August Hortsmann is a first-generation Missouri cattleman and founder of Hortsmann Cattle Company , a regenerative ranch built on his family’s land near St. Louis. What began as a childhood passion grew into a full-time operation which, over the past eight years, has integrated adaptive grazing, direct-to-consumer beef sales, and long-term soil-focused practices. His education was established through years of study, observation, and trial. August spent countless seasons working ranch jobs integrating regenerative practices, allowing him studying grazing systems and testing various methods. Augusts story shares undertones of the uncertain, long road taken for each farmer to reach their dream of working full-time. For August, as you'll hear, he made it happen, but for 84% of farmers in America, they work other jobs. August shares his shift from conventional, university-trained agriculture to regenerative practice, the economic realities of running a small meat business, and his philosophy on scale, sustainability, and soil health. Key Topics Early life and the arduous path to founding Hortsmann Cattle Co Transition from conventional to regenerative grazing Why multi-species farming can break a business What adaptive grazing actually looks like on the ground 'Breaking even' and the economic realities of cattle farming Scaling regenerative agriculture for the future Why You Should Listen - What the path to full-time farming really looks like - How farmers survive years before breaking even - Building a regenerative cattle business from nothing - Lessons from eight years of adaptive grazing - The hard economics of small-scale beef Connect with August Instagram Website Timestamps 00:00:00 – Childhood roots and first memories on the family farm 00:03:00 – Starting Hortsmann Cattle Co in college 00:06:00 – University teachings vs. real-world economics 00:10:00 – Working off-farm while building a cattle business 00:13:00 – Discovering regenerative agriculture through Soil & Water 00:19:00 – Adding multi-species and the “death by diversity” lesson 00:29:00 – Burnout and the decision to simplify operations 00:31:00 – Quitting full-time work and going all-in on the farm 00:36:00 – Adaptive grazing and learning from nature’s rhythms 00:43:00 – Shifting from farmers’ markets to online direct sales 00:53:00 – Educating consumers on bulk buying and real costs 00:57:00 – Why small meat businesses struggle with margins 01:03:00 – Processing, scale, and the bottlenecks of small producers 01:09:00 – Is regenerative agriculture scalable? 01:13:00 – Advice for aspiring ranchers 01:17:00 – Social media, misinformation, and consumer trust 01:20:00 – Building a ranch that can sustain future generations
