Soil to Steak: Parker Pastures reconnecting with Real Food with Cloe Parker

Cloe Parker of Parker Pastures shares how regenerative ranching practices create more nutrient-dense meat while healing the land and providing optimal nutrition for consumers. She reveals the stark differences between conventional meat production and the holistic approach taken at her Colorado ranch.

• Co-owner of Parker Pastures, practicing regenerative ranching for nutrient-dense, grass-fed and grass-finished beef
• Bioavailable meat explained - beef has up to 90% nutrient bioavailability compared to supplements or plant foods
• Critical difference between "grass-fed" (no regulations) and "grass-finished" (completed life cycle on pasture)
• How grain-finishing disrupts omega-3:omega-6 ratios from ideal 1:1 to inflammatory 15:1
• Regenerative practices mimicking natural bison migration patterns through rotational grazing
• America's cattle numbers at lowest since 1960s, creating unprecedented market challenges
• Deceptive meat packaging practices including carbon monoxide to maintain artificial color
• Quality meat as an investment in long-term health rather than merely a higher expense
• Reconnecting with real food through intentional meals and present connection at the dinner table

Find high-quality, clean meat at parkerpastures.com, where you can sign up and get free chicken breasts or ground beef with a Parker Pastures box for a year. Follow on Instagram @parkerpasturesgrass_fed and check out Chloe's book "Connected Cowgirl: From the Field to Your Dinner Table, Your Journey Back to the Ranch" on Amazon.

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Chapters

• 0:08 Meet Chloe Parker and Parker Pastures
• 8:30 Bioavailable Meat and Nutrient Density
• 16:24 Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished Explained
• 24:37 Regenerative Ranching Principles
• 35:14 The American Beef Industry Crisis
• 44:15 Spiritual Journey and Business Evolution
• 49:24 The Power of Present Connection

Transcript

Shanna: 0:08

Welcome back to another episode of the Shine Podcast. Today I am especially delighted to introduce today's guest, chloe Parker. I could not wait to have this conversation with her and so glad that I'm able to share something that not only is she passionate about and been doing her entire life, but it's something my husband and I, in the last year especially, have been trying to be incredibly informed on and really learning where our meat comes from and even changing how we buy our own meat. So when Chloe reached out, I knew this was the right conversation to have. I already knew of Parker Pastures and now cannot wait to share it with you as well.

Shanna: 0:50

Chloe is the co-owner of Parker Pastures and they do regenerative ranching, which promotes practices that increase soil organic matter, and within that ranch practice they also do completely grass fed and grass finished beef. She will have all the details for you, but I can tell you from experience, just from us changing from buying whatever meat they had at the local supermarket from buying directly from a ranch. It has been like an incredible shift and journey to how we feel after we eat and also knowing it is much more nutrient dense with all of those amazing vitamins that should be in meat when it is delivered to your door. I don't want to make you wait anymore, so let's get right to the conversation. Today I'm speaking with Chloe Parker and I'm so excited. She's the co-owner of Parker Pastures in Colorado and we're on right now, so welcome to the Shine Podcast, chloe.

Cloe: 1:49

Thank you so much for having me on. I'm super excited to have this conversation Me too.

Shanna: 1:53

I already told you that I'm basically fangirling over you, but I couldn't be more thrilled to have you on. And when you actually reached out, I right off the bat, saw that you said your ranch was mentioned on the ultimate human podcast and Joe Rogan, which those are two podcasts in my household that are, like, religiously listened to. So I couldn't believe it. So when you said Gary Brekka and his podcast and Gary Brekka has actually been to your ranch as well Is that right? Yeah, he has. Yep, I loved that, love it. So, even though I know all the things about you, I would love for you to start talking about what you do, the bioavailable meat. I know it's like the a hundred percent grass, fed and finished and just makes what makes your ranch different and from what and how most people buy their meat now, yeah, absolutely.

Cloe: 2:41

Um, I'm going to kind of just start with the backstory. Um, so my parents started Parker Pastures when I was probably like five or six. So I've always kind of just grown up in agriculture and we've always just had grass fed beef on the table in the freezer and I've always, always wanted to be a part of agriculture because I just love the land and animals and just how it brings people together. And then after high school, I went and was working on some other ranches, just kind of getting experience. And then my mom was actually diagnosed with cancer and so I was like the only thing I could think of was to come back and help my family. And that kind of just led over time, being very clear that this is something that I'm called to do, because I've seen the like, the, just the like, darkness and the toxicity of our food system, um, and our medical system, and I'm just like I just want cause I've always had clean meat on the table or in the freezer and I'm like I want to make sure other families have that opportunity as well, and I'm like I want to make sure other families have that opportunity as well. Um, and so, yeah, like right before I turned 20,.

