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.

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.

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…