Twin Gentle Giants, Shat Acres Rob and Roy returned home today from their summer pasture. Rob said he was sorry for smacking Ray’s head with his 66” horn spread. Roy's are even larger at 67". According to Rob, it was an accident. It is always a challenge to get these two steers into and unloaded from the trailer. Weighing over a ton each, you don’t just whistle for them to come like a dog. If you can convince one of them to jump into the trailer, that first one in pretty much fills the trailer. Then brother has to climb in, joining his twin. Luckily the trip home is less than a mile. Rob and Roy are so bonded that we cannot make two trips, leaving one behind.

While Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion were Trick or Treating with grandchildren, Shat Acres Brandywine was delivering a Halloween surprise!

Here's the Trick: Brandywine did not calve this summer, and we thought she would not in 2024

Here's the Treat: In the morning we discovered Brandywine with a healthy new baby girl in the field.

Judge Henry Walter Prescott-Ballagh from New Zealand evaluated 251 photo entries from 44 folds, from 9 countries, awarding 1st-4th placements in each class. Prior to seeing the Judge's placements, breeders who entered animals into the show were invited to judge the classes, resulting in People's Choice Awards. It was most interesting to see how closely the People's Choice selections aligned with Judge Prescott-Ballagh's placements. The cream-colored photo edgings are Judge Prescott-Ballagh's choices, the yellow-edged photos are People's Choice awards.

What an honor for Highland House Farm Stay, Ray and me to be part of this joyous occasion! You could not have asked for a more beautiful day, a kinder and more loving couple, or more caring and supportive friends. We have hosted birthday and anniversary celebrations, bachelorette parties, multi-generational family gatherings with and guests from all over the world, but this one takes the cake!

After farming for six challenging years Olivia and her family sold their Indiana farm to travel the country, filming and learning from other farmers who adhere to regenerative agriculture practices. With their newfound knowledge, these travelers hope to purchase another tract of land to farm with more success than their first attempt.

We are so grateful to those who support us and other local farmers and vendors at the Market. The Farmers Market is where you can meet the farmer who grew your food, learn about the humane and regenerative practices used to bring fresh from the farm food to you, and get tips or recipes to prepare their products.

The world lost a ceiling-breaking journalist, and an incredibly kind, loving soul. Judy Simpson began her trailblazing career as a journalist in 1985, joining WCAX in 1997 as a reporter. She later became the morning news anchor at WCAX in 2000, leaving that role to continue as host of Across the Fence until 2018, when she retired.

Ray is the true farmer and herdsperson of our team, but he always referred to Cinnamon Raisin as "Janet's Cow." Yes, Raisin was an amazing show girl and champion, but most of all she was one of the most loyal and trusted friends I ever had. Even with so many Highlands we have loved and been proud of, I miss Raisin every day.

“There they are, the Shaggy Cows! My favorites!”

“Is that a small cow?” several people asked, pointing to Peeka.

With all the cattle home and Peeka and her humans recuperating from long days at the Fair, our 52nd year sharing Shat Acres Highlands with admirers at the Best Ten Days of Summer is in the books! The Champlain Valley Fair is Vermont’s largest agricultural fair, hosting 180,000 visitors during its 10 day run. In 52 years just at that fair alone, Shat Acres has introduced Highland cattle to close to ten million people!

"I know someone who has Highland Cattle in Michigan," she shared with Ray while admiring Raisin Pie, Ethan and Allen at McDonald's Farm at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex, Vermont.

"Who's that?" Ray asked.

"Someone named Skyler."

"Skyler Anderson? I've known Skyler since he was nine years old. I met him in Cambridge, Ohio when he was helping Valerie with her cattle."

First bath for Shat Acres’ twin Green Mountain Boys, Ethan and Allen! Momma Shat Acres Raisin Pie is a pro at showing and exhibiting at the Champlain Valley Fair and kept her boys super calm. Pie and her twin bull calves will be at McDonald’s Farm for the next 10 days. This is the 52nd year—more than half a century—that Shat Acres has offered a Cow and Calf to exhibit at McDonald’s Farm! More Shat Acres Highlands Cows and Calves arrive in the cattle barn the end of next week.

Stop by and say hi to the Shat Acres girls and boys!

For more information about Raisin Pie and twins Ethan and Allen scroll back on my page to June 30th to read "THE LIFE OF PIE."

Guests from Dubai, Washington State, Arkansas, New England and Vermont traveled to Plainfield to join us at our annual 2024 Open Farm Day! We love sharing our farm, regenerative agriculture practices, and heritage Highland Cattle with such appreciative and grateful guests. Shat Acres Raisin Pie with twins Ethan and Allen were definitely the Stars of the Show.

Have you always wanted to cuddle a Highland calf? Comb a Highland cow? Spend a few minutes or a few hours relaxing amongst the oldest registered fold of Highland Cattle in the US while gazing out at one of the most beautiful vistas in Vermont?

Come meet our Highland Green Mountain Boys, twins Ethan and Allen and their momma Shat Acres Raisin Pie. The twins are super tame and love to be cuddled and combed. Bring a blanket and a picnic if you like, we’ll supply Highland cake for dessert!

Look who made the front page! Our own Shat Acres Green Mountain Boys!

Ethan and Allen, Shat Acres' twin bulls were born 5/19/2024. Their dam is Shat Acres Raisin Pie, their sire Skye High Glen Rock. For more of their story, see post below THE LIFE OF PIE.

"I'm downsizing. I wondered if you want to buy Raisin Pie back."

It was the winter of 2019 when we received that call. In 2017 Shat Acres Raisin Pie had been sold at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO, to a breeder from Virginia. When she was sold, Raisin Pie was 19 months old and a big girl, weighing 992 pounds. Pie left Denver for Virginia without us having received a penny. Over time the breeder did pay us for our heifer, but not without much prodding and begging. Lesson learned--our Highlands do not leave our farm or possessions without being paid for.

March 2024-June 2024 Highland House guests. I intended to post each month but time got away from me. I’ll try to do better!Highland House Farm Stay has been recognized as in the Top 1% of all AirBnb’s in the US and a Guest Favorite, based on our visitor’s reviews!

Twenty years ago we preserved the hide from a red Highland steer. We wanted to show the difference between a pure Highland and a Highland/ShorthonX.

This hide is from a roan Xbred steer. It took 17 months to complete the tanning, which needed to be sent to Pennsylvania from Vermont. The hair is very soft and the hide is thinner than that of the pure Highland. We are pleased with how it turned out.

The voice on the other end was Peter, aka Farmer Pete as he calls himself, since summering some of our cattle at his beautiful property on the upper side of Berlin Pond for the last half dozen years.

I assumed the worst—had the cattle had gotten out and were gone, had a dog chased them, had one been hit by a car, had Peter gotten hurt while combing one of the animals?

“What’s going on?” I asked with trepidation.

“I like to call these cattle the teddy bears of the farm.” The reason Janet Steward can’t get enough of Scottish Highlands. Watch FarmHer Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV.

“You pace off the next post while I drive these posts in.”

This morning, we added a new alleyway to ensure all summer paddocks can open into access to shade. Intensive Regenerative Agriculture cell grazing requires a lot of fencing up front, but once the infrastructure is in place, the soil, the cattle, and the soul are all nourished by the high quality and quantity of grass produced.