New for 2026 · Regenerative Fest · Oct 2–4
Meet the Meatsmith
Farmstead Meatsmith's Brandon Sheard brings whole-hog mastery — nose to tail, nothing wasted — to 84 Ranch.
Who is Brandon Sheard
A butcher on a mission.
Brandon and Lauren Sheard run Farmstead Meatsmith — by their own account, "the only abattoir, butchery and educational operation of our kind in the country." Their craft is whole-animal and reverent: 100% of hanging weight returned to food, husbandry restored, the home kitchen honored.
"The Hunt Is Up."
His film series, On the Anatomy of Thrift, has edified hundreds of thousands of viewers worldwide — and now he's teaching it live, on the ranch.
See him in action
The craft, on film.
Episode 1 of his acclaimed series, On the Anatomy of Thrift.
Friday Night · The Main Event
Limited to ~50 seats
To Kill a Pig Nicely
"Gratitude is the guiding virtue of pig slaughter. The life we take to sustain our own is a gift… We kill without pain and endeavor to receive all the pig has to give."
Witness a real pasture harvest, done artfully — the pig shot in the pasture, hung, and scalded. The killing is the beginning of every recipe, and the most decisive ingredient of all.
Reserve your seat →Saturday Seminars
Three ways to learn the craft.
Hands-on sessions in his own words.
Butchery
"We portion the pig without throwing anything in the waste bin. 100% of hanging weight becomes food — thrift and extravagance in equal measure."
Sausage Making
"Effortless when you start with home-raised pork from a happy pig — salt, salubrious fat, a few herbs, and no synthetic binders."
Curing
"The peasant art of preserving meat without a freezer. With three ingredients — salt, pork and time — we'll cure prosciutto, bacon, guanciale and coppa."
Don't miss him
See Brandon at Regen Fest.
Early Bird ends August 31 · Friday harvest seats are limited.
Get Tickets →Oct 2–4, 2026 · 84 Ranch, Pagosa Springs, CO · Benefiting Regenerative Youth of 84 Ranch, 501(c)(3)