Cloe: 3:52

I took over um Parker pastures um, just simply because I know the importance and quality of just having high quality meat, because meat and meat food is just something that gathers us all together, um, and also nourishes us, um, but something that was super important to my mom, especially um, and also nourishes us, um, but something that was super important to my mom, especially um and me, is just how the um meat is raised Like we want it. We're super um, just thoughtful about the intentionality of how it's raised, of like let's steward the land Well, let's like care for the land and the land will care for us and the animals. Um and for like, healthy soil always creates healthy food, um, and it always starts kind of under our feet at the bottom, um, and so at parker pastures, um, we are, we collaborate with a very select few of um vetted people. We have some chicken and beef and bison, um, and cause, I know how overwhelming it is to like find all of where you get all this stuff.

Cloe: 4:49

So I'm like, hey, I'm going to vet all the sources and stuff that I feel good about feeding, uh, or eating um, and feeding the people I love, um, and so, yeah, everything is grass fed and grass finished. Um, our chicken is pasture raised, um, and all of it is just raised, as I like to say, raised in a way that's healing to the land. You could also call that regenerative agriculture there's like 10 million different words for that but essentially it's like it's not stripping the land of like everything. It's like just stewarding the land well, creating abundance, and, yeah, it's just super clean, high quality. Um, I've definitely gone down some rabbit holes on what's in most meat.

Cloe: 5:29

And after that I'm like, okay, yeah, no, that's most certainly not in our meat. Like, no, we're not injecting anything at processing or anything like that. Um, yeah, so just that's kind of how Parker Pastures came to be and what we do currently. Um, and yeah, like I something really cool about meat. Um of like especially having been like around Gary Brekka and just like people who are super passionate about their health and like me as well Um, it's like nothing against supplements, but it's hard for your body to absorb nutrients from those sorts of things. But meat has up to especially beef has up to 90% bioavailability, so, like your body can absorb up to 90% of those vitamins, those minerals, those nutrients, the mega threes, and so it's like, a, it's a good investment and, b, it's a delicious way to like actually get in nutrients into your body.

Shanna: 6:25

So is that what the bioavailable meat means? Is just like yeah, explain that a little bit too. I know that's been all over.

Cloe: 6:32

Yeah, so bioavailable essentially means like how well can your body convert the nutrients into like actual usable stuff for your body to use, instead of just like in and out, um and so like? I can't remember the exact numbers, but I believe spinach, um, if you kind of just take spinach, it's around like 10 to 15% of like the iron and all of the things you'll absorb of spinach, um, versus like beef, like I said, it's like that 90% Um, um, and so it's like, okay, your body like we all need nutrients to thrive. In most of the food like 60 percent of like the average American diet is processed food which not like has very little nutrients but it has calories, um and so, like meat, it's like, okay, you take a steak, let's say that that steak is. It's also let me backtrack and so how meat is raised will create these nutrients which will then make it bioavailable. So if you can imagine, like a cow let's just take a cow out in the pasture and if she's eating the same two grasses every day for the entirety of her life, that's kind of like if we were eating the same thing on repeat every day and it gets boring and you kind of get sick of it and it doesn't have a bunch of nutrients.

Cloe: 7:56

And so like, yes, you'll have good beef at the end, but on the other side, if that animal is eating, like thousands of different plants grown on healthy soil and this wide diversity, because cows know how to like self-medicate and they know that if they eat this plant, that's going to be good for them.

Cloe: 8:13

Versus, if they like, they can even eat plants that are somewhat poisonous if they eat small quantities.

Cloe: 8:19

And they know how to balance it out. And like the mom's going to teach her baby how to balance it out, and like the mom's going to teach her baby Um. And so it's like this wide array of plants that this animal's grazing, which then directly translates to either the meat or the milk, um, which is going to create a more flavorful product, and flavor and nutrients are usually directly tied together, um. So now we have this steak that's from an animal that ate all of these different plants, so it's going to be super flavorful and also have all of these nutrients in it, um. And then our body, because it's meat and because of um, the way that it was designed, with all of it's, especially the fats that make it easy for your body to absorb all the nutrients, and so then, we're going to be able to absorb, like those, the mega breeze, Um, and I mean beef has so many different things that we can have ingested into our body that our body can actually use to fuel us well.

Shanna: 9:20

Yes, and will you talk about then I know you've chatted about this on your YouTube channel too a little bit the difference between I know you guys are a hundred percent grass fed and grass finished, and then what we normally see like at a store might be just like grass fed or just organic, but that doesn't mean what you guys are offering. So will you tell the difference, what that means for y'all? Yeah, it's kind of crazy Um.

Cloe: 9:43

So grass fed? There's no regulations on it, Um, and most of the time it's kind of just defined as um a cow we'll just take it be, for example, eight grass at some point of its life, which is true, like most cattle, at least at the beginning of their life, um, they're eating grass and towards the end, about like 80, 90% go into a feedlot and they're fed corn Um, and so grass fed just means they ate grass at some point of their life. Finish means they ate grass at the end of their life, which is kind of essential Um, because, like, it's a very, very small percentage of beef in America that is grass finished Um, and that just means those animals were on pasture, they were grazing grass. Um, and the crazy thing about the difference between, like beef that's fed corn or in confinement, versus grass finished beef, is it completely messes up the omega three, omega six ratio. So, um, like our beef is has a I think it's 1.2 to one, omega three to Omega six ratio, which is like literally perfect Um, it's kind of similar to salmon, like, it's like the ideal ratio.

