Some of our Scottish Highland cattle. The oldest registered breed of cattle and the only beef served on the table of the Queen of England!
Some of our Scottish Highland cattle. The oldest registered breed of cattle and the only beef served on the table of the Queen of England!
SKY PRAIRIE
HIGHLANDS
Highland Cattle
in the
Heartland!
Scottish Highlands Meat PREMIUM beef!
The Scottish Highland has a modern beef carcass with lean, well-marbled, flesh that ensures tenderness and succulence with a very distinctive flavor. Highland beef is healthy and nutritious with lower levels of fat and cholesterol and a higher protein and iron content than other beef.
The Scottish Highlander's proven ability to produce top quality meat without the addition of expensive high quality feeds makes this breed the perfect choice for those people who wish to produce beef with natural inputs.
Scottish Highland beef is slow-maturing making it a premium beef which is lean, well marbled with low fat and cholesterol levels whilst remaining rich in protein and flavor, criteria increasingly demanded by today's market.
A heavy coat insulates against a harsh climate and reduces the need to develop excess back fat.
Recent studies in both North America and the UK have shown that Highland Beef is consistently much lower in fat content and cholesterol than other breeds. It is so lean that it compares with chicken and fish fat content.
The marbling of the beef gives the same tenderness and tastiness as the other larger breeds.
Studies in the US have verified that Highland Beef is 38% lower in fat content and 4% lower in cholesterol than steaks from local supermarkets.
100% Grass-Fed Beef from our Scottish Highland Cattle!
According to the Mayo-Clinic and many other authorities, grass-fed and grass-finished beef is becoming a highly sought after commodity for the following health reasons. e have many people coming up our lane looking for grass-fed, grass-finished beef on the advice of their health care practitioners and dietitians.
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Less total fat.
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More heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
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More conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fat that's thought to reduce heart disease and cancer risks.
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More antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E.
Please note that we maintain a small fold of cattle and the demand is high. We only butcher once or twice a year. Meat is sold on the hoof for those wishing to butcher their own, or packaged quantities when available.
Did you know that Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family maintain a purebred fold of Scottish Highland Cattle at Balmoral Castle where they are naturally raised and grass fed. Balmoral Castle occupies 65,000 acres of naturally preserved landscape. The Queen's fold has been as large as 100, but in recent years has been reduced to half that. When the Royal Family travel, they often send their own meat ahead of them, as they believe it is the healthiest of meats.`
Scottish Highland Beef Cuts.
Why Scottish Highlands?
We acquired our first Highland cattle in 2010 along with our first registered herd sire. Thus, the beginnings of our highland fold (a herd of Scottish Highland Cattle is called a fold)
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The Scottish Highland Cattle have proven to be everything that is written and said about them.
Our research into the history and characteristics of the breed indicated that they would be a good match to the type of farm we had to work with, the landscape, the weather, and our plans for raising our own beef using organic practices.
They quickly came together and formed a very strong bond as a fold. As much as they have their herd hierarchy, they look out for each other and not one is ever left behind. Our property is near 200+ acres of conservation land with everything from coyotes, wolves, bears, fox, deer, weasels, skunks, porcupines and stray dogs wandering through. They wander free with little incidence of predators.
The fold has shown themselves to be hardy foragers, with palates not only for grasses, clover and alfalfa, but they munch down on prickly ash, apple, goldenrod, thistle, persimmons, sumac, and wide variety of wild plants.
Just as the experts on the breed mention, they do use their horns just like we would use our fingers. They are well aware of how to use and manipulate their horns, both gently and at times effectively. The rare moment of aggression within the fold is usually a brief head bashing, followed by one backing off in submission.
Our old barn went down in a tornado, so there is little shelter from the cold or protection from predators. Again, a reason why we chose this breed. In minus ten degree winter conditions they stand outside in the blustery winter weather huddled together like husky dogs in the arctic north. Their thick shaggy coats and hair over their eyes are definitely an asset. Summer weather finds them wading in the pond in extremely high temperatures.
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They are easy-going in nature, exceptionally easy to move and manage from one pasture to another, and naturally prefer pasture greens to grains, sweet feeds, and treats. Our fold is moved from one pasture area to another on a fairly regular basis, with access to water in all areas.
The meat is muscular with little fat. The taste is sweet and extremely nutritious. We have been able to reduce our meat consumption more than half in all recipes and feel full, satisfied and energized. Our personal experience tells us that the meat is everything that it should be and more.
We believe that our fold is happy, content and are being raised in an environment that allows them to be what they came into this world to be, and are able to be the best that they can be.