Grazing in Community: Stewardship Strategies for Small Herds and Thriving Landscapes
Presented by GSW and Quivira Coalition
November 1, 2025 at Polk’s Folly Farm in San Antonito, New Mexico
Calling all hobby farmers, small-herd tenders, aspiring graziers, and community-minded producers! Join us in Cedar Crest, New Mexico for a full-day, hands-on workshop focused on the power of small-scale grazing to regenerate land, foster ecological health, and support resilient neighborhoods. Whether you’re just getting started or already have a few goats, sheep, or other grazing animals, this workshop will guide you through best practices for managing small herds in and around your community. Come learn how thoughtful, small-scale prescribed grazing (also known as Tier 1 / Community & Neighborhood Grazing*) can improve soil health and plant diversity, reduce wildfire risk and invasive species growth, support sustainable food systems and local self-reliance, and connect neighbors through shared land and animal stewardship.
Led by Cole Bush, owner and operator of Shepherdess Land & Livestock in southern CA, this workshop includes practical grazing strategies for small acreage, with an overview of working with neighbors to achieve a measure of ecological health that supports the whole community - people, land and animals. Come prepared to learn, share, and be outside at beautiful Polk’s Folly Farm. Whether you manage half an acre or coordinate with neighbors across land bases, this workshop will give you the tools to create healthier land and stronger communities—one small herd at a time.
🎟️ Registration required | Space is limited | FREE event!
🌮 Lunch provided | 👩🌾 All experience levels welcome
*Tier 1: Community / Neighborhood Grazing (from the NM Grazing Exchange)
Community grazing involves small-scale livestock grazers using their animals to graze a community of small-scale property owners. These property owners range from ¼ acre to several acres; animals graze one parcel and are then moved to a neighboring parcel. Community grazing increases community safety by reducing fire fuels on multiple properties. From the NM Grazing Exchange
What You Will Learn
Through a combination of hands-on demonstrations and engaging classroom sessions, you'll gain practical tools and strategies for success.
This workshop covers:
Working with small herds through the lens of prescribed grazing to build soil health, encourage plant diversity, and manage fire fuels
Basics of animal husbandry and the specific health needs of small ruminants in a NM context
Infrastructure and tools needed to start and maintain a small herd (fencing, water systems, shelter and electricity)
An overview of what neighborly collaboration can look like (intro to community grazing cooperatives and organizing small herds shared among multiple hobby‑farmers)
Who Is This For?
This workshop is for people aiming to foster resilient, connected communities through the ecological practice of prescribed grazing.
Hobby farmers & small-scale landowners/stewards looking to add goats, sheep, or other small ruminants to their land base for the purpose of local food/fiber production, improving soil, reducing invasive species, or managing brush and fire risk
Aspiring or new graziers who want to learn the basics of best practices for animal rotation, fencing, and care
Community members & neighborhood organizers interested in learning more about cooperative grazing (members of HOAs, co-housing communities, or rural neighborhoods exploring collective land management opportunities)
Regenerative land stewards & ecosystem advocates and anyone working toward building local food systems or firewise strategies in their communities
You don’t need a large herd or years of experience—just an interest in working with animals and neighbors to benefit the land and grow stronger communities.
If you're unsure whether this fits your goals, email us!
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November 1, 2025; 9:00AM-4:30PM
San Antonito, NM
Note that this workshop will be held partially outdoors so please check the weather beforehand and be prepared (rain, sun, heat, snow can all be common in the mountains at this time of year).
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This is a FREE workshop and lunch is included. Please be prepared to bring your own water bottle and coffee mug.
Attendance is limited for hands-on engagement — reserve early! Open to all experience levels — beginner to seasoned graziers!
Note: If you register and are then unable to attend, please email us and let us know so that we can fill your spot.
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COLE BUSH
Cole Bush is the founder and owner of Shepherdess Land and Livestock, a prescribed grazing business based in Ojai, California. In 2020, after spending years developing her business, Cole took the plunge and started her dream grazing business: one that provides both vegetation management services AND vocational training to support the next-generation of shepherds as land stewards.
Cole is a practitioner, educator, and consultant in the fields of climate-beneficial agriculture, land stewardship, and prescribed grazing. With over a decade of experience in the field, Cole has developed and managed the treatment of thousands of acres on private and public lands using prescribed grazing with commercial-scale herds of sheep and goats as an ecosystem service for ecological enhancement and fire hazard reduction throughout California. She is passionate about business and is dedicated to training new entrepreneurs and practitioners in the prescribed grazing field, as well as, to providing consultation and technical assistance services for climate-smart agricultural and land stewardship.
Ready to form local grazing circles, build wildfire-resilient land, and connect with neighbors through land stewardship? This workshop is your next step!
