Kumlin family embraces regenerative agriculture

On their fifth-generation ranch near Cochrane, Matt and Angela Kumlin are combining generations of ranching knowledge with new technology to build healthier grasslands and a stronger cattle operation.

To celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), Alberta Beef Producers is highlighting the hardworking ranchers who steward some of the province’s most sensitive ecosystems and raise the best beef in the world. IYRP 2026, declared by the United Nations, aims to raise awareness of the vital importance of rangelands and the pastoralists who are their frontline custodians.

As the fifth generation at the helm of Lazy J Cattle Company, Matt and Angela Kumlin are passionate about healthy grasslands, cattle and people. Since taking over daily ranching operations in 2018, the couple have focused on optimizing rotational grazing practices to recuperate the land, breeding low-maintenance and efficient cattle to boost profitability and learning from others to continuously improve their ranch.

Love for agriculture runs deep

Matt and Angela were born and raised in ranching and farming families. Lazy J Cattle Co. has been in the Kumlin family since the late 1880’s, each generation raising cattle in the Jumping Pound Creek area near Cochrane, Alta. Angela grew up on a grain farm near Eston, Sask. The couple met while attaining agriculture degrees at the University of Saskatchewan. Matt then completed the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Calgary and became a livestock veterinarian in 2014. He grew up during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) era when ranchers struggled to keep their operations afloat, so Matt pursued a different career path in case coming home to the ranch wasn’t an option. But, with the ultimate goal of living and working on the ranch, he worked as a vet full time until 2018, then returned to the ranch part-time until 2021 when the Kumlins decided to go all in on ranching.

Since then, Lazy J Cattle Co. has rapidly expanded, integrating regenerative agriculture practices and technology to efficiently raise beef cattle while also taking care of the land. For example, this year the family used GPS collars on about a quarter of their herd. These devices allow producers to create virtual fences that make it easier to move cattle and rotationally graze pastures. The collars also capture data on cattle reproduction and movement as well as pasture yield and regrowth, which help the Kumlins make management decisions that support animal and soil health.

“We liked it enough that we’re going to collar all of our cows this fall,” Matt says. “Winter grazing is going to be really where we’ll see the best benefit because we graze swaths and then native grass in the winter. Being able to move them virtually on a daily basis is going to be a big game changer.”

Proof is in the pasture

In the few years that the Kumlins have implemented rotational and bale grazing, for example, they are already seeing the land recover and native grasses replenish.

“The soil microbiome and the rumen microbiome are very similar. So, cattle are needed to replenish and strengthen the soil microbiome and vice versa. They work in synchrony,” Matt says.

“Having the cattle cycle the nutrients really speeds up your carbon building. Whereas if you just let the grass grow and die, grow and die, it doesn’t mix with the soil or get soil contact. Grazing is nature’s way of nutrient cycling from the beginning.”

With decades of ranching and managing the land, Matt’s father Alvin noticed a big difference in the grasslands after the family began using regenerative practices.

“I would say that’s probably the best metric – dad noticed that the land is more resilient and that we did not have to destock during the droughts and now this year with rain, it’s unbelievable. There’s so much grass,” Matt says.

The Kumlins run a herd of Angus-Polled Hereford cross cattle that each weight about 1,250 pounds. The livestock are built to endure the Rocky Mountain foothills and graze year-round.

In addition to the cattle, these lands are home to an array of wildlife including deer, elk, cougars, bears, wolves and various bird species.

Striving for continuous improvement

Every decision the Kumlins make is rooted in cattle, soil and human health.

“I just love the outdoors and the intersect between nature and animals and food,” Matt says. “We’re very passionate about making high-quality beef from healthy lands. Our mission at Lazy J Cattle Company is to build health, wealth and happiness, so it needs to check all those boxes when we do something on the ranch.”

Matt and Angela are continuously learning and improving their grass-fed beef system while also raising their three children on the ranch, the sixth generation of Lazy J Cattle Co. The family are committed to nourishing people and rejuvenating the soil while also providing utmost care for their cow herd.

“Cattle ranching is integral to the grassland ecosystem and is a benefit to the environment and provides the highest quality nutrition from a food source that isn’t available to humans, so cattle are integral to society and to the environment,” Matt says. “The cattle are here because God put them here to feed people and heal and rejuvenate the land.”

This article is part of Alberta Beef Producers’ ongoing series celebrating the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), highlighting Alberta ranchers and their commitment to responsible rangeland stewardship. Explore more stories from the series.