221 | Grazing Cattle in Vermont: Can a Southern Breed Thrive Up North?

In this episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, host Cal Hardidge interviews John Smith, a first-generation farmer from Craftsbury, Vermont, who transitioned from a career in dairy co-op finance to building a regenerative grass-based livestock operation on his family's land. John shares his journey of restoring degraded pastures, raising pigs in the woods, and his pivotal decision to introduce South Pole cattle—a Southern breed—into the harsh northern Vermont climate. Despite initial skepticism about the breed's adaptability, John found that South Poles thrived due to their inherent resilience, heat tolerance, parasite resistance, and ability to thrive on grass alone. His experience highlights the power of patience, community knowledge-sharing, and intentional grazing management. Over time, his pastures have transformed from barren broomstraw fields into lush, diverse ecosystems rich in orchard grass, clover, and vetch—all through rotational grazing and no external seeding. John also discusses challenges like piglet quality decline post-COVID and limited local processing capacity, but remains committed to building a foundation of high-quality South Pole genetics in New England. His story is one of persistence, learning by doing, and the transformative potential of aligning livestock with place.