Cloe: 10:53

But grass finished or nope, sorry, uh, beef that's fed corn at the end of its life, um, that ratio changes, um, I've seen it as high as like 15 to 1, or um 6 to 1, like it completely. That ratio just goes way off um, and those omega-6s are highly inflammatory. And then we're ingesting that um, and so it's like when you're looking to find beef, it's super important to look for something that says grass fed and finished, and you also want both, because there's so many different loopholes with labels, um, and so I've started to be of the belief of like okay, does it actually taste flavorful? Does it taste like real meat? Um, does it? Does it taste like there's actually nutrients in it?

Cloe: 11:42

Cause it can have all the labels in the world, but there's so many loopholes to get around those. So, like, if it doesn't actually taste good or you like don't have a good gut feel about it, um, or you don't know if it's actually nutritious, chances are it's probably just a bunch of labels slapped on it.

Shanna: 11:59

Yes, you know, what's funny is, um, my husband and I both have a background of. We exercise and eat well, but in the last couple of years we've changed our meat source lots of other things, but meat source was one of them. Because I had some health issues and we did start ordering from a like a different. We're switching to you after this. We're so excited, but we did start ordering our meat.

Shanna: 12:24

That comes right to the door and what we noticed is just the flavor is unmatched. It's incredible. We couldn't even believe it. We're like we don't even this meat is. There's just something about it and it looks different, so like if we run out and I do have to run to the store even looking at the difference of what it is, I'm like nope, this doesn't even look anywhere close to what I know this flavorful meat is. So that's been so interesting for us. Will you talk about was your ranch always like regenerative or did that transform at some time? And I know you touched a little bit about what that looks like and what it means, but will you talk a little bit more about it? And kind of, does it mean more acres or what that looks like?

Cloe: 13:06

Yeah, I growing up was kind of unique because my parents have always done things like the regenerative, holistic way.

Cloe: 13:16

So that's like all I've ever known. And so for a good example of like okay, what does this actually look like? Is so long, long time ago, we had the migration of the bison across Native America, and they would be migrating across the landscape and the wolves would be pressuring them to keep going, and so what this created was okay, the bison, they're gonna graze here for however long maybe a few days and then they're gonna move off of that land because, a they ate most of the grass and B they have predator pressure, so they're just going to keep moving. And grass is designed to be grazed, and ruminant animals like bison, cattle, sheep, they are designed to convert that grass into protein. But the thing is is it's about how those animals are managed.

Cloe: 14:05

So, like the bison are, they were keeping on the move, and so they'd be grazing that grass grass, um, so let's just take a grass plant. They'd graze it, okay, then they'd move to the next area and then this grass plant would use its root reserves, that kind of some of the roots would die, and then it would use it to start to grow back, um, and then it'd be usually fully recovered or similar to that, and then they'd come and graze it again and that built the top soils of America. But now a lot of animals will stay like in the same spot, which usually causes overgrazing. And so overgrazing is when a grass plant let's just take a grass plant and a cow, for example like a grass plant, it's grazed. So this one plant is grazed, um, and then that it starts to regrow a tiny little bit, and then they come, the animal comes and re grazes it again, which slowly over time literally kills the grass plant because it's having to use root reserves every time.

Cloe: 15:07

Um and it also like eliminates plant species that are more, um, that are not as, uh, robust as like just um other grasses, um, and so it just kind of creates this not very healthy balance cycle. And so, if we are taking that bison and wool example, we are doing the same thing, except for we're using electric fence. Electric fence, um, or just how we're moving the animals, um, and so like. Literally my entire life we were always moving cows around, um, it was kind of like musical cows, um, and what we were doing, and what we still do, um, is we're moving them, so we're going to put them in a pasture, we're going to graze it until however much of that grass we whatever the desired outcome is of how much we're grazing it and then we're going to allow that grass to fully recover, because the taller the grass is above ground is how many roots are below ground, and so it's like that big carbon pump of like just pumping that carbon in from the atmosphere down to the soil.

Cloe: 16:14

Like that's a good example and it just creates this just more balanced ecosystem, because that's kind of how it was originally designed. So that's like an example of something that we do and other people that I work with do to just like steward the land well. And so a lot of it is like really returning back to like what was God's original design? Like what? How should it? How was it originally created to operate? And then it's like, okay, let's just like get back to that, like not all these chemicals and not all these tractors, like what's just like originally the design, and let's kind of do that in the current world that we live in.

Shanna: 16:53

And how long does that take? Like, let's say, you have them in this original spot and then you move them to a new one, a new one? How long until you go back to that first spot again? Or how often are you rotating, like, what does that look like for plant life to come?

Cloe: 17:05

back. Yeah, that's a great question. It totally varies. So like if we on like irrigated meadows where there's a lot of water, um usually like 90 days give or take oh, that's so fast, okay, gosh yeah. But if it's more of like hills, um kind of like like I'm in Colorado, so it's a lot of just like sagebrush hills or forest, that can take up to two years.

