Spring is such a special time of year at Almosta Farm, with all of the new calves running around.  We had our first one on March 16th and now there are 9 cute faces that make you smile.

Heidi the Rescued Calf receiving a pat from dear friend Sharon

But it hasn’t been without a challenge.  One of the senior cows, decided to pick a fight with another cow for whatever reason about a week before she was due and lost.  I had a horrible feeling that there would be ramifications to it.  Unfortunately, I was right ; the cow had her calf the next day.  It was a normal birth for the cow, but that’s where it ended.  The only thing going for the calf was that she was breathing.  After a valiant try I decided to call the vet, because I knew I was losing her.  He said that stress and adrenaline can cause a lot of problems.  Her heart and lungs sounded good.  So he gave her a steroid shot and antibiotic shot.  He said that I would need to get her up every 3 hours around the clock, to get her moving and nursing until she could do it on her own.  After 5 days and 2 other vet visits, his last effort was that she had a systemic infection.  He gave her an IV of Iodine and antibiotic shot with me following up with daily antibiotic shots for a week.  Now, I am thrilled to say that she is running around happy and healthy.  She is the first one of the calves to greet me to be rubbed.  I live by the idea that it is my job to give a calf every possible chance to live, then if it doesn’t work; then it was meant to be.  I will say that I have given the cow a stern talk and warned her to never do it again.  I don’t know if she listened.

With my term coming to a close this year as a director with the North Central Highland Cattle Association, I have been honored to be elected to be the Chairperson on the Jr. Committee. There are 5 very enthusiastic gals on the committee and we are having a great time, making plans and goals for the kids.

Show season is starting early, this year with the first one in Mercer, PA in May.  We had a “gal friends & cattle” weekend a couple of years ago and had such a great time, we decided to do it again- with 5 gal friends and 9 head of cattle. It doesn’t get much better to spend time with friends and cattle.

So far, we have had an amazing winter with very little snow and cold.  With the Stock Show on the horizon it’s always a very exciting and stressful time.  This year was especially the case, as I have been responsible for 2 other farms, with 3 of the animals being in the National Sale.  It is my 3rd year working with Gray Owl Farms in Rush City, MN.  They had a yearling highland heifer and bull that I have been working with.  I also had the pleasure to have a 2 year old highland bull from Maple Hill Highlands from Stanwood, MI that also was on the trailer.  So in all there were 8 Highland cattle headed west.  I was very blessed to have Gray Owl Farms offer one of the hired men to come along and help.  It was Mark Sheldon’s first time out there and he was very excited.  Tom McConnell and his daughters from Balaton, MN also came to Magnet to follow us out.  Bailey was going to show Almosta Farm’s Salli in the Jr. Showmanship class.  We had an uneventful trip to Denver and then the work starts. we put long days in and have very short nights, but it is a lot of fun.

Mark and I proved to be a great working team and appreciated his ideas that made things easier. Dawn Manthei came in Thurs. to work with her 2 year old bull.  Not only are we there to promote our farms but also to promote the breed. With the Vaughn family from Gray Owl also there; we had lots of people to talk to folks about our farms and the animals.  We all had a great show day and sale.

Almosta' Farm's Hatti was the 3rd highest selling heifer at the National Western Stock Show

The five days as always goes by so fast then it was time to head for home.  We left Denver right on schedule and was 2 hours on the road when  my pickup broke down.  It’s one thing to break down with your vehicle but when you have animals on the trailer it adds another whole set of problems.  I quickly learned that no one is open on Sunday.  But between Tom, Mark and I putting our heads together; we came up with a plan.  Tom had a relative in the Sterling,CO area that owned a feed lot and she was willing to come and pickup the trailer to get the animals in a safe place.  AAA came to take the pickup to Sterling,CO with Mark going with along.  Tom, his girls and I went with the highland cattle.  After 2 days, waiting for the repairs to be done we were on our way home.

With all of the hard work and stress, all of the farms had a great show.  Almosta Farm had the 3rd highest selling heifer, Maple Hill Farm had the 2nd highest selling bull, and Gray Owl Farms had the Jr. Yearling Bull Division Champion.  But the best part of going to this event is catching up with old friends, making new ones and having fun with this great breed.

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through Fall.  Here in Northeast Nebraska we have had a near perfect fall and it looks like it will continue for a while.  The farmers are getting the last of their crops in and preparing the land for next spring.

