Are Pineywoods Cattle A Good Choice For Regenerative Farms?

Georgia, a Pineywoods Cattle cow peers from behind a tree at Ozark Akerz

Regenerative farming is comprised of many locally adapted practices. Choosing livestock or poultry for your regenerative farm can seem daunting. There is an endless maze of information about the traits of breeds and sometimes conflicting information about best management practices. We summarize how endangered Pineywoods Cattle benefit our regenerative farming practices in this post.

But first a bit about our regenerative farming goals. As a regenerative farm, we view the farm as an ecological system. When making decisions, we try to take the entire farm ecology into consideration, including but not limited to the health of the soil, conserving and preserving our forests, improving dung beetle health and increasing biodiversity. Pineywoods contribute to all of these, leading us closer to our goal of farming in harmony with nature.

The Pineywoods Cattle Story

1. Pineywoods ancestors were brought to what is now the Southeastern United States in early 1500’s by Spanish explorers.

2. The increased focus on breeds specialized for either dairy or beef has caused Pineywoods numbers to dwindle to near extinction. There were and estimated 200 left in the late 1990’s

3. Pineywoods are a dual breed, they provide milk and beef. Their history in the timber industry  makes them excellent oxen.

4. Unlike breeds chosen purely for production, they retain balanced genetics. They are:

• A hardy breed,
• Disease and parasite resistant,
• Heat tolerant,
• Long-lived,
• Have excellent mothering abilities and ease of calving.
• Can thrive on what is considered less than ideal forage in conventional cattle farming.
  

There is a general perception that, in order make room for cattle farming, deforestation is an inevitable practice. This is not the case with Pineywoods Cattle. We have lost count of the number of farmers that have come to us eager to start their herd after recently cutting back forest, only to learn that Pineywoods thrive on a combination of pasture and forest at Ozark Akerz.

Tangerine grazing with her calf Mario in the lower pasture

How Do Pineywoods Cattle Benefit A Regenerative Farm?

The Pineywoods Cattle traits mentioned above can benefit regenerative farms in a number of ways. Here is a list of the ways they contribute to our regenerative farming goals at Ozark Akerz.

1. Pineywoods Cattle eat invasive plants such as kudzu, brambles and privet in the forest, there is no need for machinery or herbicides.
2. Their ability to maintain forests supports biodiversity of plants and wildlife that would otherwise be lost if the trees are cut.
   
3. Their ability to maintain forests allows trees to capture over 800 tons of carbon at Ozark Akerz annually.
4. Pineywoods ease of birthing means we spend less time managing them. Some breeds require a lot of help when calving, our Pineywoods do not.
5. Pineywoods Cattle eat less hay in the winter months than commercial breeds . With fuel and other inputs like fertilizer prices skyrocketing this year, hay prices are set to be very high. Hay is the biggest expense for cattle farms.
6. Disease resistance and ease of birthing means lower vet bills.
7. Because of their foraging behavior, they have not lost their natural  instinct to browse for “medicine”. For example they maintain their parasite resistance by eating medicinal plants such as Black Walnut which contains a natural anti-parasitic compound called juglone . Prescribed anti-parasitic medications kill dung beetles. By not having to medicate the cattle, our dung beetle population is very healthy. Dung beetles are natures fertilizers, there is no need to buy expensive fertilizer for our pastures

How To Choose Breeds For Your Regenerative Farming Goals

Pineywoods Cattle have proven to be a perfect fit to the climate and specific ecology of Ozark Akerz Regenerative Farm. If you're just beginning your search for animals that align with your regenerative farming goals, ask yourself the following questions to help you narrow your choice from the many breeds of chickens, cattle, goats, sheep, pigs etc:

1. Is the breed adapted to your climate?
2. Can the breed thrive on the forages of your farm?
3. How much time do you have to mange the herd?
4. Are you interested in conservation of endangered heritage breeds?
5. Do you want the animals to provide draft power (eg. oxen) on your farm?

We recommend starting your research of livestock and poultry breeds that align with your climate and environment at Livestock Conservancy.

Full disclosure, Ozark Akerz Regenerative Farm is a member of Livestock Conservancy. They have been instrumental in our selection of heritage breed cattle, chickens, turkeys and geese that are suitable for our climate, ecology and goals.

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You may also like:
An Introduction to Heritage Breeds
Plants for Biodiversity and A Changing Climate
Pineywoods Cattle and Trees- A Partnership in Conservation

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