Restoring the Land & Building Legacy

@ Sunrise W Land & Cattle in Rochelle, TX
November 14-15th | 8am-5pm

Join us at Sunrise W Land & Cattle for a hands-on look at how Jim & Stephen West, a father-and-son team, are working with Understanding Ag to transform their ranch into a thriving regenerative system that produces healthy food and restores the land.

You’ll see how they integrate multiple conservation practices to improve soil health, livestock vitality, and long-term resilience — all working together in a beautifully balanced system.

WHAT YOU’LL SEE & LEARN ON THE RANCH:

Diverse Grass Mix: The Wests grow nine species of grass to build soil health and provide nutrient-dense forage for their cattle.

Daily Rotational Grazing: Cattle move each day onto fresh pasture using electric fencing — improving forage recovery, herd health, and soil structure.

Pasture-Raised Layers: A few days after the cattle rotate, laying hens follow — fertilizing the land and creating natural synergy between grasses, livestock, and microbes.

Vermicomposting & Homemade “Worm Tea”: Instead of chemical fertilizers, the Wests brew their own living compost tea that boosts soil microbes & earthworm activity while reducing input costs. Sunrise W’s “Worm Tea” is a liquid fertilizer brewed from these castings, creating a living soil amendment that improves fertility, plant growth, and pest resistance — all naturally.

PLUS, we’re excited to welcome Andie Marsh of Rhizos LLC, who will share insights on the vital role of soil microbiology and how she assesses it in her consulting work with producers. During our workshop, Andie will take a close look at the vermicompost produced on-site, demonstrating how its use as a microbial inoculant can greatly benefit the health and function of rangeland ecosystems.

Come see how the above practices create a holistic,regenerative ranching system that produces exceptional grass-finished beef and pasture-raised eggs while rebuilding soil and biodiversity!

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Basic regenerative principles and how to implement them

• Adaptive grazing

• Multi-species vertical integration

• Outcompeting invasive species naturally

• Portable water systems

• Vermicomposting to stimulate the microbiome and overall soil health

• Planning for an abundant future

Cost: $20 | Lunch Provided

PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE!

This event is open to everyone — farmers, ranchers, landowners and agricultural enthusiasts alike!

Detailed directions and an agenda for this workshop will be emailed to those who register 2-3 days prior to the event. If you do not see that email, please be sure to check your spam.

For questions, email hcp22@txstate.edu.

Help us get the word out! If you’d like to share this event with your community, please download the event flier here!