Welcome to Awe Nice, where we highlight moments of wonder while working outdoors.

This week, I visited with Cooper Hibbard from Montana. Cooper runs the Sieben Livestock Company, which is part of the Old Salt Co-op in Helena, Montana.

The Co-op, with has beef, lamb, and other offerings from five central Montana ranches, is committed to transforming the status quo of beef production to a more regenerative, giving-back model. They're doing some really cool stuff and I encourage you to check them out.

Cooper traveled far and wide - to South American and Australia, to name a few places - before coming back to take the reins of his family's ranching operation.

He told me that he's often had a feeling, when he's fixing fence or gathering cows or hunting, where the hair stands up on the back of his neck and it seems like the air is charged, and he just knows he's being watched. Then he might come upon a cache, where a lion has stashed a deer to come back later and feed on it. What he feels then is not fear but reverence.

Awe, Nice! welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us here. We thank Kershaw Knives and Redmond Salt for their generous sponsorships. Music is by Forrest Van Tuyl.

Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.

Welcome to Awe Nice, where we highlight moments of wonder while working outdoors. We're on the radio and we're also on podcast platforms. And you can check us out at awenice.com.

This week we have another visit with Joe Morris from California. Joe runs Morris Grassfed Beef and is an award-winning leader of environmental stewardship and regenerative ag.

This second moment involves the cattle.

The connections we have – with other animals and with the land – become more and more apparent when we can pause and pay attention. The connections are full of energy and communication. There is often an undercurrent of that theme with these segments and I'm grateful to Joe for highlighting it.

Awe, Nice! welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us at awenice.com. We thank Kershaw knives and Redmond salt for their generous sponsorship.

Music is by my friend, Forrest Van Tuyl. You can find a link to Forrest as well as an Awe Nice donate button on here.

Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.

Welcome to Awe Nice!, where we highlight moments of wonder while working outdoors. We're on the radio and we're also on podcast platforms.

This week, I visited again with Carol Von Michaelis from Arvada, Colorado. Carol runs The Community Farm which seeks to bridge the gap between agriculture, the outdoors, and urban residents. Lots of people visit and when they do, they are likely greeted by Pepsi, a mini donkey that came into Carol's life when the two were paired for a burro race.

What's a burro race? Glad you asked! Pack burro racing is the Colorado's official summer heritage sport. Runners and donkeys pair up for races of varying lengths. All donkeys must be loaded with a pack, which includes mining gear. The race Carol and Pepsi ran was about 15 miles and started in Fairplay, elevation about 10,000 feet.

It was a bit of a blind date as sometimes goes with people who have donkeys but don't run and runners who are donkeyless.

I was so glad to hear that Pepsi ultimately landed at the Community Farm.

Carol told me that Pepsi also serves as a mascot for the Colorado School of Mines, where he specializes in meeting fans and having photo opportunities.

Awe, Nice! welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us. We thank Kershaw knives and Redmond salt for their generous sponsorship.

Music is by my friend, Forrest Van Tuyl. You can find a link to Forrest as well as an Awe, Nice! donate button here.

Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.