Meet the Farmer
Perennial Grazing
Christian Cain
Established In 2017
Location Rumsey, CA
Acreage 60 acres
What they offer. Grazing services; duck, turkey & lamb meat
When they began working with KTA. 2022
Advising focus Financial management; capital access
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Christian Cain of Perennial Grazing is a California shepherd, traveling locally with their sheep to provide grazing services for farms, wineries, parks, and private lands. Following transhumance — the seasonal practice of rotating livestock — Christian accompanies his sheep job-to-job as they graze across hills and pasture from the coast to the foothills. Their grazing method not only provides a more effective and environmentally friendly alternative to herbicide usage or costly weed whacking, but also fulfills several key ecosystem services: cropping system management, fire safety, soil health, and fertility enhancement to name a few. Alongside these services, Christian also raises ducks and turkeys, grows grapes and garlic, and produces nutrient-rich, organic lamb.
For Christian, shepherding is centered on ecology and responsible stewardship of land. Christian not only actively fosters natural, symbiotic relationships between his animals and surrounding landscapes, but is also dedicated to exploring the unknowns of nature and implementing new ecological strategies.
Read more about the values that guide Perennial Grazing and their journey through business ownership in KTA’s blog post, “Grounded Values in a Shifting Economy.”
Advising Snapshot: 2022
Christian was able to grow his business from 200 to 1,000 sheep in 2020 alone, covering more and more rangeland in California. Eventually, he hopes to be able to bring on supporting staff to help manage the business.
A key part of scaling up his business was the development and management of a cash flow budget. With Senior Farm Business Advisor Federica Beatrice’s assistance, Christian set up an operational cash flow budget which has helped him foster a more informed perspective of his business and save for equipment and further expansion. He was also able to streamline and organize the necessary paperwork to apply for an FSA loan, allowing him to purchase a double-decker trailer and truck. With these back-end systems established, Christian now feels more prepared to expand his business. In the next few months, he will continue to work with landowners, counties, and state parks, traveling up and down the coast with the bud break to provide their grazing services.
