Backyard Farming: Raising Cattle by Kim Pezza - Series Introduction
So you want to raise cattle. Maybe just one cow. Maybe a small herd. Either way, you probably have questions. A lot of them.
That’s exactly what this book is for. Backyard Farming: Raising Cattle by Kim Pezza (ISBN: 978-1-57826-495-7) is a practical, no-nonsense guide to raising cattle on small farms and homesteads. It covers both dairy and beef cattle, and it’s written for people who are genuinely considering getting their first cow.
Who Wrote This and Why Should You Care
Kim Pezza grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, surrounded by dairy and beef farms. This isn’t someone who read about cattle farming on the internet and decided to write a book. She grew up in it. That matters because a lot of homesteading content out there comes from people who bought three chickens last year and now consider themselves experts.
What the Book Covers
The book goes through basically everything you need to know before you bring a cow home. Here’s the rundown:
- History of cattle in America and how they got here
- Breeds for dairy, beef, dual-purpose, and even miniature cattle
- Housing and fencing because your cow needs somewhere to live
- Feeding and nutrition for different types and ages of cattle
- Common diseases and how to spot them
- Breeding and what to expect
- Caring for calves from birth through weaning
- Milking by hand and machine
- Making milk products like butter and cheese
- Beef processing and what that actually involves
- Culling decisions and when it’s time
- Other uses for cattle beyond meat and milk
It’s a lot. But Pezza keeps it practical and doesn’t waste your time with filler.
Why This Matters Right Now
Here’s the thing. More and more people want control over their food supply. And honestly, can you blame them?
Factory farm conditions are rough. The hormones pumped into dairy cattle are concerning. And the practice of feeding ground-up cattle remains back to living cattle is just… yeah. That’s a real thing that happens in industrial farming, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that makes people want to raise their own animals.
You don’t need a massive ranch to raise cattle. A small homestead with decent pasture can support a cow or two. And if you’re producing your own milk and beef, you know exactly what went into it. No mystery ingredients. No questionable practices.
What This Series Is
We’re going through the book chapter by chapter, pulling out the key information and presenting it in a way that’s easy to follow. Think of it as the CliffsNotes version, but with enough detail to actually be useful.
If you’re seriously thinking about raising cattle, you should still grab a copy of the book. But this series will give you a solid foundation and help you figure out if cattle farming is really something you want to pursue.
Let’s get into it.
This post is part of a series retelling and reviewing Backyard Farming: Raising Cattle by Kim Pezza (ISBN: 978-1-57826-495-7).