Happy Bison Month!! We are at the Halfway Point!!
I am surprised that I have made it this far, and I hope you are taking notes, because there could be a short quiz at the end of this month, and there will be prizes... because we can.
These are some wonderful people here today, we get and use a lot of their wonderful pecans here. Pies, cobblers, spiced pecans, pecan butter, and whatever else we feel like making.
I am so glad you have come on this journey with us, it's been so much fun learning the history behind these amazing people, have known most of them for a long time, but honestly, until I started this researching the ranch history, there has been a lot I didn't know.
Hope you have a truly great day!
Ron & T, and the crew here at the BWC
Cave painting...
Cracking Open a Better Life:
How Cindy & Tread Sheffield Turned Illness, Prayer, and a Whole Lotta Pecans into TLC Ranch’s Regenerative Magic
Meet Cindy and Tread Sheffield — the dynamic duo (and now a full multigenerational crew) behind TLC Ranch in Burneyville, Oklahoma, right on the Texas-Oklahoma border. What started as a weekend escape from Dallas-Fort Worth life has grown into something truly special: a regenerative bison ranch and certified organic pecan orchard where over 2,000 trees stand tall, bison roam freely among them, and healing — of bodies, soil, and spirits — happens every single day. And yes… we’re talking about those delicious, nutrient-packed pecans that are as much a part of the story as the bison themselves.
From Bedridden to “Let’s Buy Some Land”
Cindy’s journey began long before the ranch had a name. In her twenties, she had battled chronic illness — relentless sinus infections, pain, and fatigue that left her bedridden. Doctors offered surgeries she couldn’t afford and pills that didn’t work. Then came a road trip to Arkansas and a book on food allergies that changed everything.
Cindy realized her body was reacting to what she was eating. Within six months of switching to whole, organic foods, she was pregnant, off antibiotics for good, and feeling alive again. That personal healing became the seed for everything that followed. “The same way I had to rebuild my gut, I had to rebuild the soil,” Cindy says. “Both needed life, not chemicals.”In 1997, she and Tread bought 85 acres in southern Oklahoma that others had written off. It was mostly fences and a tired old barn, but they saw potential. For years they commuted from the city, spending weekends hunting, exploring, and dreaming. By 2018, family members started moving out full-time. Today, six of their eleven (almost twelve!) family members live on the property — including their two daughters and their husbands. Three generations are now deeply rooted in the red dirt.
Pecans: The First Sweet Success (and the Healing Superfood)The Sheffields’ first big income-producing project? Pecans. Inspired by native trees already on the land, they started planting. What began with a few hundred trees has grown into a thriving certified organic orchard of over 2,000 trees — varieties like Choctaw, Pawnee, Kanza, and Lakota. These aren’t just any pecans. Grown with regenerative, biologically diverse practices, they’re packed with ellagic acid (known to help inhibit cancer cell growth), magnesium, zinc, B-vitamins, and that “good fat that heals.”
Cindy calls them a fat that actually nourishes instead of inflames. They’ve even used pecan sales to help others — once selling $5,000 worth in two weeks and sending the money straight to a friend’s family for a Rife machine during cancer treatment. And here’s the fun part: the bison now graze right among the pecan trees. It’s a beautiful symbiotic dance — the bison fertilize the soil, control vegetation, and add that perfect regenerative kick while the trees provide shade and a diverse ecosystem. Nothing happens in isolation at TLC Ranch.
Bison: The Dream That Took Its Sweet Time
Bison were always part of the long-term vision. After years of patience, prayer, and persistence, the herd arrived — starting with 16 animals from a veterinarian connected to the National Bison Association. Cindy and the family manage them holistically and regeneratively. They use homeopathic wormers and biological sprays, stepping in with conventional medicine only when truly needed. The bison teach lessons every day — like the time three calves refused to move until an older cow stepped in and showed them the way. “They communicate. They teach. They remind you that you’re not in charge — you’re in relationship,” Cindy observes. The bison meat is limited-harvest and available first to newsletter subscribers. They also offer raw local honey and even bison wool products (hmm, sounds familiar).
Everything is raised with the same “life, not chemicals” philosophy that healed Cindy years ago. Faith, Family, Floods, and Fighting for the Dream, The Sheffields are open about the role of faith in their story. Prayer, persistence, and the belief that “because of Christ, nothing is without hope” have carried them through floods (including a devastating 2015 orchard flood that actually revealed nature’s resilience), droughts, IRS audits that tried to call the farm a “hobby,” and the long wait for pecans to mature (10–12 years!). After that 2015 flood, Cindy noticed something powerful: areas with healthy grass held on while bare ground washed away. That observation sealed the deal — they went all-in on biological inputs and regenerative methods. The trees not only survived without synthetic sprays… they thrived. Their grandkids now run barefoot across the land, thanking the sun, grounding in the soil, and praying for the energy to help others. It’s multigenerational stewardship at its finest. TLC Ranch isn’t just about raising bison and growing pecans. It’s about regeneration starting from within. Heal yourself → you’ll know how to heal the land.
Heal the land → you create food that actually heals people. Cindy and Tread (along with their growing family) have turned what was once “unpromising” land into a living example of redemption and restoration. They welcome visitors, share their story, and invite others to experience the heart of the place — whether through their organic pecans, bison products, or simply by learning how nature and faith can work together.So the next time you crack open a handful of those sweet, nutrient-dense TLC Ranch pecans, remember the incredible journey behind them: a woman who healed her own body, a family that never gave up, and a herd of bison helping tend an orchard that’s helping heal the world — one delicious nut (and one majestic bison) at a time.TLC Ranch
Burneyville, Oklahoma
tlcranch.com Want the full experience? Grab some of their organic pecans, sign up for the newsletter for bison updates, or — if you’re lucky — catch one of Cindy’s tours. You’ll leave with dirt on your boots, pecans in your pocket, and a whole new appreciation for what happens when you give the land (and yourself) a little TLC.
Found this recipe a while back... histoical pecan pie, without Corn Syrup..
it's flipping delicious. Check it out here.
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