I’m standing on the road that runs past the Ozark Akerz Regenerative Farm farmhouse.  
 
This road has brought many visitors since our move here in 2014. Some are just passing through, some have stayed a night or two. Family, friends and what used to be strangers. Many have brought their appetites and their curiosity about what we are “regenerating”. Some have left knowledge and imparted ancient wisdom of their culture. That wisdom has made this farm more resilient, purposeful and helped reveal discoveries of the sacred.
 
What greets all visitors is a large, old pine tree by the road. A place of shady refuge for the few that walk this road in the height of summer. Its lower limbs are visible to the left of this picture.
 
What awaits visitors is an ecosystem of 775+ species of plants and animals. The endangered Pineywoods Cattle graze in forests they share with Bobcats, White-tailed deer, Beavers, Coyotes, Painted Turtles, Otters, Northern Cricket Frogs, Grey Foxes, Eastern Red Bats, Luna Moths, Monarch Butterflies, Lion’s Mane Mushrooms and Barred Owls to name a few.

The ecosystem is in constant change. An old hay field is now regenerating native species of trees and shrubs that hold food and medicine that was once frequented in this landscape. The 2.5 acre hay field held a dozen species of plants, now that same area holds 140 species.

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.

Dung beetles are the strongest animals in the world. They can pull 1,141 times their body weight. That’s like a human pulling six fully loaded double-decker buses. They are found on every continent except for Antarctica.

Unlike the dung beetles I watched with curiosity as a kid in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) that would roll a ball of elephant dung much larger than themselves, the dung beetles in North Carolina are mainly tunneling (lay eggs in the soil beneath the cow pat) or dwelling (lay eggs in the cow pat). Tunneling dung beetles are the most beneficial to soil and pasture by acting as living feritlizers. By burying cow poo as food for their young, they aerate, introduce organic matter, and cycle the nutrients that are present in cow dung to the soil. The dwelling beetles have the additional benefit that they compete for manure with horn flies that can irritate the cows.