Roots in the Boot

About Roots in the Boot

The Roots in the Boot podcast by Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative is for farmers and ranchers looking to learn more about how to improve their land and profitability in the Southeastern United States.

Publisher

Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Mar 2023

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Silvopasture, Summer Forages, & Hay Storage, with Tom and Joan Lester

   In this episode Executive & Education Director Tara Morris sat down with Tom & Joan Lester to discuss how they're managing their cattle operation in DeRidder, LA. Tom and Joan shared insights into how they got started with cattle, benefits they've seen from silvopasture, how they manage for winter and summer forages, their experience with sunnhemp, and hay storage tips (and mistakes they've made). *One minor correction: When Tom was discussing Hurricane Laura, he said the year 2000 instead of 2020. Hay & Forage Grower magazine issue mentioned: https://issuu.com/hayandforagegrower/docs/20-03-hfg-magazine

2. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Natural History of Southeast Louisiana with Brian Early

   In this episode, LGLCI Executive & Education Director Tara Morris sat down to chat with Brian Early, State Plant Community Ecologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Brian shared a wealth of knowledge about the native flora and fauna of Louisiana, and their historical significance to the landscape. Additionally Brian gave insight to the benefits that planned land disturbances, such as grazing and/or prescribed fire, can have on the ecosystem. Some additional notes from Brian: 10:33 – I was referring to several books and the General Land Office records: Lockett, Samuel. 1995 (L. Post, editor). A Geographical and Topographical Description of the State 1869-1872 Darby, William. 1817. A Geographical Description of the State of Louisiana. Newton, Milton Jr. 1987. Louisiana A Gerographical Portrait. Hardy, Laurence, Edt. 2008. Freeman and Curtis Red River Expedition of 1806 Louisiana State Wildlife Action Plan. 2025. https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Wildlife_Action_Plans/2025-Louisiana-State-Wildlife-Action-Plan.pdf (https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Wildlife_Action_Plans/2025-Louisiana-State-Wildlife-Action-Plan.pdf) Office of State Lands, historical surveys and documents. https://wwwslodms.doa.la.gov/ (https://wwwslodms.doa.la.gov/) 12:32 – I mention we “had bison in every parish in Louisiana”. To clarify, we have had bison occurrences reported from every parish. The statement “had bison in every parish in Louisiana” to some may be interpreted as stable persisting population. On the contrary, the bison herds were largely migratory and grazing as they passed through. 18:13 – I mention either mammoth or mastodons were present in Louisiana historically. However, the fossil records show that both were present. 22:38 – The first law of thermodynamics is called conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. 23:00-24:00 – “Intact plant communities / intact plant systems” What I am referring to here is very mature old growth intact systems that have secured some high level of ecological stasis, where plant species assemblages are relatively stable, able to resist weedy and non-native encroachment, and buffer environmental changes. 35:00 – I did not answer this question very well and yes there is some loss of energy/mineral resources when live stock bulk up on the land and then removed. 36:56 – Over-grazing is even more of an issue on the contemporary landscape due to plant and animal habitat fragmentation, impeding plant and animal migrations and recolonizations. When conservative plant species (often-high forage quality species) are over-grazed or extirpated from a property, they rarely, if ever, return to the habitat.

3. 

   15 Jul 2026

   Baleage: Why, How, & the Risks

   In this episode, Education Director Tara Morris sat down to interview Stacy Taylor to learn all about his decision to add baleage to his cattle operation. Stacy made the switch to include wet hay as part of his management practice about two years ago, and has already seen the benefits of making that change. Stacy walks us through the whole process, starting with what made him change from feeding only dry hay, to feeding a mix of wet and dry hay. He talks about his trial and error process of figuring out what works for him, the economics behind producing wet hay, some of the equipment that he finds be beneficial, and some tips he's learned along the way. Stacy Taylor is a 5th generation rancher, based out of NW Louisiana and into East Texas. His operation consists of primarily South Poll cattle. Stacy also sits on the Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Board of Directors.

4. 