Shanna: 17:34

Okay, Okay, that's what I was thinking, more so. But my background, I mean, I wasn't on a farm, but I grew up on farms and all my friends had farms, and so my first thought is like, oh, like crop rotation, you know different soil and different you know has to be used for their corn, or you know whatever they're growing, but that 90 days for some, that's incredible.

Shanna: 17:55

So, yeah, there was one quote you said on one of your YouTube videos. Again, I looked into you real good. I was so excited. Something you said was foundation has to be greater than yourself, and which I really loved. And I love learning about your why you're doing this and I know you touched on that a little bit. But will you talk more about your story and when it changed and kind of the now trajectory of your business and where that's going?

Cloe: 18:23

I have always loved ranching and agriculture because I just love, I just love the connection that it brings and just the closeness to just things that are actually like tangible and real. Like I still have a hard time, like sometimes, running the business and working on my computer, cause like I can go out and build a fence and I can see like something was done and it was like real versus like spreadsheets and numbers, and like sometimes I'm like, okay, I know, this is all like moving some towards something, but I can't see the end product. Um, but I mean I, after, like my mom had cancer and then she um went to heaven, I was like just the, the brokenness and almost just like the evil and darkness um in our food system just started being more and more revealed and I always knew it was there, um, and it was just like it's just so dark and I, I really just want to be the light in whatever way that looks like and like sometimes that's just like revealing okay, yeah, here's like what's in your food dirty secrets, but also like here's, here's a better way. And I, I've realized and I've seen like it's never the farmer or ranchers fault, it's the system and we're just in in this. It's almost like a jail cell of this system.

Cloe: 19:52

Um, like corn is a great example where it's like, okay, you got to use the massive amounts of all the chemicals to make it grow and then you hope to sell it and in debt and all of these things, and it's like to break out of that cycle, in with land that's literally barely alive because it's just been spread with chemicals. Um, like there's people I know who have broken's literally barely alive because it's just been spread with chemicals. Um, like there's people I know who have broken out of that system. But it's a massive risk. It's like years and it's hard yes, yeah, so hard. And so it's like I just see that and I'm like I don't, I don't want that to be for the rest of, like, my future.

Cloe: 20:27

And also like growing up, I was always told like if you want to be a millionaire, ranching, start with two um. Growing up, I was always told like if you want to be a millionaire, ranching, start with two um. And so it's always been like, oh, you're like it's starting to change a little bit, but it's like don't grow up, be a farmer, renter. Like you'll be poor all your life. And it's like I don't.

Cloe: 20:43

Why are the people who are growing our food like?

Cloe: 20:44

Why is that? Why is that true? Um, and so I like I want more of my generation to be connected to the land and with AI and all these things that we have in our world. It's like I think all of us just like crave something that's real, like whether that's watching a sunset, or it's like getting meat from somewhere and we're like I know the story behind it, um, or it's like growing tomatoes in your garden and tasting them of like.

Cloe: 21:10

I think we all just like crave just that realness and that deep connection. Or a sitting down to a meal that's homemade, um, and so it's like everything with with Parker pastures, like I just want it to bring that connection, um, and bring people back to just like the family dinner table and just things that are things that are real, um, but also sharing just things of the darkness in our food system, and I think more and more is getting revealed, um, which is awesome, Um, and it's also like there is a better way and there is ways that we can raise food and provide food that is healthy and good, um, and also makes us feel actually well, not like depleted and drained.

Shanna: 21:53

Right, oh, absolutely.

Shanna: 21:55

And it's interesting when you're talking about the food system is, you know, I said with some health issues, we've really been diving into what's in, not just meats, but all the food that we pick up, or if you just want some chips, and the oils that are in them and you know, whatever that looks like and it's it goes down that path.

Shanna: 22:12

But it also makes you incredibly sad because you're like you want to have hope that the system that we live in they want to take care of us and why would they want to give us stuff that's going to hurt us? And, yes, we have a lot of people in the US to feed, but there are ways to make things a lot healthier. And it's been a sad, eye-opening thing, like you said, really just evil, and I know a lot of it's about money, but in my head, like you could make just as much money if you want to sell all the vitamins and all the nutrient-dense things you know you could make so much money, so that it has been sad to see some of that. And is there something like that kind of brings it up for you in that food system where maybe we don't know, or something that you would love to share that way, cause I'm sure there's tons of things that you know that not everyone listening would know about the system.

Cloe: 23:04

Um, let's see, I'm trying to think, um, I think meat is a good one because of like, so, yes, well, we can have, we can have labels, and I think sometimes labels are true, but there's a lot of, like I said, loopholes, and so it's like, okay, what, what? Um, what color does the meat you look like? By what does it taste like? Um, something really crazy is, um, they can package, uh, especially beef, which with called uh, uh, oh crap, uh, atmospheric packaging.