It has been a very interesting year at Almosta Farm.  Many good things, but also some challenges to overcome.  While I was out east to the Convention In June , we had an awful storm here with straight line winds which sent both of our 3 sided barns tumbling into the pastures.  We have had them for 7 years and they have withstood many different kinds of weather.  This was the perfect storm.  Luckily, the animals were OK and that was the important thing.

So, what do we do now ?  After visiting, so many farms through the years and saw many great set ups; I had a pretty good idea on how I wanted things set up this time. I firmly believe there is a reason for things to happen, and this was it, to get it right for us. So, we have a 40 x40, 3 1/2 sided barn ordered that should be built any day now. I also was able to purchase a squeeze chute, scales, etc. from Marsh Creek Highlands since they are retiring. I am excited to think that we are going to have a great set up when it’s done.

I have once again had the honor of showing a couple of animals for Gray Owl Farms and also for the first time We Tired Acres. We all had a good show season and am looking forward to going to the National Western Stock Show & Sale.
Being on the National Board , I have been involved in getting a separate display set up with Highland Cross Bred steers for folks to see just what the Highland breed can do for the Beef Industry at the National Western.  Angus Mackay from Scotland is coming over to man the display for Q&A. He is such an engaging man and is a wealth of information as far as the breed and what it can offer. He has a butcher shop and raises cross breds along with purebred Highlands.  He also judges shows all over the world.

Almosta Farm's Hatti

We have submitted a black heifer sired by our Grand Champion Bull; Skye High Koal at the National Sale and am so proud of what he and “his cows” are producing for us. It will also be the first time that we have submitted a yearling bull into the National Sale. Raine is sired by our tried and true senior sire: Spring Flight Connecticut Yankee. He continues to amaze me on what he and “his” cows produce for us each year. Check them out in the sales section!

If you have not been to the National Western Stock Show in Denver, it’s worth the time to go and check it out . There is so much to see and the weather is always warmer than it is here in Nebraska. Plus it’s just fun. If you find yourself there, come look Almosta Farm up, take a break from walking and have a chat with us:  The coffee pot is always on.

We wish you all very special holidays and a very Happy New Year.

Summer is always a fun time for everyone, with vacations and family events; creating memories that will last a lifetime.  And that was what happened to me this summer.

With the National Highland Cattle Convention being held in different regions, this year it was in Ithaca, NY in June.  These gatherings are such a great venue for education, networking with other breeders and farm tours.  I saw an opportunity to expand the trip to visit my aunt and uncle that live in Dexter, NY.  It had been a very long time since I had seen them and what a great time we had!  We also went to visit my cousin and her family, who had just purchased a dairy farm.  It was fun to see their excitement and wish them all the best with their new venture.  After a few days, it was time to say goodbye and head south to Ithaca.

It is a 4 day event for me, as I have a couple days of Board and committee meetings.  When planning my trip east, I wanted to visit a farm or 2 after the convention , with a visit to the May family; Seawind Meadows in Dennis, MA at the top of the list.  Oh, my, what a beautiful area.  They were so gracious and made me feel very welcome.  We visited an Oyster farm , which had many parallels as any farm.  Walked along the beach with the girls helping find Sea Glass, had a terrific Cape Cod dinner. and of course had such a great time visiting , and seeing their cattle.  While I was at the convention, John & Sue Foster extended an invitation to visit them at their Twinflower Farm in East Corinth, VT.  So from Cape Cod I traveled north to VT.  What a great time I had there!  We walked pastures to see their cattle and had great conversations.  Before I headed west, I also stopped to visit with Chris & Greg Markwell of Trafalgar Farm.  We had all had lunch and enjoyed each other’s company.  By then it was time to head west. I left the east coast with so many great memories that will last me a lifetime.

I was home for about 2 weeks, then it was off to the Midwest Jr. Cow Camp held north of Grand Rapids,MI.  This was the first show of what I hope is many, held at a local resort.  It was a weekend for kids, their families and cattle.  The kids could bring their own or there was an animal provided for them.  Dawn and Evelyn showed kids how to make neckties for their animals and personalized small wash pails.  In the morning we had washing and grooming sessions, preparing the kids and the animals for the show ring.  It is so much fun to watch shy kids blossom into confidant individuals by the end of weekend.  It wasn’t all about cattle; during the heat of the afternoon, the families went swimming, fishing and took a boat ride across the river for Ice Cream.  Because of many great and generous folks this event was free for the families and from what i could see and hear it was a HUGE Success!!
My heart is so full of memories and I feel my life is so much richer because of this summer.  This breed not only has so much to offer the beef industry but the friends and memories that I have had wouldn’t have happened at all if it wasn’t for this Grand Old Breed.

Weather wise spring has had a very hard time showing up, but here on the farm calving went along without a hitch. We have 4 heifers, 1 white bull and 1 Angus cross bred bull calf. I am so pleased with what the cows and the bulls have done for me. Yankee has had 4 calf crops and he has proven to produce cookie cutter calves. This is Koal’s second year and he is doing a terrific job as well.
I took a couple of animals in April to the MN. Spring JR. Spring Classic in Austin,MN for some kids to show, in a snowstorm! This is a terrific event with about 280 mainstream cattle and kids attending. This was the first year that the Highland breed had their own breed show, with 11 animals and 13 kids attending. What a great time we had!! The kids did a terrific job.
As with any farm, large or small , there is always something to do. We are getting ready to have the fire department burn the old house that is on the 5 acres that we bought a few years ago. Then we’ll fence in the land. I am happy to say, that is the last expansion for Almosta Farm and we’ll be happy with 25 acres.
I have been on the road quite a bit. I attended the 2nd Annual Spring Fair in Allegan, MI. It’s a great venue with the weather cooperating, and they had a great attendance. It’s such a fun time to be able to promote the breed and the farm. We also had a very good show, so that put the icing on the cake.
Now, I’m getting ready to head east to the 60th annual National Convention in Ithaca,NY. This is always a great time to meet folks, talk Highlands, attend meetings and seminars, oh and of course enjoy great food. I am leaving a few days early to visit an Aunt & Uncle that live upstate NY.
It looks like a busy summer with some new venues to attend, so please check out the event page and see what’s coming up. I hope to see you there!

Momma and Calf

Happy Spring!! What a great time of year; the geese are flying north, the robins are out and the snow is disappearing. For us at the farm it’s a busy and exciting time; calving. We currently have 2 heifer calves on the ground running around, with 4 more cows due anytime. It’s always fun to see what colors we get, with the Highlands having the wild color gene you never know.

We finalized the shipment of Koal’s straws to begin their journey to Nicolas Ibanez’s farm in Santiago, Chile.

We had our North Central Highland Cattle Assoc. annual meeting in February in Minneapolis, MN. It’s always nice to go and see folks that I sometimes only see on this weekend. One of those couples are Harris & Donna Viker of Marsh Creek Highlands (www.marshcreekhighlands.com). They have had Highlands since 1988 and are one of the most respected breeders in the business. Sadly, they had decided that it was time to disperse their herd and Donna approached me about the possibility of buying their last 2 heifers as she knew they would have a good home. To say that I was honored with that comment is an understatement. So the deal was made to bring Lena and Jeanette home. In the process of making arrangements, Donna also sold her last 3 cows (ranging in age from 14-16 years old) to a breeder in eastern WI. With some planning we all decided that it would be in the best interest of the older cows to load them once and take them to their new home, as they were due to calve soon. We found a break in the weather that would work for all parties involved and I left here to go to Mahnomen, MN (75 miles northeast of Fargo, ND) to the Viker’s farm. I had such a nice visit that evening and so enjoyed Donna’s stories, hearing the love and pride in her voice of her beloved animals. The next morning, we had the paperwork all in order and it was time for Donna to say good-bye. Considering the cattle had never been off the farm; the way they had been raised made the loading very easy. I arrived in eastern WI about 9:30 pm that evening with everyone traveling very well. After a nice morning of walking the pastures and seeing their animals; it was time to leave WI and head back for Magnet, NE. After 1550 miles in 3 days, I arrived home that evening about 11 pm. By now, Jeanette and Lena were seasoned travelers and were happy to be in their new home.

I have been blessed with many happy memories since I have had this great breed, with this one being right at the top.

Our travel plans for the year are coming together, so please check out the events page, with the MN Jr Spring Classic in Austin, MN being the first. It’s all about the kids and their cattle. This will be the first year that the Highlands will have their own division at this event and we are so excited! I hope to see you at one of the events this year.