   2 Apr 2026

   "Who Would of Thought?" - Using Livestock to Restore a Native Prairie

   Learn how Julie Mattox is using livestock on her property to restore native prairie species. She uses cattle and sheep to create targeted disturbances, which has helped improve the soil and created an environment for native plant species to thrive. She has conducted forage testing on more than 50 native and non-native plant species consumed by livestock, measuring protein values, total digestible nutrients (TDN), and other nutritional indicators. Her most recent research applies DNA metabarcoding techniques to analyze fecal samples from cattle and sheep, providing quantifiable data on dietary composition and advancing understanding of livestock-prairie interactions. Julie Mattox is a retired surveyor with 35 years of experience in the energy industry, where she worked extensively across the United States and Canada. While operating her own consulting firm, she explored diverse ecosystems, and her time in the short- and mixed-grass prairies of the West sparked a deep interest in prairie ecology and biodiversity. Following her career, she shifted her focus to restoring tallgrass prairie on a former dairy farm in Northeast Texas. Her restoration efforts combine soil health management, adaptive multi-species grazing, and native plant reintroduction to rebuild biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Julie partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to implement the Pastures for Upland Birds program and collaborates closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to apply science-based management practices. *To better see the graphs and charts Julie references in her discussion, view this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMV6JjlOmeA

5. 

   19 Jan 2026

   Producer Panel Intensive Grazing Management Q&A Discussion

   In this discussion, three farmers from across Louisiana talk about their grazing management strategies, and how they use grazing to help manage cattle health. Panelists are: Mr. Conner Hays (Vinton, LA); Mr. Josh Morris (Slaughter, LA); Mr. Robby "Butch" Royer (Denham Springs, LA). This audio is from a recorded webinar. The video recording is also available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euTByKFgC_A&t=33s This interview is a follow-up from the Producer Panel at the 2025 Louisiana Forage Conference. The recording of that discussion can be found on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/a6lG2ldHnzA LGLCI educates and connects land owners, farmers, ranchers, and land operators to provide a network of information and how-to’s on better economically and ecologically grazing Louisiana’s grazing lands.

6. 

   30 Aug 2025

   Cattle Markets & Fall Planting with Wallace Mills

   In this episode, Tara and Caitlin speak with Wallace Mills about the unique way he structures his operation, how he markets his cattle, and what he's planning to plant for fall. Wallace, along with his father and brother, operate a cattle farm in Northeast Louisiana. Tune in to learn how they differentiate themselves from the typical cow-calf operation.

7. 

   17 Jul 2025

   Wildlife & Grazing: How the Two Can Work Together

   In this episode, we learn from Scott Durham, a Wildlife Biologist for Ducks Unlimited, Louisiana. In addition to his professional experience as a wildlife biologist, Scott is a rancher at heart, with experience working on ranches in Texas and Wyoming. Together with host Tara, they dive into the unique relationship that wildlife can have with agriculture. They discuss the many mutual benefits that a diverse wildlife population can have on a grazing operation. Tune in to learn about how grazing and wildlife can work together.

8. 

   8 Jan 2025

   Cows with Pecans? How Grazing Cattle and Sheep Can Lower Inputs in the Pecan Orchard in Louisiana and the Deep South in a Silvopasture Operation

   Dr. Charles Rohla explores integrating grazing practices into pecan orchards with host Tara, revealing how adaptive grazing can create sustainable systems that benefit land, livestock, and farm profits in this interview.

9. 

   25 Oct 2024

   Louisiana Tall Grass Prairie - A History and Application

   Louisiana Botanist Larry Allain discusses the history, ecological importance, and restoration of the Louisiana Tall Grass Prairie with host Tara Morris, highlighting its role in sustainable agriculture in this interview.

10. 

    14 Apr 2023

    Minerals and Salt - How to Know What You Need, And Where To Get It

    Cooper Hurst discusses mineral and salt supplementation for cattle, including controlling costs and adapting operations, in an interview with Tara and Ellen.

11. 

    20 Mar 2023

    Hay & Organic Matter Procurement and Placement

    Grant Estrade shares his extensive experience in organic matter application and composting techniques, highlighting community partnerships to enhance soil health, in this interview.

12. 

    7 Mar 2023

    Year Round Cattle Nutrition with Ted Miller

    Ted Miller shares his expertise on year-round cattle nutrition and grass-based dairy farming practices in North Louisiana, interviewed by Tara and Ellen.

Who has been a guest on Roots in the Boot

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Charles Rohla
• Larry Allain
• Cooper Hurst
• Grant Estrade
• Ted Miller

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

380,460

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

19

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

32

Contact Roots in the Boot

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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