What does it take to become a regenerative farmer with no agricultural background? Recorded live at Regenerative Revival in Salado, Texas, the Soil Sisters sit down with David Deitsch of The Moody Goat to talk about building a regenerative goat operation from the ground up. From growing up in suburban Connecticut to managing a thriving herd in Central Texas, David shares the hard-earned lessons, failures, pivots, and mindset shifts that are helping him create a resilient farm business. Whether you're interested in regenerative agriculture, livestock management, grazing systems, homesteading, ranching, or starting a farm from scratch, this episode offers an honest look at what it takes to keep moving forward.
Connect with and shop The Moody Goat: Follow David's regenerative farming journey, learn about his goat herd, and discover Moody Goat meat sticks and swag through The Moody Goat website and on Instagram @themoodygoat_ and @moodygoatmeat
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 Welcome to Regenerative Revival
01:14 Why regenerative agriculture came first
04:01 The Moody Goat's origin story
06:41 Finding the land in Moody
07:49 Going all in with goats
10:21 Markets and money lessons
15:00 Raising children on the ranch
20:28 Passing a love of land to the next generation
24:18 Dreaming up a rent-a-goat business
25:58 NRCS programs teaser
26:40 Free USDA assistance available to producers
27:47 Regenerative training opportunities
28:31 Learning through community
31:23 Herd-building strategy
33:10 The importance of rest and deferment
35:07 Pivoting through setbacks
36:02 Creating goat meat snack sticks
38:49 How to connect with The Moody Goat
39:57 Why now is the time to start
43:48 Red flags when purchasing your first farm
45:51 The "don't quit" mindset
49:16 The future of regenerative agriculture
51:48 Pride in producing clean food
53:18 Closing remarks
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