After gaining so much territory from the Ukraine, the "Breadbasket of Russia," why didn't Germany bend its will to siphoning off all the extra livestock, grain and etc. in that fertile region, to ease the suffering and privation of the starving German populace at home?

Granted, hindsight is 20/20, but that's one of those historical things that I have never understood.

Not very familiar with the border line by the treaty:

Russia recognized the independence of Ukraine and Georgia; confirmed the independence of Finland; gave up Poland, the Baltic states, and part of what is now Belarus to Germany and Austria-Hungary.

http://www.2-russia.com/treaty-brest-litovsk.asp

If Ukraine was independent then it was not German..?!?

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Well the problem is facilitating such a transfer. Later war and deep in foreign territory, moving livestock and food would be a logistically monumental task, and they still had a war on the western front to fight, a war they were slowly losing.

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"If your gonna buy the angel s**t, you might as well go for the zombie package as well."
-George Carlin

That was their original intention, I think. However, their mistreatment of the local population (a prelude to what was going to happen 23 years later) and lousy administration, deprived them on getting much. On the contrary, their stubborness in occupying and looting their 'conquered eastern empire', diverted many divisions from reinforcing the western front.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun