Highland Cattle

Although not typically native to us here in Devon, Highland cattle suit the farming systems we embrace at Springwater Farm. They are a 'rustic' breed, with a long shaggy coat meaning them can happily graze amongst bramble and thicket which makes up much of the ground flora between our pasture and woodland when the cattle graze. They are hardy, being able to withstand the cold gales of Scotland, thus being more than happy out on windy hillside in our deep Devonshire valleys

They are excellent at turning all manners of forage in to milk and muscle, so make great outdoor mothers as well as beef to enter the food chain. Even the roughest of grasses can be digested by these gentle giants. We believe beef should only be raised on a pasture fed diet and we find the Highlands cope very well with this. Converting our organic grass into excellent quality  beef slow grown here in Devon.

You might wonder why more farmers do not rear highlands if they are so versitile? Well...their carcass is lighter weight than most which for us allows them to graze our clay soils with minimal impact while improving biodiversity & our ecosystems. However most farmers sell direct to companies rather than to their consumer and get paid by the weight of their carcasses, therefore a lightweight carcass means less money.
Highland cattle are also a slow growing breed, allowing them to lay down their intramuscular fats as would have nature intended. This produces supreme flavouring, tenderness & a beautiful rich dark colouring which can only be found in our slow growing heritage breeds.