Jacob Harriet of Shepherd Farms shares how his background in wildlife management in central Oklahoma shaped the way he uses livestock, prescribed fire, and land restoration to build better habitat and a workable farm business. From starting on a small homestead to managing over 1,240 acres through creative lease agreements, Jacob walks through what has worked, what he learned the hard way, and how grazing fits into a broader land stewardship plan.
In This Episode, We Explore:
- Jacob’s path from wildlife law enforcement to using livestock as a habitat tool
- Turning an over-timbered 80 acres into productive grazing and wildlife habitat
- Using rotational grazing to improve land function, manure distribution, and plant recovery
- Tree and timber management decisions focused on getting sunlight to the ground
- Prescribed fire vs mechanical clearing for controlling woody encroachment, especially cedar
- How burn associations, burn plans, and local support make prescribed fire safer and more practical
- Managing land for wildlife needs alongside grazing goals, including turkey and quail habitat
- Finding and using grants for infrastructure, water, timber work, and prescribed fire
- Building a mixed-species orchard and using chickens to manage pests and understory
- A lease model that trades professional habitat management for grazing access across multiple properties
- Tracking grazing and land work with mapping tools and documentation
Why This Episode Matters
This conversation is a practical look at connecting grazing, habitat, and land access in a way that works in the real world. If you are trying to improve a neglected property, reduce cedar pressure, learn why prescribed fire matters, or find a creative path to more grazing acres without buying land, Jacob’s approach offers clear ideas you can adapt to your own place.
Resources Mentioned
- Natural Resource University (podcast network)
- OnX Hunt Maps (phone app)
- NRCS (local office support for conservation programs and grants)
- National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)
- Quail Forever
- Ty Ty Nursery (trees for the orchard)
Find Out More
- Shepherd Farms | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087351095567
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Original Music by Louis Palfrey