Cloe: 23:39

I might be missing a word, but it's essentially, um, they take carbon monoxide and a few other gases, um, and they package that meat and it, and you'll see, in the store it's usually a very bright red, um, but most meat is just like super bright red, and that's because, with this packaging, they can extend the shelf life, um, and make it look like it looks fresh, um, but it's actually you don't really know. And so it's like I've just had compare and contrast of like okay, our beef versus that, and it's like that bright red versus like a dark red of like the nutrients, um, and so. So that's one um, what about chicken? I learned recently, um is they can like let it sit in a brine or inject it with like a water solution, um, and the chicken can absorb up to 15% of that weight and so then they can sell chicken to you for more weight than it actually is. Um, and yeah, so like those are just a few that kind of come right to mind.

Cloe: 24:46

Um, I definitely on my Instagram, um, parker Pastures grass fed. There's like a ton of different videos of just different rat holes that I go down. But honestly, the thing that I like just keep coming back to is like, do you know who is raising your food? Like, is it a small family farm or is it like just connecting back to who's raising our food? Cause usually that's going to be the safer alternative, cause it's just, it's just different when it's massive corporations versus when it's just like small, just farms and ranches who just like really deeply care.

Shanna: 25:27

Yeah, something else that I know we touched on this a little bit, but while I was going through, like health things, my doctor's like oh, you know, not as much red meat, and I noticed when we got good red meat I would eat it and I would feel energized and good because of the vitamins that are naturally in it, the supplements that you don't have to necessarily take unless your body isn't absorbing them correctly.

Shanna: 25:49

There's a place for supplements, for sure, but I noticed that I feel really good when I'm putting good food in my body. And I know that's like a duh thing for most people listening, but looking back at and seeing how people eat just every day it's fast food and garbage and processed food and really realizing like you should feel good after you eat and energized and not tired, fatigued, crabby, bloated, and those are things that I think most people not all, but most people just live with every day if they're on a regular American diet and that's a huge change too is you should eat the food and feel, like you said, well after. So, yeah, yes.

Shanna: 26:37

Yes, what are maybe some goals and I didn't preface this for you, so hopefully it's not too much of a jump Is there some goals for the future that you have in this legacy that you've been building with your family and something that you would like to see happen? Um, for your ranch as well?

Cloe: 26:55

Um, that's a great question. Uh, honestly, the thing that I love and definitely motivates me is just the messages that I get, um of just whether it's like oh yeah, had like that.

Cloe: 27:11

We had the meat, um, for like a special celebration or like when I ate this, like I actually felt good, or it's just like those, or it was my personal favorite. It's like this is our baby's first food, like marrow bones, um, and like that sort of thing of like. I just, I just love providing people with good food that I know like that I know is good.

Shanna: 27:37

Yeah, that.

Cloe: 27:37

I don't have to like second guess or debate or like hype myself up to sell Like no, I just like providing food, that like, if I didn't, if I don't eat it myself, I'm not going to ask somebody else to eat it Right, Like I'm not going to suggest eating else to eat it, like I'm not going to suggest eating groceries for me, because I literally have bought that before, mostly for like, just to see what it's like, and they literally sit in my freezer, cause I'm like I can't.

Cloe: 28:00

I don't know where this is from, I don't know what's in this, like, I don't feel good about eating this, but like, um, like I had some steak for breakfast Cause, like, know that I'm gonna be fueled well, um, and so, honestly, like those are the things that I'm like I just want to keep. Keep doing that, um, because I know how, like you said, like how we eat fuels us or harms us. Um, and also, food is such a, it's such a gathering thing, especially in America and other countries, where it's like what if we did sit down to a homemade meal and there was laughter and we had conversations and it just brings people together and we're not on our phones Right Right.

Shanna: 28:41

And it is hard with meat because people don't know what they don't know. You know, you go in a grocery store and you read, like you said, that label and you go good, this is the best that this has to offer. And there are a few stores I've noticed that have particular ranches or pastures that you can look for in stores, but they're so few and far between and the section of it is so small that it's hard to find in store for sure. So that's why we switched and now we only buy meat in store when it's like shoot, we're out, we need one more before it comes in. You know which fine that happens.

Shanna: 29:14

But can we go to something I was thinking about my husband and I were speaking about last night? Is you have this incredible ranch, and I know it's been growing, and how does that look for scalability when you're doing things in a way that's not just, you know, throwing corn at them and you have to move all of them? And how is scaling um your meat and your product and how you give it? How has that changed or how does that look?

Cloe: 29:39

Um, I don't do it alone. I think that's the thing. Like all ships rise together, um, and like I am extremely selective and there's only like well, there's only one other place that I work with, but it's like same standards, everything's the same. Um, and yeah, it's a very yeah, because it's like you can't go from like okay, we need more meat, to having that the next day, like that's just taking the life of a cow, like that's at least two and a half, three years, and so it is a very complex thing to manage all of the moving parts.

Cloe: 30:21

But thankfully there is like there is other people doing this, and so definitely collaboration and like highly vetting things. But yeah, it's a, it's a, it's an ecosystem, it's like nature of, like all the different ecosystems and all that. Like you have the birds and the bugs and the uh, all of the different the plants and the grasses and the cows, um and like if everything works together as a whole, it goes well, but if we start taking out the parts, then it doesn't go well, and so it's like thinking about things as a whole and yeah, it's a not gonna lie, it's a very like complicated thing Because, like right now in America we have the lowest cow numbers we've had since 1960s.

