Billy Bolch is a self-proclaimed beef eater.
“I think beef should be served three times a day,” he said with a laugh.
Despite having a heart attack a few years ago, he continues to eat beef five to seven times a week, and a recent doctor’s appointment showed he is right on track.
How can that be? He says he eats only grass-fed Highland beef raised on his Laclede County, Mo., farm.
Highland cattle are known for their long horns and hair, but the breed also has a reputation for producing beef that is higher in Omega-3 and protein, and lower in cholesterol and fat.
According to the American Highland Cattle Association, Highland cattle have lived for centuries in the remote Scottish Highlands. Their thick hair coat hide protects them from the extreme cold, thus they need to produce less fat. The breed can now be found around the world and across the United States.
Billy and his wife, Kathy, moved to Stoutland, Mo., from the New England area in hopes to start their own farm. They moved to the Laclede County area after finding it to be an economical place to live and operate.
“Then I had a heart attack,” Bill said. “I just couldn’t give up beef and I just wasn’t going to hear that. No was not in my vocabulary when it came to beef, so we did a lot of research and found out about the Highlanders.”
In 2011, they began their Highland herd and Highway H Highland Cattle Ranch, which now consists of more than 40 head of Highland cattle, including a herd bull affectionately known as Larry, as well as four Angus females used in their crossbreeding program.
The crosses produce slightly larger framed calves that are typically polled. The crossbred calves carry the thick hair of the Highlander, as well as the leaner, healthy meat traits.
“We see a lot faster growth too,” Kathy said. “They get bigger than the Highlanders, but you lose nothing in the flavor or in the benefits of the Highland beef.”
Because the Highlanders are slow maturing, the crossbreeding program allows them to breed the Angus and crossbred females at an earlier age. Highlander heifers aren’t typically bred until they are between 2 and 3 years of age.
The couple has also found that the crosses are a little more desirable for some buyers because of the quicker growth.
“That’s why we want to go with some of the crosses,” Kathy said.
The American Highland Cattle Association, according to Billy, is also seeing the value of crossbreeding and recognizes the crosses as the “Sovereign” breed.
The couple explained that the American Highland Cattle Association will register an animal as a Sovereign, if it is the offspring of a registered Highland crossed with another purebred animal of another breed.
“This is all part of learning if this is marketable,” Billy explained. “It’s a learning process for us.”
Kathy added that the “purists” of the Highlander industry are opposed to crossbreeding, but the national association continues to explore possibilities.
Kathy said while she understands the desirability of a larger framed animal by buyers, her true love is the purebred Highlanders.
As Kathy fed a range cube to a cow named Miss Piggy, Billy said the gentle nature of the Highland breed was another attribute they were drawn to. “What other breed are you going to keep behind a rickety fence like this?”
Billy and Kathy follow grass-fed practices for their cattle, occasionally offering range cubes, which are considered all-natural and are acceptable by grass-fed standards, to their herd. Kathy said the cubes are “treats.”
They also produce their own hay and have access to a supply of native grass hay, which is free of fescue, if needed.
Promoting their cattle as locally produced grass fed beef has allowed the couple to obtain several customers, but they have no desire to get “too big” because they want to concentrate their efforts on producing a high quality product, not just a large quantity of beef.
Billy pointed out that their herd’s genetics can be traced to the larger-framed animal of the scottish mainland which were able to graze on the better grasses and the smaller framed cattle that were raised on the western plants and known as the “Kyloes.” The Kyloes were even brought into homes in the winter in their native Scotland.
“They all really have desirable bloodlines,” Kathy added.
“With our registered herd, we only want the top of the line because we are going to take those calves to the Highland auction each year,” Billy said. “We are only going to send animals to the auction that are high quality animals… Confirmation is very important to Highland breeders and they are very specific about what they want.”
The couple will be sending some of their calves to the upcoming Heartland Highland Sale in late April in Norwood, Mo.
“We keep the best of the best for ourselves with our heifers,” Kathy said, adding that they are also looking at producing herd bulls. “We are getting calls. Our intention is to sell a little of everything.”
Billy and Kathy’s herd is “young” in that the oldest female is 8 years old, and with an average lifespan of a Highlander reaching 18 years plus as a producing cow, the couple is confident their animals will remain productive for many years.
“I just love them,” Kathy said. “I just like to come here and sit and watch them. They are just such beautiful animals.”
