We were awaiting payment for a USDA grant awarded to us in 2024 when the Administration froze all payments on January 27th. Initially we were hopeful that the judge’s ruling would lift the freeze, but the Administration has kept the freeze in place.
 
The grant would have allowed us to expand our regenerative farming approach. My wife Sue and I took money out of retirement savings to pay for work completed in October 2024 with the expectation that the USDA would uphold their end of the bargain. Other farmers have done similar.
 
Perhaps that was a bit naive on our part. Our grant was awarded out of USDA’s Climate Smart Commodities Partnership. It would help us conserve more forest, reduce fire risk without the use of herbicides while providing food and medicine for our cattle. With the word “climate” in it, it was bound to be a target for the Administration. I think of it as a Conservation grant. Most farms cut down forest to make room for cattle. This grant would have allowed us to conserve the forest by fencing it and allowing our Pineywoods Cattle herd to graze it, also know as silvopasture.

Our Pineywoods Cattle have transformed impenetrable thorny land into a flourishing forest. Allowing our cattle to manage our forest has resulted in a drop in farm expenses. Through there appetite for invasive plant species we have seen an increase in biodiversity of plants and animals, discovered sacred indigenous sites and seen a significant benefit to the cattle's welfare. The forest clearings created by the Pineywoods have given us access to do our own foraging, for example of Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) mushrooms that have been scientifically shown to have anti-cancer properties. These dramatic and positive impacts been a blue print for some the regenerative practices we follow and hope to expand upon in 2025.

The Pineywoods Cattle surprising preference for walnut trees over lush grass prompted a shift from rotational grazing to pasture and forest grazing. The cows now graze on a diverse variety of forages, which has led to a healthier ecosystem This symbiotic relationship supports the well-being of the animals—and humans—who depend on them.

The shortlist of 34 photos in consideration for our 2025 calendar just became 12. As always it was hard for me to choose from his shortlisted photos. Each photo elicits memories for  me and the memories can impact my choices. So this year I got help from a few family and friends who voted for their 12 favorites. There was unanimity on several photos, including 2 that I had not chosen for my final 12, One of the Cotton Patch Geese and sunset and one I took of our cow Rosie in the forest, looking at the camera with a mouthful of privet.

With the help I got, it was easier narrowing the selection down to a manageable number this year. Choosing 12 photos that meshed together for the calendar was not quite so easy. I had my heart set on several from the shortlist that just didn't fit the flow of images on the calendar. I ended up choosing 3 new photos that were not on my shortlist that fit the general look and feel of the calendar better. The first was of our Pineywoods steer Little Dave at sunset for May, the second of our Pineywoods Bull Uno in the forest while the sun rises through the trees for November and the third of our Pineywoods Cow Rosie lying in the pasture with clover on her nose for December. Although they were not my favorites individually, these three were much better choices for the overall calendar. See the final selections below and purchase your calendar on Printify.*

Thanks to Marcus, Sue, my mom and my friend Carl for their help selecting the photos.

*Note that we have no control over the estimated shipping price on Printify. You will get a more accurate price after entering your address. Customers in the United States paid on average $10.59 for shipping for the 2024 calendar. The cost per calendar for shipping decreases dramatically when ordering multiple copies.