The Rustic Breeds
Rusticity means frugality, a hardy constitution and the capacity to live
in harsh environments characterized by sparse and uneven forage resources.
The Maremmana and Podolica reflect these precious characteristics to the
very highest degree. Raised using open-pasture breeding systems, they live
outdoors all year long in borderline areas where they procure food and shelter
from the elements, calving without any assistance and lavishing all necessary
care on their offspring. In these conditions, their morphological type cannot
help but deviate from the ideal beef-cattle type. Neverthless, this does
not diminish their importance since their offspring, whether purebred or
crosses, are the only ones capable of ensuring a profit in vast areas of
central-southern Italy that would otherwise be destined for depopulation
and deterioration.
In the presence of more favorable environment conditions, the Maremmana and
Podolica demonstrate surprising capacities for recovery and growth potential
that approach the one found in specialized breeds.