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.

Pineywoods Cattle have a bio-diverse diet, it is one of the reasons why we chose to raise them. Ozark Akerz is a mix of pastures and forests and the combination of grasses, trees, and shrubs is the perfect combination for them. In fact we stopped rotational grazing, allowing them to eat what they want, when they want (food and medicine), just like their ancestors did.

What do the Pineywoods Cattle herd eat at Ozark Akerz Regenerative Farm?  The answer is, all sorts, from Brambles to Walnut. We'll share what we've seen them eat, how they sometimes eat similar to Giraffes, and how our bull Rocky competes with farmer Sue to see who can pull the tastiest kudzu vine out of the trees for the cows. We'll also reveal how their appetite helps us meet some of our regenerative farming goals.

Heritage breed farm animals are an integral part of regenerative farming at Ozark Akerz, contributing to ecological and economic health each day. Heritage breeds are old-time/traditional farm animals that had a prominent role on farms of our ancestors. All the heritage breeds at Ozark Akerz have at least two jobs, from weeding to predator defense to controlling tick populations.

Heritage breeds have fallen out of favor with focus turning to industrialized farming, these historically important and resilient breeds are now endangered with extinction. This includes

• Horses
• Rabbits
• Chickens
• Donkeys
• Cattle
• Turkeys
• Sheep
• and other breeds…