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Schultz uses rotational grazing on their 112-year-old ranch, made up of private and public lands. Cale are divided into market groups and moved strategically throughout the ranch daily or every ten days, depending on the range health. "In the spring, we move them every day," explains Nick. "When the grass cures out, we move the heifers every ten days and the cows and yearlings once every three weeks." Pastures, named aer homesteaders who once inhabited the area, are divided into smaller portions using solar-powered electric fence and water tanks. Nick uses a phone app called Pasture Map to keep track of pasture use and utilization. "e pastures range in size from 14 to 700 acres depending on the herd size and the grass species," says Nick. "We have mostly native grass species such as blue bunch wheat grass, Canadian wild rye, western wheatgrass, and several blue grass species, just to name a few." A graduate of Colorado State University, Nick Schultz has a degree in range and animal science. He checks the forage health and utilization daily when hauling water to the cale. "It takes a commitment," he says. "ey get fresh pasture more oen, which helps with their rate of gain, and they need less mineral from our mineral program." In addition, the cale learn to consume a variety of plants. "Grazing more intensely for shorter periods stimulates the plant's roots, which promotes growth," explains Marti Schultz, who helps Nick on the ranch and homeschools their three sons, Johnnie, Mason, and Wya. "It also makes the cale graze different plants they would normally pass by." e Schultz family has been using intense rotational grazing for the past five years, documenting improvements along the way. ey share their findings and ranching strategies with young adults apprenticing on the ranch as part of the Quivira Coalition's New Agrarian Program. "It's a regenerative agriculture program that allows ranches to get help from young adults as long as you provide a learning environment instead of just a working environment," explains Marti. "We share with them the full picture and are more open to all aspects of our ranch." e young adults, ages 19 to 27, live eight months in the Gran Prairie bunkhouse, work alongside Nick and Marti, learn the ranching industry, and bring new ideas to the table. "ey come from all over," says Nick. "ey bring a youthful exuberance to the ranch; it gets you excited too." Presently, the Schultzes are hosting a young lady from Minnesota interested in worm farms and growing grape vines on the prairie. Nick Schultz teaches his youngest son, Wyatt, about range plant identification while feeding cake to their Red Angus heifers. The Gran Prairie Ranch got its name when Nick Schultz's great- uncle returned from World War 1, where he spent time in France, missing his Montana ranch home. Nick says the phrase "gran prairie" means "big meadow." Stevie Joy Bulman, an apprentice from Minnesota, Wyatt, and Marti Schultz market their Gran Prairie Ranch natural beef at the Roundup Farmers Market on the first and third Wednesdays of the month through October. They also market their beef in the Lewistown Farmers Market on Saturdays. 21 farm406

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