Shanna: 31:09

And so it's like hey what does that mean?

Cloe: 31:11

What does this look like in three years? Um, and so there's just uh, there's a ton of different variables that I'm managing on a daily basis. Um, to just like, make sure all of the moving parts are flowing so that people can get that box of meat.

Shanna: 31:28

Yeah, will you talk about that? I had no idea. That's brand new information. Why is it the lowest that it's been since then as far as cows?

Cloe: 31:37

Yes, I mean there's definitely I mean probably a lot of different variables. I mean there's been different years of drought which has affected just family ranches, and it's like you just have to sell off cows um, there's just like the cost. There's the fact that we do lose a decent amount of farms and ranches every year because it's it's hard to do, um, and financially is hard to like figure um, and so I think that plays a big part. And, yeah, like there's still a very big demand for beef and so, like to match that, it's like okay, well then we need the cows, but then we have to turn it into beef, and I think there's like so many different variables and I think there's even things that I'm not even fully aware of. But what this has done is it's created.

Cloe: 32:32

So now it's like we have still high demand for beef, whether it's domestic or international. There's a demand for American beef, but then we have this low supply which has increased cattle prices to prices that no one else has ever seen before, like highest prices of all times, which is great if you're selling cattle, but it's very hard for people who are having to buy cattle or run a meat company when you have to be like, ok, we like I, if I was to raise this animal and like sell it to the meat company or if I was to sell it to somebody else, like it's going to make more money probably selling it to someone else, and like figuring out all of those numbers. And so, um, yeah, there's meat companies that I've seen like go out of business in the last few years, um, and it's like it's just a very uh, just a very interesting, unprecedented time, um, and so I think I know that beef especially is super expensive and it just seems to get more expensive. Um, but it's. But good, high quality meat is such a good investment. And I think in America we're so used to cheap food, um, because highly processed food is cheap, because it's subsidized, and, um, I go down a whole rabbit hole with all that, but we're used to cheap food. And so then when it's like you go to somewhere or you go buy meat or you go buy like good quality vegetables, and it's like, okay, this is like way more than I'm used to.

Cloe: 34:04

Paying it actually financially does make sense. I was talking to somebody the other day and they were like plugging in the nutrition numbers of their beef um into chat, gpt, of course, of. Like, how much would this annually save on? Like, just health, all things health. And it was five grand a year, wow. So it's like, yes, okay, maybe that steak is going to cost a little bit more, but what's the long-term investment? Um, and usually that, like, what is it worth to actually feel good, what is it worth to know that your kids are not going to have health problems in 10, 20 years? Like, what is it worth to know that how that meat was raised did not deplete the land, it did not, um, just spray a bunch of chemicals on it? It's like, and changing our mindset between, oh, this is expensive to know, this is an investment and this is something that I want to invest in.

Shanna: 34:57

Yeah, I think I see that as my age millennial. There's so many people around my age that are having especially women, but men too that are having so many health issues, and I know there's a plethora of reasons for that, but it really is like it's got to be some of food, because if we're all this sick and it's just changed because you look at the generations before this and they they don't have the same health issues we're having, and so it seems like a huge change within that, like 80s and 90s, that some of that went through From your perspective. I know we've talked about like the huge they're, you know, pumping out all of the meat that's not good and to the stores. Do you think if more regenerative practices were happening, that it could be sustainable for all of the us to eat from and buy from? Like is that? Because I know it's a lot, it's a lot of meat and you said it's down a little. Do you think if more people practice this, it could feed the whole u S as well as far as meat goes?

Cloe: 36:00

Yes, I think so, but it's?

Cloe: 36:02

Um, it can't be switched overnight or there literally probably be starvation, um, but the thing like regenerative agriculture, for example of like the um, the headquarters that I'm on right now um, we have doubled the production of it two to three times, just simply by how we've managed it, so that means we can grow two to three times more grass.

Cloe: 36:27

Therefore, usually we can raise two to three times more cattle, um, and it's like, if we actually like land, actually like good land, managed well, with healthy soil, can grow a lot, whether we're talking grass or vegetables or whatever that looks like. And so I do think that, if things are done well, um, and the land is well steward, like it will provide, but the transition to that system is like that's just like that's a multi year, like multifaceted um transition. But I'm seeing it happen more and more, and I think there's just more and more awareness about food because, um, I heard a statistic of like 90% of diseases are linked to what we eat, and so what we eat plays a big, big part in our health, and I think more and more people are just like waking up to that and it's like when you vote with your dollar. That's what's going to change the system, like that's the most powerful thing you can do is like, how are you voting with your dollar?