Koal in the snow

It’s hard to believe that January is coming to a close. So far our winter in Northeast Nebraska hasn’t been too bad, with a nice blanket of snow in the pastures. Bailey (1st calf heifer) and her calf Brandy, that was born the last of November, are doing terrific.
It seems that planning for events is half the fun, but the actual event seems to just fly by. This event was the National Western Stock Show and Sale and it paid off to make all of the plans. Flatland Farm and Pell Creek Highlands arrived in Magnet ahead of time to load everything in one trailer and have the cattle hooves trimmed. We were out in Denver for 5 days and I have to say, that I have never had as much fun as I did this year. Yes, I said fun, because it’s a lot of work so you have to enjoy it. The cattle from the separate farms all placed in the top 1/3 of their classes , with Bailey McConnell being the Reserve Intermediate Champion in Showmanship in the Junior Show. It was her first experience out there and she did a great job! Her little sister Reilly, was such a huge help keeping things picked up behind the animals and being there when something was needed. They also helped present the sale animals in the sale ring and did a terrific job.

Heifer playing in the snow

It’s always a busy time having animals out there, talking to people about the breed and the farm; but I also had meetings to attend as a member of the National Board and on a couple of committees. There are quite a few things that we are in the process of starting that are very exciting for the members at large.

We had a safe trip home, animals are happy and things are unloaded. Now is the time to look back and remember the great memories that were created.

The next step for Almosta Farm, is looking forward to calving season and making plans for 2011.

We have had a beautiful fall in this area.  The farmers have their harvests in with a huge sigh of relief.  But I am sure that our first measurable snow is just around the corner.

We have had a year at the farm that a small breeder can only dream about.  In August, I took Koal to a semen collecting facility to be drawn for Chile.  There is so much testing and also having to be in quarantine; he was going to be gone about 3 months.  But what an honor!   He has been home for a couple of weeks and settled right back into the routine of things.

We had a very good show season, with some of our animals that were sold to other farms doing terrific.  This year Almosta Farm did very well, in the group classes, which to me is a true test of what our breeding program is doing right.  Our Cross-bred steer did very well and is now in Michigan being promoted by a gal, that will be showing in 4-H and Jr. shows.  We not only attended many shows throughout the Midwest but we also attended the Grass Fed Exchange with a display along with Flatland Farm and Gray Owl Farms.  We had such a great time, learned a lot and was well received .

Now, it’s meeting time with the Highland Association Board of Directors, and other committees that I am on; especially the Jr. committee.  We are getting things lined up for the kids to have a great time at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO in January.  If you haven’t been to the National Western; it is quite the experience with so much to see and experience.  This year there will be seven animals being represented by four farms on our trailer headed west.  Two of the farms will have their first experience at the National Western, which should be so exciting for all of us.

We are also offering a heifer through the National Sale in Denver.  Plus we have been honored the past couple of years to work with Gray Owl Farms from Rush City, MN in promoting a couple of their animals.  It has been a tremendous experience and this year they are going to put a Yearling bull in the National Sale.  So if you have a few extra minutes, please look through the different pages and see what we are offering.

May we take this time to wish you all a very blessed and peaceful holiday season.

2010 Grand Champion Bull- Skye High Koal

What a busy year we have had so far.  We finished fencing a new pasture for the yearling bulls.  But most of all, we have been feeling it’s time for our own website.  I hope you’ll check us out once in a while to see what we are up to.

We processed our first grass fed steer (24 months old red Angus cross) in June.  We are so pleased with how the carcass turned out and are getting rave reviews about the meat.  That, to me, is the true test of what our breeding program is doing.

We had 10 calves this year which is the most that we have ever had. We are so happy with what Koal is doing for us; as this is his first calf crop.

Haley and her Calf

Yankee continues to produce awesome calves. It’s a fun time around here with halter training the calves and spending time with them. To me, it doesn’t matter if the calf is going to be shown or if he is raised for beef, they all are treated the same; with kindness and respect. Next week is weaning time, so the calves that will be shown this fall will be ready to go.

Show season is starting in a couple of weeks in La Grange, IN.  It will be a busy time until the middle of Oct.  Please check out the events page and if you are in the area, please come look us up.  I love to talk Highlands.