Sky Toney, a regenerative ranching advisor, joined Farm Director KC Sheperd to share insights about the upcoming 2025 Grazing School, scheduled for August 1–3 in San Marcos, Texas. When asked what a grazing school is, Toney explained, “It’s like a workshop where folks can come and get educated and learn some valuable skills that they can bring back to their farm or ranch to make themselves more profitable, care for the land better and the livestock better.” The event will feature leaders from the Noble Research Institute, Holistic Management International, and Understanding Ag—three major players in regenerative grazing. The school will combine both fieldwork and classroom learning for a well-rounded, immersive experience.
The three-day event is structured to rotate between three host ranches in the San Marcos area, each providing a hands-on learning environment. “We’re going to go in the mornings to some local ranches, and we rotate each day,” Toney explained. Attendees will engage in practical demonstrations like “taking soil samples in a really easy way,” learning to use a grazing stick, and assessing forage height. These on-the-ground activities are designed to equip participants with skills they can immediately apply back home.
Afternoons will be spent in classroom sessions featuring expert-led presentations from each participating organization. Toney highlighted the uniqueness of the event: “I don’t know anywhere else that all three of us come together and do something like this. It’s really special.” Each group brings its own expertise, making this a rare and valuable learning opportunity for producers of all types. According to Toney, “You get to learn from experts in each one of those organizations,” offering a multifaceted understanding of regenerative practices.
The grazing school is open to “anybody that has land and runs livestock,” Toney emphasized, noting that it’s designed to benefit everyone from large-scale producers to hobby ranchers. The registration fee is $750. “There is financial assistance on the website,” Toney shared, adding a personal note: “Years ago, back before I worked for Noble and was a regenerative adviser, I attended one of these workshops, and I got the financial aid because I wasn’t able to do it on my own.” He credited that experience with launching his journey into regenerative agriculture.
Looking ahead, Toney mentioned that Noble has additional programming lined up beyond the grazing school. “We’ve got some cool courses, actually, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, towards the end of the summer and coming into the fall,” he said. Noble operates seven research ranches in Ardmore and is expanding its outreach across the country, with upcoming events in Texas, South Dakota, Oregon, and Florida. For those interested, Sky recommended visiting the Noble website: “You can always check the website for the latest events and presentations and all that good stuff.”