Shanna: 37:35

Yeah, I totally agree. I was just curious Again. My husband and I were talking about it and we were like like how much would have to change in order for the corporations to kind of settle down? And it would take years and lots of money and lots of changes within ranches and farming and all of that. But it's been cool to see and hear about like as we've gotten into like the health sector of podcasts and people just hearing how many there actually are, because prior to searching it I didn't know it really existed. To be honest, I didn't know it was available. It was. You can go to a market and maybe buy from your actual local meat, you know, or ranch or farm, but other than that it was, you have to go to the store. So it's been so incredible learning about different places and ranches like yours that it's like yes, we have another option if we want to buy something that's healthier and better and nutrient dense. So that's been exciting. But I was just curious what you thought about that.

Shanna: 38:30

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Shanna: 39:48

How has your what you're doing in the business changed? Because I'm sure that's been huge from when you kind of started to take over to now you're a little bit older and you are co-owner, so how has your hand like changed and everything? Because I know you said you want to go out there and do the fencing, but is it like, is that what you're actually doing now or do you feel like you have to be behind the desk more?

Cloe: 40:09

Yeah, the whole CEO thing is not what people crack it up to me sometimes it's tricky.

Cloe: 40:14

I mean I, I ranching is like why I do what I do, and I do try to do it as much as I can, even if it's just like helping friends or just like the other day I was moving some cows for somebody else, just so I could like be outside and be on my horse. So it's a little bit more of like a hobby now, um. But I've also realized that like to do what I want to do, um, I need to be like behind a desk a lot of times yeah, um and.

Cloe: 40:50

I've also like because I've kind of just wrestled with it because like I love just being outside and like I love moving cows and all of Um, and there's a lot of people that I know and respect who are really good at that and who do do that, but they don't like running a business or they don't like marketing.

Shanna: 41:08

And.

Cloe: 41:08

I I genuinely do enjoy that, and so I've realized, just like as a whole to the industry, that I love um me, me doing the business stuff and sometimes being on a computer most of the day is actually the most beneficial thing that I can do in this season, um. So currently, yeah, it's a lot of it's a lot of phone calls and meetings, um, and emails and all of that Um. But I think that's kind of just like the season I'm in and we'll see how it evolves.

Shanna: 41:38

Yeah, I was curious about that because I know you like to be hands-on and out there, and part of it all the time, and I don't have the same kind of business, of course. But I'm a full-time photographer and I think people like think I'm just taking pictures all day. I'm like so actually that's 10%. I'm behind the computer 90% of the time. So I would assume, as the co-owner, that's how you feel as well. So I'm still glad you're able to go out there and do the things that you really love doing as an owner. But I just figured there was some good desk chair time.

Cloe: 42:08

So yeah, you understand it.

Shanna: 42:09

Yeah, and I know, and I don't know if you're comfortable sharing this, and I know and I don't know if you're comfortable sharing this, but on one of your YouTube shorts or videos you talked about just a time where you got more connected with God and there was a moment in time where you felt more spiritually led, or maybe that he spoke to you on something, or maybe just kind of that helped the path. I don't know if you remember that video it might've been a few years ago, but would you speak about that a little bit and maybe how that's changed for you as well, or when that point happened?

Cloe: 42:42

Yeah, Um, I like there's kind of like two things that come to mind, um, cause I like I've growing up, um, I was raised about like to care about God and Jesus and all of that, but I never really had a personal relationship. Um, and this like also kind of ties into why I I'm so passionate about just like connection. Um, because like 15, 16, I just remember being like at rock bottom and feeling like I don't know what I'm doing. I like just like anxiety and depression and also like not really realizing how food does affect me, um, and how like the toxins in our food can really affect us.

Cloe: 43:25

Um, and I was, um, I was just on this Hill. I was just like I'm like just out somewhere, um, on this Hill, and I was like, okay, I'm done, like I can't, I don't, my life doesn't feel like it's worth living anymore and like I remember, as soon as I had that thought, there was this female deer and our two babies that just like crossed my line of sight and it was like a lightning bolt hit me. And that was like when I believed in God for the first time. And it was also like this start of like okay is connection what is it that?

Cloe: 43:56

I love so much about ranching that I can't put a word on, and I realized it's like that, that intimacy with the land. It's watching a sunset, it's watching a cow give birth, um. It's sitting down to a meal. It's like we can name all of where the food is coming from, um, and it's just like the deep, meaningful connection, and so that's something that's like. Ever since that moment I've just been like there's something. There's something about this, like I want to keep um learning more about this, um, and I want to share about this.

Cloe: 44:28

Um also happened to write a book about it and I'm called connected cowgirl. Um and I was just like okay. And then I remember when my mom was sick and I was like okay, like I was, I was running the company already just cause I just stepping in to help out where I could, I was like okay, but I actually kind of enjoy this. This is hard as absolute heck and I don't know half of what I'm doing, but I feel like there's something to this and that was kind of I was like, okay, I. I don't know half of what I'm doing, but I feel like there's something to this, and that was kind of I was like okay, I. I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I feel like this is my calling and I need to do this um and so, like, if it wasn't for just my faith, I don't think I would be in the spot that I'm at and that's a big um thing that just influences what I do.

