to have that relationship so that God forbid another crisis happens. We have that relationship with Mandy and her family to come get some protein for our family. So that was really a sparking point for a lot of our customers, and bringing more people out to the ranch to learn more. And then in turn, it's created that conversation of, okay, this beef is here. It's eating what I see grass, what are these other cows eating that I'm not seeing?
Justine Reichman: Think that's a fair question, right? What else are they eating? And how is that going to impact our gut? And not everybody's having that conversation. Not everybody's realizing the impact it's having. Because if we think back, or we just look at the last couple generations, you'll see a lot more people getting sick at an earlier age now, whether it's cancer or whatever. And I wonder what role food is playing in that? And what role does the soil play in it? Because if we're feeding the soil, that we put bad things in the soil, then we're going to be eating these bad things.
Mandy Schmidt: I don't know the numbers off the top of my head, so I won't speak to them. But the number of kids with mental concerns, health concerns, and these are kids in our society, that's a huge concern. People should be talking about this more, how much of that is coming from their diet? What were, as a society, okay with feeding our children? A lot of people avoid GML products. They don't want roundup on their food that they're consuming, but most of the GMO crops in the US are actually being turned into feed for cattle. So I'm talking about soybeans and corn. Those are the GMO products they're getting. The roundup pesticides that's going into the cows, how much of that is a trickle down effect from when you're eating that beef that you don't know where it came from? Along those lines, a majority of our lamb in the US, so your meat lamb that you're eating. 75% of that is imported. A large portion of our beef is also imported as well. We don't know what they're feeding those cows in Venezuela or Brazil. It might say grass fed, but what did that mean under their country's regulations? So if we want to take it a step further and truly know what that animal had, you should really find your farmers that are in your local area and have that conversation.
“With buying power, we're making a choice. And if we all decide on that better choice, we're demanding that everybody move up to that level and create a choice that is equally as healthful, equally as mindful.”
Justine Reichman: I think that's really great advice. And I think, as you were saying, it's conversations that help people make more informed choices by giving them access to the farm, by igniting these conversations and maybe bringing up information that they never thought about. Because quite frankly, I think a lot of this is quite new to many people. And so without the information, they can't make an informed choice. So by YOU offering those ranch tours, by YOU having those conversations, it's giving people the opportunity to make better, more informed choices. Not only for themselves, but for their families, children and the future. And of course, buying power. Because with buying power, we're making a choice. And if we all decide for that better choice, it becomes clear, and we're really demanding that everybody move up to that level and create a choice that is equally as healthful, equally as mindful. And I think it's super important.
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. And really, from a buying power standpoint, when you're near cutting out all of the middlemen and going directly to your farmer, you have a huge, huge impact in how they are operating their business. When I have customers come to me and say, oh, I want my meat dry aged an extra week, or I prefer my steaks to be two inches thick. That's direct feedback that I can then take and make a very quick change for their orders versus when you're buying from big box stores, you're at the mercy of what you're getting.
Justine Reichman: And it's interesting, because when you go out, let's just use ribeye for a moment. I love thick cut ribeye. The thicker, the better for me. I don't like when it's little, it's just not my jam. I would go around to all these stores, and I would find all these really thin ones. When I would do it for like, why would I go out to dinner? Can I get these ones if they're not available? So how nice that I can now call Mandy and feel like, Mandy, I really want a thick cut, and I can really enjoy that. I can know where it came from, and I feel like it's tailored for me. I'm making that special experience at home for me and my family.
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. I think most farms and ranches like to know that they are making an impact. I think that if you think about how many people are actually living and working on farms and ranches, it's under 2% in the US. But less than 2% of the population is feeding everybody. We're up at 4:00 am helping a cow or our calf, or we're out feeding in a rainstorm, it's something that we're thinking about, okay, our end goal is providing a nutritious product for our community and for us. What's been so special in having agritourism as part of our operation is I can think about, okay, I know who I'm making this food for. I'm thinking about my customers that are coming out, and their kids that come out, these eventual stakes are going out to them.
Justine Reichman: It has a lot more personal connection than it does from going to a grocery store.
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. I think it's so special too for people to have that mind to food connection. We love having visitors out to the ranch, whether it's field trips or retreats for corporate groups. We were thrilled. The past few years, we've had a lot of groups come out as part of their Earth Month. So in April, they'll come out and tour the ranch as part of their company retreats. And even if you're living in an apartment in downtown San Francisco, there's still ways to make an impact on the sustainability and lowering emissions in your community just by how you're choosing where your food comes from.
