Maintaining a heritage

ELKTON — Helping their customers know where their food comes from and continuing a heritage breed are two of the focuses for Mark and Jamie Schulz as they raise Highland cattle.

“You’re keeping something going that hasn’t been selectively bred for one trait or two traits,” Jamie said. “You just have a lot greater diversity within the breed.”

Mark and Jamie live near Elkton at Flatland Farm LLC. They have 35, fully grass-fed Highland cattle as well as 20-25 rabbit does in three breeds: Champagne D’Argent, Creme D’Argent and Argent Brun. Both Mark and Jamie also work off the farm, Mark for Hormel Foods LLC and Jamie for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Highland cattle have been part of Mark and Jamie’s farm since 2007, although they had been interested in them for years prior.

“(Originally), the goal (was) just raising some beef for ourselves and maybe some family and friends,” Jamie said.

Mark agreed.

“It was going to be more of teaching people where their food comes from,” he said. “I saw even working for a food company, there’s people that didn’t know where their food came from.”

Mark and Jamie said they appreciate the characteristics of the Highlands like insect resistance; disease resistance; a thick, double-hair coat; and good-flavored, marbled meat without excess fat. According to a University of Missouri study, Highland meat also has a texture advantage.

“No matter where Highlands were in the U.S., no matter what they were fed, on average, they were more tender than commercial breeds,” Mark said. “One of the reasons for that is they have a little shorter muscle fiber than most.”

Jamie said Highland personalities are docile and intelligent. Almost all their herd is halter broke, and they cull on disposition.

The Highlands are slow-maturing. Heifers are bred at the age of 2, and Mark and Jamie give their animals 26-28 months on grass to finish. With the slower maturing, Mark said the Highlands move freely and are not muscle-bound.

Keeping the Highlands’ diets fully grain-free is important to the Schulzes and means they do not use cornstalks or any product that might contain grain.

“We market our beef (as) grass-fed, grass-finished beef, and so we want to be very honest and true to that,” Mark said.

Animal health and targeting market segments are several reasons Mark and Jamie said they chose grass-fed.

“You have a niche market to begin with,” Jamie said. “(We are) just finding what customers are interested in, what it is that they’re concerned about.”

During the winter, the Highlands eat purchased hay. The Schulzes calve their cows from the end of February through mid-April to avoid flies. In the summers, the Highlands are rotationally grazed and also supplemented with shorter-stemmed hay. The hay is fed in the shade areas so the cattle have something easy to eat during the heat of the day and to ensure the pastures are not pressured.

May through October is their busiest season, Mark said, because rotational grazing is more labor intensive than feeding hay in the winter. During the summer months, Mark is up by 4 a.m. and checks the cows before getting to work at 6 a.m. After getting home around 4:30 p.m., he works with the cattle until bedtime, often having supper on the go.

“In the summer, I (sometimes) actually have an alarm set to say, ‘You’ve got to be done for the day, get to bed,’” Mark said.

The rabbits the Schulzes own are Mark’s project. His first experience with rabbits was showing them in 4-H, where he competed with them at the state fair multiple times.

In 2006, he returned to rabbits again.

Mark focuses on selling his rabbits for genetics as well as meat. In the last several years, he has sold rabbits to Vermont, New Hampshire and Ohio, as well as locally. The does have two to three litters each year. Mark said he hopes to get about seven rabbits per litter.

The rabbits are pedigreed, and Mark attends several shows each year within day-trip distance.

On the beef side of their operation, the Schulzes finish five to seven steers yearly which are sold on shares for butchering. Jamie said they want their customers to know where their food comes from, so they invite them to stop out at the farm to see how the animals are raised.

“(They are) getting something that’s flavorful and nutritious,” Jamie said. “It’s not a processed food; it’s something that’s giving them what they need to live a healthy life.”

Outside selling their finished steers, Mark and Jamie also sell their genetics.

“We would love to be the supplier of traditional Highland cattle,” Mark said. “If people want to get back to that. … they can come to us.”

If their buyer is not a member of the American Highland Cattle Association or the North Central Highland Cattle Association, Mark and Jamie will buy them a membership to get them involved. They also mentor, giving advice on breeding and more.

Mark and Jamie have both served at the regional and national level on the AHCA/NCHCA boards and committees and continue to do so. Mark is currently the president of the Highland Cattle Foundation, and Jamie is a member of AHCA governance committee and the NCHCA digital marketing committee.

The Schulzes breed their animals to be as traditional as possible, using a mix of A.I. and natural service. Soon, Mark said, they are looking to invest significantly in a Highland bull to improve their herd.

Previously, the Schulzes had shown their Highlands heavily, but they have cut back on their show ring appearances. When they do show, they are predominantly showing the Highlands natural without clipping or fitting.

“If we take an animal to the show and somebody would take it home from there, it shouldn’t look any different,” Mark said.

Jamie agreed.

“What we’re looking for is to really maintain that Highland characteristic of the cattle,” she said. “The short, wide head; the hair; the horns; the temperament — all the good qualities.”