Cloe: 45:13

Um, because I want it to be like done well and be an example of light. Um, and so I think, out of, out of all of the things, um, my faith definitely influences like everything. So very much Um, cause, like I, I don't think, um, things would be the way they are, um, if it wasn't for just the doors that God has opened and just the things that have come forth, because I think, in my own strength, I probably would have bankrupted or failed or done something, because running a business is hard and also it's like it's. It is a lot of faith and it's a lot of just surrender and being like, hey, I don't know, but I trust that if this is meant to be, it's going to come be how it's meant to be.

Shanna: 46:03

Yeah, I can. I could already tell by a lot of the terminology and stuff. I grew up in a Christian home and consider myself a Christian as well, and so when I saw that about you I was like, oh, that makes sense Just with how you speak about being light and the passion that you have. And I I'm really sorry about some of the things that you had to go through and I know some of that is incredibly hard. But like looking from the outside and following you, you're doing such incredible work. Even from just like a marketing, what you're doing has been huge and so wonderful. So I know it's been hard, but what you're doing is wonderful, so yeah.

Cloe: 46:38

Thank you, yeah, of course.

Shanna: 46:40

Of course Is there anything that you feel. I know you've shared so much already from your heart, but is there anything lately that's maybe been on your heart that you want to share? It can be about work or things you found out, or it can be in your personal life as well.

Cloe: 47:04

To be honest, the last few weeks I've been thinking a lot about the dinner table and how, like, growing up, my mom made sure we always sat down at the dinner table and we had home-cooked meal and I don't think I really appreciated that growing up. There were some days where I was like no, I don't want to do that. But I've just been thinking about that a lot because, like, we have our phones and we have the computers and these devices and now we have AI and like I think all of those things have good, depending on how they're managed and steward. But I feel like I personally and I know there's other people too of like like real connection, to like go grab coffee and just have a conversation and you don't ever look at your phone or just sitting down at the dinner table and it's like, okay, this is like good, nourishing food and we're just going to be present.

Cloe: 47:52

Um, and honestly, I would just challenge people to just like how can you just be present? And like fully present, cause there's like even I'm guilty of like there's 10 million different distractions and there are all these different things. But I've realized when I'm like present it, it really does change a lot of things and it's really hard to do, and so just like, I think a really simple one is like sitting down to the dinner table and just eating a home cooked meal, or maybe you're watching a sunset tonight, or there's so many different things but just like connection, just like real, authentic connection, things that are not not through um, but are just like real and like ground us.

Shanna: 48:39

I really love that. Um, my husband and I have kind of different. Our lives are crazy right now. It's a good season, it's not a bad one, but we do try as much as we can to have dinner together and it's it's huge, it's when you can decompress, it's when you can connect. And we don't have kids.

Shanna: 48:56

But as a kid, when my parents made us sit down at the dinner table too, it was a time of connection, no matter what that looked like, even if it was just chatting, or sometimes they'd, you know, whip out something to chat about, a little book or whatever and it meant a lot, looking back, because there was always time of intentional connection. And those who maybe aren't close with parents or don't have parents or a spouse, I do that even with my friends, but it's not dinner, because I find we're all distracted. Is I've been taking because you can sit? You said we could do anything and what I love to do is go on a walk with a friend, because you're not going to be looking at your phone, you're going to be chatting and you're also moving your body, which I'm like good let's move our body a little.

Shanna: 49:38

So I love that you said that just to have some intentional time. That was beautiful. And before I let you go, I do want to know I know you kind of said it before and I'll put it in all the notes so they can click and purchase and all the things how can we find and follow you and find your book too?

Cloe: 49:55

Yeah, Um, so if you're looking for a source of good, high quality, clean meat, uh, parkerpasturescom. Um, you can also sign up, uh, and get free chicken breasts or ground beef, um, with a Parker Pastures box for a year. Um, yeah, and then, uh, parker Pastures grass fed on Instagram. And then, yeah, if you just want to kind of learn more about, like, what does it look like to live a connected life? Um, and connected cowgirl, um, I published this year and you can find it on Amazon. It's just connected cowgirl from the field to your dinner table, your journey back to the ranch, um, and I talk a lot about like connection and just like more about regenerative agriculture and what that looks like. Yeah, and then, yeah, if you have any questions about meat or anything, please reach out. Like, I love answering questions and helping people.

Shanna: 50:45

Yes, perfect, I'll have all those, like I said, and I'm going to go get your book as well. I'm like, oh good, amazon, I can go get it right away and not to bring up Gary Brekka again. But he also is such an advocate of y'all and he always is like, if you look at all of his I know you know this, but the people listening all of his podcasts they link right to your website as well, and so to see such an incredible human advocating for another one is has been wonderful. So I'm so excited for you and for the future and for my husband and I that we're switching to your meat like tomorrow. So, thank you so much for the conversation today. I really, really was excited that we were going to be able to connect and hear more about your ranch and you and how you do all the things, so yeah, thank you, and thank you for doing what you do and just the beautiful impact you have on people and the memories and moments you capture with your photography.

Shanna: 51:41

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