Justine Reichman: Yeah, it's so true. I think about when I go to the Farmers Market, and those Farmers Markets go down to San Francisco. So by going there, you're buying directly from farmers and ranchers that are there, that are local to the Bay Area. You can ask any of those questions, and you can understand that this one is grass fed and grass finished. Maybe more expensive than this one, but why do I want that? Why is that important versus this one? And how did they do this one? And understanding those nuances. So for those guests that maybe aren't in the Marin area or not in West Marin, what are some of the questions that you might recommend? Maybe three for those individuals trying to make more informed and better choices.
Mandy Schmidt: Absolutely. I think the first question I always recommend people to ask before buying direct from a farm is, can you describe the life cycle that that animal took from birth to harvest? That's going to give you a really good picture of, okay, did that family raise that calf from birth all the way through harvest? Or were there multiple owners in between? For our family, every animal that is harvested is one that we've owned since birth. We are considered a cow calf operation, which means that our cows are having the calves. We are raising them until they're about two years old before harvesting them. Some ranches are a finishing ranch only. They will purchase those calves essentially at 9 or 10 months, and then feed them until harvest. We prefer to raise them from day zero. We're a little bit of control freaks that way. We want to know what's happening to them. That may or may not be as important to you as a consumer, but it is to us. The second question would be, how are they finished?
So going back to that grass finished versus green finished. Nearly every animal in the US, beef animals, is going to have consumed grass at some point in their life. So the grass fed conversation is really not a great one because nearly every beef animal will have eaten grass. It's the, what did they eat during that last, what we call finishing phase. Some people do grass finish like us, where that animal is only eating forages. Others will do a grain finish, so they're going to be eating the corn, soybeans and the barley the last 100 ish days of that animal's life. The third question that someone could ask would be, what certifications do you have? Sometimes, it's important for people to have a third party verification. For our family ranch, we're naturally verified. Meaning, no growth hormones, no antibiotics. Other farm ranches might be organic certified, and those are sometimes going to add a little more cost to that meat, but it's giving you that, oh, okay. Not only is that farmer saying that they are doing this, they're also having third parties come in and say, Mandy is actually doing what she says she's doing.
Justine Reichman: Okay. So I know that you guys are certified natural versus organic. What was the biggest reason you decided to do that?
Mandy Schmidt: We made the active choice to be natural certified versus organic because of the cost to implement that organic certification. We didn't feel like it was a big enough reason to pass a huge expense on to our customers when we're already raising the animals organically. So raising them in a natural way. And we also have customers that come out, and they have been buying organic meat. But when they actually have the conversation, oh, this is essentially the same, but at a lower price point. I'm okay with the natural versus organic.
Justine Reichman: I think that's a really good way to distill it down so that listeners can make more informed choices around that. So if we could go back just one second to the beginning, because we've talked about all these great resources, and we've talked about all the reasons around making better choices, and what we can do to support those, the information you've given us and the conversations we've had. But the one thing that I really am curious about is, as a 5th generation rancher, what is it like to you? You're working with the generation above you, you're coming in, you're going to be taking it over. I imagine that there's a core value system, but what is that like? If you have another person that was going to say, have the opportunity to take over their family farm, what would you tell them that they need to know? What would you tell them to be mindful and alert?
Mandy Schmidt: That's a great question. That's a tough question too. Family businesses can be hard. I think anybody that's worked with family members say it's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, we have certainly had our share of challenges, but something that we've come to the realization of in this is a generational thing. This is not just me speaking on my relationship with my parents, but also them with their parents and beyond. If you're not continuing to learn and try to do better, then you might as well close up shop. You can embrace and can include practices that have been happening for generations and have been successful. But if you're not always looking for ways of incorporating new ideas or meeting the modern consumer where they're at, then you won't be successful. My grandparents, no social media, no smartphones. I tell them, we have a website. I don't think they know what a website is, grandparents in their 90's.
Justine Reichman: In their 90's, okay. I asked because my dad's in his 80's, and he's very familiar with the phone that's why I asked. There is a decade between them.
Mandy Schmidt: Part of it might be they never needed to either. They've got some pretty tech savvy grandkids. I say that, relatively speaking, fairly tech savvy. But they can't sell directly to consumers just by calling up their neighbors. You need to have an online presence to meet that consumer where they're at.
Justine Reichman: If I'm hearing you correctly, I think that one of the philosophies is that as each new generation comes in, you're all empowered to basically create change based on the new information you have so that you can continue to build a better for you and better for the planet ranch. I wonder if you know, because many people do get stuck in their own ways. They don't want to learn a new trick, and they don't want to be open to new things because this is what they know. So what a great philosophy, community and family to be part of, because we know that it is your core value that you always want to learn more. You always want to create a better product.
