On August 17, 2024 we joined farmers Caleb Rae and Randall Tomlinson with grazing specialist Greg Brann for a pasture walk at Solace Farm in Coalmont, TN.

ABOUT SOLACE FARM

In 2008, Caleb and Amy Rae bought part of a reclaimed coal strip mine and in 2009 began their efforts to rehabilitate and return it to productive farm land. Solace Farm is a small, diversified farm in Grundy County, TN, producing grass fed beef, lamb, goats, garlic, and wonderful animal-based body care products.

DURING THE WALK

We discussed the challenges of farming with minimal soil and the additional challenges of off-grid living, as well as the solutions that Caleb and Amy have found, like:

Using an old firetruck to bring water to their animals out in the pasture
Rolling out hay bales during the winter to minimize targeted impact and promote future grass growth
Multi-species grazing with daily moves to manage impact and animal parasite load

Solace Farm’s multi-species “flerd” includes Scottish highland cattle, goats, and sheep. Each species has their own food preference, which limits competition between animals and maximizes impact potential. When Amy and Caleb started grazing on the property, it was heavily populated with undesirable invasive plants, such as serecea lespedeza and autumn olive. Through years of rotating their animals across the land, they’ve seen increased plant diversity (more favorable forage), deepening of the soil layer which was mostly depleted from strip mining, and a higher water table due to improved water absorption.

We were also joined by Professors Deb McGrath and Keri Watson of the University of the South who are exploring the ecological and social impacts of farming through research projects with small-scale partner farms, including Solace Farm. Dr. McGrath’s research began as a partnership with the Southeast TN Young Farmers that focused on the impacts of regenerative grazing on soil organic carbon. During the summer of 2024, the project grew to include additional measures of soil health and plant diversity. The plan is to evolve the study to include measures of other ecological components, including bird counts led by Dr. Watson.

Maddie Witt of the Roots so Deep crew also attended and shared some educational clips from the walk on Carbon Cowboys Instagram page (see below). Roots so Deep is a 4-part documentary series focused on the potential of grazing practices that work in harmony with nature.

Many thanks to Randall Tomlinson for being the driving force behind our chapter’s grazing education track and for helping to bring Greg Brann’s incredible knowledge to Southeast TN. Thanks, Greg, for making the trip and sharing some of what you’ve learned in your 40+ years of grazing.