April 5, 2022 // by Jason White
As food prices are soaring and the basic availability of everyday items is anything but guaranteed, we also face a deeply concerning trend as it relates to our nations farming population. Put quite simply, our farmers are getting old with approximately 2/3 of the 3.4 million American farmers within a decade of retirement age. Couple that with the seemingly broken food supply chain and the serious concerns over the future availability of fertilizers, we have to ask the question of who is going to feed the people of this country in the future.
My guest today has found herself on the front lines of the fight to, not only produce sustainable food for her community, but to educate and inspire an energetic new generation of young farmers. Her name is Grace, but she is better known online as “The Shepherdess” through her YouTube channel by the same name, where she shares her new journey as a sheep farmer using regenerative agricultural practices.
In our conversation, we get to hear about her interesting transition from a city girl working as a digital marketer in the fashion industry to a life of a young sheep farmer and content creator. We talk about the inherent flaws of the centralized food system that connects farmers to the average consumer, as well as some of the better options those consumers have available. We also learn about why sheep are a compelling option for those interested in starting out in regenerative agriculture and raising grass fed meat.