On the swampy shores of Hyde County, North Carolina, two brothers are forging a new path for regenerative farming.
Growing up in Fairfield, NC, Tyler and Richard Mann were always surrounded by livestock. Their father usually kept a herd of over 50 head of cattle on their 5000-acre family farm, alongside an assortment of chickens, turkeys, doves, peacocks, pigs, goats, and sheep.
When Tyler and his wife, Jenna, welcomed their son in 2023, they knew they wanted to emphasize healthy living, especially healthy food. At the same time, Tyler began a deep dive into the world of regenerative agriculture, learning about the soil and human health benefits of chemical-free farming.
The result was Mann Family Pastures, a diversified, rotationally grazed livestock farm situated on about 20 acres of the original Mann family farm. Tyler and his brother Richard raise sheep and pigs in a silvopasture system, a type of agroforestry that integrates trees, livestock, and forage as part of a managed ecosystem.
The property includes a 12-acre parcel of wooded land that had been set aside by the Manns’ great-grandfather for firewood and shade. Left undisturbed and unmanaged for years in Hyde County’s swampy climate, the woods had become overgrown with vines, brush, and invasive plants. Tyler and Richard divided the land into eight sections of woodland and pasture, rotating the livestock through each paddock in succession while allowing the other paddocks to rest and regenerate.
In this diversified system, each species has a different role to play in enriching the land and the system as a whole. The sheep eat up vines and new leaves in the wooded areas, and are followed by the pigs, who turn up a lot of the ground, and the cows, who eat up the underbrush. Together, the livestock fertilize the soil and thin out much of the undergrowth, allowing larger native trees to grow and flourish and creating an open, shaded habitat for wildlife like quail. The Manns then hand-seed pasture grasses in the newly fertilized soil to grow healthy forage for the next time the animals cycle through.
This silvopasture system not only enhances the health of the land and local wildlife, but also the livestock themselves. Fed on pasture grasses, woodland forage, and locally grown non-GMO feed from Eastern North Carolina, the animals receive a diverse diet of high-quality nutrients in a natural, shaded, and stress-free environment. According to the Manns, this translates into healthier, more flavorful high-quality meats. “It’s really just good for everything,” says Tyler.
The Manns have big goals for enhancing and expanding their silvopasture operation. Tyler would like to be able to chip down fallen trees to make compost for the pasture, and hopes to plant fruit, pecan, and chestnut trees. Eventually, the brothers would like to transition the entire family farm to regenerative grazing, but first, it’s a matter of proving to the rest of the family that the system can be profitable. As the only farm practicing regenerative agriculture in their area, the experience can be challenging and isolating. Without local expertise to rely upon, the Manns are learning much as they go along, adapting their system to the unique context of their land.
Initial results through this continuous learning process have been encouraging. When an NC NRCS Grazing Specialist visited the farm recently, he commented, “Y’all are doing everything right; this is really well managed.”
Tyler Mann is committed to continuing the practice of regenerative grazing on silvopasture for the health of his family and the land. “It’s something we’ll continue to do for our family, regardless of whether it’s selling to other people,” he says. “At the end of the day, we can feed our family and have a good nutrient-dense product.”