Mandy Schmidt: And I think going back to the core value side of it too, it's at our core. Our mission is to raise healthy animals, to get a healthy product by having healthy soil. And we're always learning more about how to have healthier soil, and how to lower emissions on our operation. And if we all remember back what our core mission is when we try to implement new new ideas and new technologies, it goes back to, is this productive for our core mission?
Justine Reichman: It's really important to continue to have that conversation and to keep that at the forefront so that you do continue to do that. For me to hear that from somebody that's having around that is a place that I would buy my needs. It keeps me loyal because I know that you're looking out for me, and you don't always get that feeling when you're buying in a big box store, or you're buying USD prime. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with it, but we don't know those people and what their core values are, so I think it's really great that you're so transparent.
“Our mission is to raise healthy animals, to get a healthy product by having healthy soil.”
Mandy Schmidt: Thank you. Yes, transparency has been a big part of what my family has tried to do through our agritourism venture. We invite hundreds of guests out to their ranch every year, and my biggest pet peeve is hearing other farmers, other ranchers talk about, oh, the modern consumer doesn't know or doesn't care about where their food comes from. And you know what? The reason why is because you, I'm using you as a general, you as that farmer or rancher, you haven't tried to make that connection. Have you invited kids out to see where their food comes from? Have you invited people to your farm? And if you haven't tried to articulate how your operation is making that food, it's really not the consumer's fault that they don't know.
Justine Reichman: Well, I think it comes down to education. I don't want to put all the education responsibility on the farmer or the rancher because that's not fair either. But I do think that one of the premises for this podcast is to inspire other founders, ranchers and innovators in the space to create and make more informed choices. Here is a platform that people can come to so that they can hear from other founders, other ranchers, other people in their industry, and understand some of the challenges they have, some of the resources that they play into, some of the things that they look for so that they can decide for themselves. Not to say that any one person is their answer, but it's just a way to continue the conversation and to ignite curiosity.
Mandy Schmidt: I love that igniting curiosity. Like you mentioned earlier, people don't always know what questions to ask.
Justine Reichman: I appreciate you taking the time to share those questions, share your story, and share what is important to you guys. And hopefully, that will inspire other farmers, ranchers and innovators in the space, as well as end consumers to be able to make more informed choices.
Mandy Schmidt: I really hope so, and I appreciate you providing this platform.
Justine Reichman: Thank you, and I'm glad that you were able to come on. Because this platform without our guests is just a platform with no information. We really try to answer those questions, have those easy conversations that people aren't having to inspire a greater sense of understanding and a place to get curious. So if this peaks your interest, if this conversation peaks our listeners, our viewers interest, we hope that you'll reach out to Mandy at her farm, or ask your local farm some of these questions. And if you're building your own ranch, or you have your own family business, I hope that some of these questions inspired you. And some of the ways that Mandy goes about building heart business to create change in yours whatever direction that is, yeah. So Mandy, thank you so much for joining me today. For those interested in learning more about your ranch, or purchasing some meat, or coming for a tour, what would be the best way to go about doing that?
Mandy Schmidt: You can find us at marincoastranch.com, or of course, on our socials at Marine Coast Ranch. Always happy to receive emails as well direct, if you prefer, marincoastranch@gmail.com. We offer ranch tours on Fridays and Sundays, and field trips or group events throughout the week, so just let us know what you're interested in.
Justine Reichman: Awesome. Thank you so much. I want to come for a tour now.
Mandy Schmidt: Come on out. I think you've actually been to our ranch, it's part of the aim of the gala last year.
Justine Reichman: At the gala, you don't really get a sense. It was beautiful. And when you walk in and you're registering, you can see the beautiful vista and the whole thing. But we were really inside, right? I was inside at the gala, what a great space you have. But I'd love to be able to see a little bit more about those animals, see where they're living, and better understand this process so that I can continue to share it in my community.
Mandy Schmidt: I would love that. Yes, come on out, Justine.
Justine Reichman: We'll talk soon. Thank you so much. For those who are watching on the videocast, don't forget, we also have a podcast that you can listen to wherever you hear your podcast, iTunes, iHeartRadio, etcetera. It's on the NextGen Purpose channel. It's called Essential Ingredients, of course. And we look forward to having you with us each week. And if there's any topics that we have not covered, please do reach out and let us know. Bye, bye.
