FARMERS diary
Roam Ranch by ADA BROUSSARD // photography by MELANIE GRIZZEL
W
est of Austin and just east of Fredericksburg, nestled
of their ranch-mobile that reads, “What Good Shall I Do Today?”
between wineries and hay fields, is a tract of savanna
It’s this attitude that seems to have fueled the couple’s leap into
grassland — an ecosystem defined by grasslands dot-
regenerative agriculture.
ted with oak trees. Historically, the movement of large ruminant animals and unrestricted wildfires helped architect this fertile region. Today, Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins, owners of Roam Ranch, are helping to restore this region through the practice of regenerative agriculture. At their 700-acre ranch, the bison truly do roam, and the deer certainly play.
The nuances of regenerative agricultural are complex, but the basic idea is simple. Model your operation after nature by increasing biodiversity and reducing mechanical and chemical disturbances to the soil. Farmers who use these methods treat their soil and pastures like another member of the herd and are just as concerned with the health of microorganisms as they are with
Forrest and Collins, both Austin natives, began their foray into
their bison calves. It is a holistic system that can actually sequester
food with Epic Provisions, a company producing high-quality
carbon and regenerate the land it occupies.
meat snacks that are sold nationwide. When searching for ingredients to put into their Epic bars, they got a peek into regenerative agriculture. Forrest recalls the feeling of first meeting those farmers: “I wish this was my life ... I want to wake up like you. I want to have the purpose you have.” When the couple sold Epic, they eagerly picked up a pair of ranch boots, bought a parcel of land in the Post Oak Savannah and started Roam Ranch in 2017. “There was this missing link, which was actually participating in the solution to all of these problems we were witnessing within our agricultural space,” says Forrest. “We always knew that one day we wanted to do this.” There is a plaque zip-tied to the back
And on Roam Ranch, regenerate it has. Stepping onto the parcel of pasture that Forrest and Collins’ bison currently occupy is like stepping into a scene from “The Lion King” (during Mufasa’s reign, to be clear). There is an astounding amount of life there, and the area’s classification as a savanna suddenly makes sense. The green vegetation in this pasture is waist-high. When you walk through the grass, surprising clouds of grasshoppers and other winged insects jump out before you. It’s the heat of the day, and the bison are lethargic, but above them a large flock of brown-headed cowbirds dart around, flying from a fence post
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