Oct 5, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min · 16 segments
*This episode is a re-release of episode #59 of The Sort podcast, originally released on December 22nd, 2025.* In this episode of The Sort podcast, host Brett Kaysen talks with Tom Farrer, a renowned…
Brett KaysenHostAnd you got to realize, uh, family, just like today, uh, both Peyton and Taylor helps this farm, you know, continue when one of us is gone, uh, you know, to get the livestock taken care of and done.
And, and it's interesting, I know we're not, you didn't ask me that question, but in terms of breeding better livestock, I think we've always had the benefit of independent minds.
Um, you know, even though we call this Forestock Farms, um, they each have their own animals and, uh, kind of breed animals their own way and things.
However, it's nice that you go the direction you believe you should because it's really benefited us some good ideas.
It's interesting you talk about Houston, and you remember that one and of all the, of the 3,000 plus head, and you're not the first guest on the, The Sort to say that, that of all those pigs, and I've been to Brenham when it was at its heyday and watched it, y- you still have that image of that one that comes up the hill and say, "Boy, that one's going to town, and if they can keep it together for the next, you know, 72 hours, that's the one." After seeing all those, just that the way one hits you that says, "Whew, I think I found it," right? Out of the sea of 3,400.
Well, and I think what it amounts to is y- you've got to be melded into what has worked for you.
Sometimes everybody, I think some young people, it's all right to try to emulate other judges.
But, um, y- you know, I had a circumstance where I was raising livestock, selling livestock to people- And I had a, a, you know, a phenotype that I thought that's the, the perfect animal, so to speak.
And you, you realize, yes, they change to some degree, but I think about, you know, our show steers today.
[laughs] I- they've always had to have the look, the cut, and the balance, and, uh, eh, there's been a push for bigger middle, but I'd lived through that back in the '70s and '80s.
I pulled pigs out of a Coke bottle sow in the '68, you know? And then when they went into confinement, we, um, you know, packers only paid for pounds, so that's why everybody makes fun of them light-muscled, really sound hogs.
Well, if you just saw them all spraddled-legged on stainless steel slats, you'd have picked, uh, next you'd be sound light mu- muscled hogs, you know? Some people almost forget the packing industry never paid for percent lean till I think it was '94, uh, a little bit on a carcass merit.
You know, what's the sow herd look like, breed, composition? What's the cattle herd look like? Bring us to Royal Center and paint us the picture of the current operation.
And you got to realize, uh, family, just like today, uh, both Peyton and Taylor helps this farm, you know, continue when one of us is gone, uh, you know, to get the livestock taken care of and done.
And, and it's interesting, I know we're not, you didn't ask me that question, but in terms of breeding better livestock, I think we've always had the benefit of independent minds.
Um, you know, even though we call this Forestock Farms, um, they each have their own animals and, uh, kind of breed animals their own way and things.
However, it's nice that you go the direction you believe you should because it's really benefited us some good ideas.
It's interesting you talk about Houston, and you remember that one and of all the, of the 3,000 plus head, and you're not the first guest on the, The Sort to say that, that of all those pigs, and I've been to Brenham when it was at its heyday and watched it, y- you still have that image of that one that comes up the hill and say, "Boy, that one's going to town, and if they can keep it together for the next, you know, 72 hours, that's the one." After seeing all those, just that the way one hits you that says, "Whew, I think I found it," right? Out of the sea of 3,400.
Well, and I think what it amounts to is y- you've got to be melded into what has worked for you.
Sometimes everybody, I think some young people, it's all right to try to emulate other judges.
But, um, y- you know, I had a circumstance where I was raising livestock, selling livestock to people- And I had a, a, you know, a phenotype that I thought that's the, the perfect animal, so to speak.
And you, you realize, yes, they change to some degree, but I think about, you know, our show steers today.
[laughs] I- they've always had to have the look, the cut, and the balance, and, uh, eh, there's been a push for bigger middle, but I'd lived through that back in the '70s and '80s.
I pulled pigs out of a Coke bottle sow in the '68, you know? And then when they went into confinement, we, um, you know, packers only paid for pounds, so that's why everybody makes fun of them light-muscled, really sound hogs.
Well, if you just saw them all spraddled-legged on stainless steel slats, you'd have picked, uh, next you'd be sound light mu- muscled hogs, you know? Some people almost forget the packing industry never paid for percent lean till I think it was '94, uh, a little bit on a carcass merit.
You know, what's the sow herd look like, breed, composition? What's the cattle herd look like? Bring us to Royal Center and paint us the picture of the current operation.
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