The Bacon Family has found the secret to happiness with their fluffy cows
SILOAM SPRINGS, ARK. – “We are getting a highland cow today,” said Justin Bacon’s wife one morning.
According to Bacon, his wife Danielle had “always wanted highland cattle and been fascinated with the breed.”
Fast forward five years, and they have curated a successful business based around these teddy bear-like cattle.
“Highland cattle are smaller in stature, long haired, and horned cattle that are known for their docility,” said Bacon. The Bacon’s purchased their first few Highlands in Missouri.
After falling in love with the breed, they decided to purchase more from a woman in Claremore, Oklahoma who owned “Hug a Highland” a small business where families and groups can come out and pet, hug, and take photos with the cattle. The Bacons returned year after year purchasing a few more on each trip.
In 2024 they decided to take over her business and transport it to their farm in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The Bacon family now owns around 14 head of Highland cattle.
Highland cattle are growing in popularity on social media because of their inviting demeanor and long-fluffy hair.
The growing popularity of the breed coupled with Danielle Bacon’s idea to introduce them to their farm was ideally the best of both worlds for the family.
Ultimately, people want to be a part of something this special, after all—the therapy is fuzzy, the staff is horned, and the hugs are always 100% grass fed.
Hug a Highland’s outreach on social media through platforms like Facebook has allowed them to catch the attention of fluffy cow lovers and gain business.
“My wife posts session availability on Sunday evenings listing their weekend availability for the next two weeks. This is so we can plan based on weather,” said Bacon, “We typically do around four sessions on Saturday and four more on Sunday ranging from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sessions normally last around 30 minutes, and then they also get 30 minutes in the gift shop.”
Groups may range in numbers, but Bacon said they purposefully keep the group sizes relatively small.
“We allow four members per group and then charge extra per additional person that attends. We also like to keep it to a maximum of eight to nine people per session just to ensure we do not overwhelm the cattle,” said Bacon.
Hug a Highland has hosted birthday parties, families and even corporate events for Walmart.
“I would say rough estimate we see 32 people in each weekend, and of course some have less, and others have more. We like to begin sessions when it gets cooler in the fall and then stop around springtime before it gets hot,” said Bacon, “However we will do some pop-up sessions in the summer if cooler weather comes in.”
Hug a Highland even opens sessions in the winter, “I’ve had people come out bundled up in 30-degree weather, and they still enjoyed it,” said Bacon
As far as maintaining the cattle, “it isn’t much different from a normal breed like Angus or Hereford cattle,” said Bacon.
“You take care of them similarly, but because they are an extra docile breed, it can be a good thing and a bad thing. Working them is slower, and past that, their horns can make working them and giving shots hard,” Bacon said. “I usually have to tie them over, so they do not sling their horns.”
“They also have smaller appetites and eat less grass and hay than a normal beef breed like Angus or Hereford cattle,” said Bacon.
As far as looking into the future for “Hug a Highland” the Bacon family would like to keep their herd size where it is, they believe they have the perfect amount of land to maintain their 14 head herd.”
“We have talked about adding a few registered cattle to our herd in case my daughter wants to show them when she gets older,” said Bacon
At the end of the day, the Bacon Family has found the secret to happiness: a field of fluffy cows, and a steady stream of visitors eager for bovine cuddle. And while the cows may not always understand the fuss, one thing’s for sure – at “Hug a Highland,” everyone leaves with a smile, a selfie, and probably some cow hair on their shirt.
