Forest Management With Cattle - The Symbiotic Relationship To A Healthier Ecosystem

Forest Management With Cattle - The Symbiotic Relationship To A Healthier Ecosystem

Pineywoods Cattle grazing on Japanese Stiltgrass in an opening in the forest at Ozark Akerz

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.

Stopping Rotational Grazing Was Key To Improvements

When we stopped rotational grazing to mimic the forage and grazing habits of the Pineywoods Cattle wild-running ancestors, we got some sideways looks. "Your weeds will get worse...". "Your cattle will loose weight..." and "...this is a proven practice, why would you change it?" were some of the comments.
 
For those of you not familiar, rotational grazing divides pastures into smaller areas (paddocks) for the cattle to graze usually using portable electric fencing. You move the cattle often, and each paddock has time to grow because it is not being eaten on all the time. It made sense to us when we started our herd. But after a few years it didn’t. We began noticing the cattle going immediately for a bite of a Black Walnut tree that grew in one paddocks (see photo of Blackberry below). We did some research and found that Black Walnut contains a natural parasitic called juglone. We realized the cattle were foraging for their own medicine to help control intestinal worms.
 
It was not easy to throw aside the benefits we’d learned about rotational grazing. I tried to come up with a hybrid rotation that would allow more access to trees. Sue was more in tune to the herds' needs, she convinced me that we should give the herd free access to forest and pasture, mimicking how our Pineywoods Cattle ancestors foraged. My worry about the weeds in the pasture getting worse remained with me.

Mimicking Pineywoods Cattle Wild Foraging Habits Improves Health of Forest and Cattle

The concerns about stopping rotational grazing have been largely unwarranted. This year we have fewer weeds that the cattle will not eat, in particular horse nettle. Some areas of the pasture have better grass growth and some are about the same as when we rotated. As a result of this grazing change the animals are healthier and in better condition . Our total vet and medicine expense for the past 7 years is $100 and hanging weight has increased by 13.5%.

In this video Farmer Mike highlights the significant difference in vegetation between 15 acres of forest after Pineywoods Cattle restoration and forest that has not been managed. It also shows some of the new plant species and one of the sacred indigenous sites and illustrates the dramatic improvements the Pineywoods Cattle have made. We also share some exciting news about expansion of our regenerative practices to an additional 60+ acres of forest. Mike also  emphasizes the importance of using regenerative approaches rather than spraying herbicides to manage invasive plant species and fire fuel in forests.

Forest Management with Pineywoods Cattle

Regenerative Principles Ahead of Regenerative Practices Improves Health

Sue and I distinguish between the principles and practices of regenerative farming over time. We've discovered that defining the practices before the land, animals and plants on our farm have spoken is like telling someone else’s story. Adopting rotational grazing for us was telling someone else's story.

We are inspired by the heart of regenerative farming, founded in indigenous principles. Indigenous communities around the world have followed these principles and and told the stories of the regenerative practices that have risen from them for thousands of years. We are fortunate to have the guidance of Haliwa-Saponi and Creek Nation friends to teach us the nuances of Honorable Harvest and 7th Generation. Their local indigenous wisdom, my lifelong respect for wild places and my passion to raise and grow healthy food to help Sue heal from cancer have combined to shape my stewardship. They are the principles from which the practices emerge…slowly.

Sue and I have seen health benefits since we began following these principles. Our general eating habits have not changed, the biggest change being we mainly eat what we grow, raise and forage. We eat very tasty wild-foraged red meat from our cattle that is filled with antioxidants. We also ferment a lot of our veg and fruit and make our own kefir and yogurt from raw milk and we enjoy a beer and a shot. We rarely eat at restaurants, but when we do we get what we call a "food hangover".
 
Sue has taken no prescription drugs and 3 aspirin in 8 years. I had my first blood test since we began farming regeneratively last year. The previous test in 2011 had ten out-of-range results, in 2023 eight of those 10 results were well within range and 2 were just barely out of range.
 
Although anecdotal, these health benefits cannot be understated. They are the result of sticking with the principles and not being stuck in practice-paralysis. Dr. Stephan Van Vliet at Idaho State University recently published his findings, verifying increased nutrients in beef of cattle that eat a diverse range of forages. Diverse forages are exactly what our Pineywoods have access to in our forest and pastures.

Expanding With The Help of Funding for Regenerative Farming Practices

The cattle have done such a good job in this forest that we are planning on fencing another 65 acres of forest for them to manage. It took a little convincing to get cattle included in our Forest Management Plan, but having seen the result of their foraging behavior, the forester was more amenable to the change. We are dividing the forest into 3 paddocks to manage herd access.

We're excited to announce that we have signed a contract with non-profit Accelerating Appalachia* to join their Building Soil, Building Equity program. Accelerating Appalachia is helping farmers grow the regenerative economy and a resilient Appalachia and rural Southeast. They are passionate about regenerating and conserving Central/Southern Appalachia and the rural Southeast through their commitment to supporting resilient regional production and manufacturing in food, fiber and forest products.
 
This is a big deal y’all. Expanding the Pineywoods into this new forest is expensive. Survey, fence-line clearing, building culverts for seasonal streams, erosion control and fence installation are just a few examples of our expenses. As I have said before, cost-shares for spraying herbicides for forest management are readily available. This is the first time we have found an organization that helps fund forest management with livestock. We are particularly grateful to Accelerating Appalachia CEO SaraDay Evans for the open and honest discussions we have had since November 2023. Many of our previous discussions with potential funders initially seemed positive but when we got into the weeds (no pun intended) of how we farm regeneratively, there was always a stumbling block. Many times we're left feeling that the regenerative farming we practice is doing too much for the environment or we are too far down the road to get funding or the requirements for implementing them are counterproductive to our goal as a regenerative farm. It can be a bit exhausting and we've gotten used to setting our expectations low.

Sue and I are excited to work with a non-profit such as Accelerating Appalachia. Through our discussions with SaraDay and her team, we finally feel that we have found an organization that shares our commitment to regenerative practices. We’ve been searching a long time.

*Funding provided in part by USDA's Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities and Accelerating Appalachia

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