1. Foragers: They can live on less than ideal pastures (if necessary) and still find something to eat. 
   NOTE: They are not goats. They do need proper nutrition and access to food and water. We just admired that they will eat more than just grass / hay. 
2. Beef: Their beef is very low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein. Their hair acts as an insulator which eliminates a good majority of fat. We do plan on having beef for our family however we do not sell beef cuts or shares. 
3. Self Sufficient: Highlands are pretty self sufficient. In our experience, we have not had to intervene much. We like to leave things as close to nature as possible. We do tag / give supplements at birth as well as vaccinate and deworm annually and we will step in if necessary to keep our animals safe and healthy.
4. Mothers: They are really great mothers. They take amazing care of their calves and typically calve with ease. 
5. Shelter: Their double coat is amazing in the winters which means they do not need a barn (where we live). We definitely get hit with snow and wind and they will find a safe spot in the trees if they feel the need. But providing shelter was not something we could do and they do not require it to survive. 
6. Docile: In general, Highland’s temperament is extremely calm. They do have horns and we are very aware of that when we have our kids out with us. We also know that a new Mama is not going to be friendly. But for the most part we are able to be around them without any issues. 

No...
Simply put, we started with Highlands and have seen the market shift slightly from when we first started.
The request for Registered Highlands has increased, which is why we added more registered animals and slimmed down on our unregistered (but still offer both).

We have added Herefords to our Herd to offer a bit of diversity - these herds run separately during breeding (Highlands / Galloway are paired up with our Highland Bull on one field and our Herefords are paired with a Black Angus on another pasture).

Respectfully... Never.
In order to get a "miniature" animal, the breeder would need to introduce other genetics (ex: Dexter) which would then take the "purebred" out of the animal.

Highland Cattle are a smaller breed naturally. We can lead you towards smaller framed animals (by looking at the Cow), but we do not ever guarantee size and/or label our animals as "mini"

We purchased Galloway Pairs in 2021. Those pairs have been bred by our Highland Bull which means their calves are Galloway x Highland.
What is the benefit of a cross? We have seen that these calves show great vigor when it comes to their growth. Additionally, they (typically) do not have horns. So if you are interested in a quick growing, hornless option that has the same beef quality and look as a Highland, this is your best option! 

Additionally we have purchased a Black Angus bull that will be bred to our Hereford Herd this year in 2025.
Offering Black Baldy steers for our beef program.

No. Simply put, neither of us had any prior ranch, farm or cattle experience. Everyone is going to be new at something at some point, I truly do believe that. BUT, I also believe in really educating yourself in the area you’re new at before you just jump in with both feet. Find people who you can trust that have been doing it for a while that will lead you in the right direction. 

We do not believe in having just one animal. They are herd animals and love being around other cattle. We genuinely try our best to keep things as close to natural as possible and I personally don’t think that secluding a herd animal for an extended period of time is in their best interest. Two or more would be the goal!

For clarification purposes - when we say we started Hillside with just one heifer, she was only alone for roughly one week before our bull arrived. 

We strongly believe in allowing others to see the beauty within the Ranch.
This is something we have discussed wanting to build towards however right this second, no we do not offer public tours. 

This has always been a tricky one for us that we have never felt comfortable answering.
Different States / starting points can cause this number to greatly vary.

Call us old school, but there really isn’t a golden number of how much you need to save or spend to feel comfortable with starting a Ranch. If it is truly something you want to do, you will find a way to make it work for you (and it doesn’t have to be all at once).  

We also do not really discuss how many head of cattle we run or how many acres we live on because again — we do not believe in talking dollars ☺. 
I understand the general nature of this question - "how many head of cattle can you put on a certain amount of land?" I am not an expert on this and honestly cringe anytime someone asks me because I don't have the answer. But heres the deal - if you want to squeeze multiple cattle on a smaller portion of land (feed lot style), you'll just have to feed more since the land cannot sustain a large number on a small portion.

Additionally, leasing land vs. owning land is always an option. We lease + own.

Not at this time! We are currently running the Ranch by ourselves and loving every second. 

We are located in Eastern Washington. We had zero plans of staying in Washington but God had other plans for us. We tried to find a spot in ID, MT and WY but nothing felt right. We gave up looking for about 2-years. Keith randomly sent me a text with a link to the property and it was love at first sight ☺. Keith and I have since become Realtors ourselves and would love to bring this same story to life for someone else. If you find yourself searching in WA State, give us a call!

Don't compare yourself to anyone else; do things the way in which best suits your situation. 
You can't compare your beginning to someone else's middle or end. 
I really do believe that if you feel called to something, you will eventually make your way towards it. While you are making your way — because often times it doesn’t happen overnight (it certainly didn’t for us), make sure you are soaking up every ounce of information you can get your hands on. Join groups, ask questions, really understand and make sure it is right for you. Ranching isn’t like the TV shows. It is 24/7, 365 days a year. Unless you have someone else helping you, there is a chance some sacrifices (vacations) that you might not have thought about will come up. For us, vacations weren’t huge on the priority list. But we can no longer travel during the winter as we need to make sure the cows are fed and have access to water daily. We are not picture perfect examples — we started with a Mother’s Day heifer and I would 10/10 NOT recommend starting the way we did. I think if we really didn’t want it as bad as we did, we would have failed miserably. 

Cattle are animals, not pets. Their calves are the actual cutest but that isn’t a good enough reason to go buy one without fully understanding what you are getting into. Our intention was not ever to have a backyard cow, our goal was always to start a Ranch BUT, I think we underestimated how much we had the cart in front of the horse. 

Simply put, just take the time to make sure you have the basics down:
➊ Food, Water, Minerals | both readily available and sourced + the ability to feed (tractor, etc.)
➋ Fenced property | Keeping your cattle safe in your fenced area is really important + knowing how to fix fences ☺
➌ The ability to medically intervene | Make sure you find a local vet + the ability to doctor if needed (chute/squeeze, medicine, vaccines, prep for calving season etc.)
➍ A load out area | THIS IS HUGE. It is so easy to get them in, but how will you trailer them out if you sell or have any other reason to move them.
➎ Equipment | Might not be the top of the list but it is cheaper to trailer in your own hay and trailer out your own animals if needed (I’m not talking huge cattle pots, just if you are small scale transporting). 

Not at this time - but we hope to!
Currently, we only sell our weaned calves / bulls when rotating.
If we have anything for sale — we list everything on our Cattle Sales page.
We also highly encourage anyone interested in purchasing an animal from us to sign up for our Email Newsletter. That is where we will share all info on upcoming calving seasons, purchase processes, etc.

We are apart of the AHCA and currently have a Registered Bull that breeds all our Highland cows and heifers.

What does this mean?
Unregistered Highland Cows / Heifers bred to our Registered Highland Bull = Unregistered calves.
This pair will produce a purebred Highland and a more affordable option for those who are seeking beef and/or a backyard pasture pet.

Registered Highland Cows / Heifers bred to our Registered Highland Bull = Registered calves.
These animals come with an AHCA document that shows their dam / sire information and guarantees registered blood lines. This option is priced higher and is more for anyone looking to also be a breeder and/or show their Highland.

While I find this question very flattering, I am not a professional photographer by trade.

I absolutely love taking photos / videos of our life and have shared both my camera set up + my custom Lightroom Presets.

Yes! If interested, please reach out via our contact page.