My family has been in South Mississippi since the area was a territory and we have always derived our living from the land in some form and livestock has always been a part of that system. While most of those around us have adopted modern commercial breeds of livestock we have maintained the traditional “native” or “heritage” breeds that for centuries were the mainstay of local agriculture. While there are no livestock breeds truly native to North America, it is a term used for those species of stock first introduced to the New World upon the arrival of the Europeans. Heritage denotes that they are older breeds that are distinct from the recently developed and introduced commercial breeds. Nearly all of the breeds of stock that were locally used were of Spanish origin as the Spanish were the first here and they were stock people to begin with. Most of the breeds that are raised here are accepted and recognized by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy which is an organization that was founded for the purpose of conserving the once vanishing breeds of livestock and it is through their effort and support that many of these breeds and species of livestock persist today. We encourage our customers and supporters to please support the ALBC by becoming members or making donations to them. Their work is instrumental. In addition to livestock we also still raise many varieties of corn and vegetables that are heirloom varieties as well.
I try very hard to work the land as natural possible and attempt to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Not every pine that dies is instantly cut down as these will provide home for woodpeckers of various species, Eastern Bluebirds, and other species of cavity nesters in addition to flying squirrels. A multi-species grazing system is used as the goats and sheep eat things such as dog fennel which the cattle won’t eat and the cattle pick up parasites harmful to goats and sheep but not themselves and vice versa. Pastures are rotated and the stock has access to woods grazing as well. The chickens and other poultry are free ranged and are fed as natural a feed as possible for the best products available.
Welcome to the Pitts’ Farm website,
Justin B. Pitts