GypsyRose Highlands Farm

09/14/2026

Been a little crazy here in the farm office today because I’ve somehow fallen down a Highland cattle ancestry rabbit hole the last couple days. 😂

What started as me digging through some old paperwork has turned into finding information about one of our cows that I honestly never knew existed.

I’ve been tracing pedigrees, digging through old Highland records, making phone calls and even ended up talking today with the person who originally bred her 15 years ago. And y’all… they remembered her. They remembered the whole story. ❤️

I can’t share too much yet because there are still some pieces we’re trying to put together, and there’s absolutely no guarantee where any of it will lead. But I can tell you I’ve learned more about this cow and where she came from in the last few days than I’ve known in all the years we’ve owned her.

And somehow, in the middle of all of it, I discovered that some of the cattle standing in our fields today are connected through bloodlines in ways I never even realized. 🤯

This is exactly why I’ve become so fascinated with researching our Highlands’ pedigrees. They’re more than registration numbers and names on a piece of paper. There’s history behind them. A LOT OF HISTORY!

Anyway… back to actual farm work 😂 Moved some of the cows into another pasture, stood there watching them for entirely too long, and couldn’t help but think about how much history is standing out there in that field.

Hopefully I’ll have a pretty cool story to share with y’all soon. ❤️🐮

09/08/2026

While we were out yesterday working on clearing more of our property and opening it back up for pasture, we went ahead and pulled soil samples from a few of our other fields too.

Because apparently cutting trees, moving brush and running equipment wasn’t quite enough work for one weekend. We needed to dig up dirt and put it in bags too. 😂🤦‍♀️

But if we’re going to put all this work into creating better pastures for our cattle, we need to know what we’re actually working with.

When we think about feeding cattle, most of us immediately think about grass, hay, grain and minerals. But what I’ve been learning is that feeding our cattle actually starts long before any of that.

It starts with the soil.

Years ago, I probably would’ve looked across a field and thought:

The grass is growing.
It’s green.
The cows are eating it.
We’re good. 😂

But green grass doesn’t automatically mean the soil - or even the grass itself - is providing everything it could be.

A soil test can show us things we simply can’t see by looking at a field, like the soil pH and whether nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium are where they need to be.

If the soil is too acidic, some of the nutrients may already be sitting right there, but the plants can’t use them as well as they should. So sometimes the answer isn’t spreading more fertilizer or throwing more seed down.

Maybe the field needs lime.

Maybe certain nutrients are low.

Or maybe it doesn’t need what we’ve always assumed it needed at all.

That’s why we test.

And fall is actually a great time to do it. Testing now gives us time to look over the results, plan what each field needs and apply lime if necessary so it has time to begin working before spring.

And honestly, it’s the same way I’ve learned to approach my own health.

If you follow my personal page, you already know how much I talk about testing instead of simply assuming what my body needs. I can’t look in the mirror and see what’s happening inside my body any more than I can stand at the edge of a green pasture and see what’s happening underneath it.

The testing gives us actual information. Then we can make decisions based on what the body—or the ground—is showing us instead of adding things it may not even need.

Same idea…just a different kind of test. One involves a finger prick, and the other involves me walking through a field carrying bags of dirt. 😂

And farming is already expensive enough without buying fertilizer, lime or seed the ground doesn’t need.

It really is all connected:
The soil supports the forage…The forage becomes pasture or hay…That forage feeds the cow…And the cow provides for the calf.

So all of this clearing isn’t only about making the property look better or giving our Highland cattle more room. We want to turn it into productive pasture and take care of the fields we already have too. Soil testing helps us figure out what each area needs before we decide what comes next.

I put together a much more detailed article about soil testing, including how to collect a good sample, what some of the results mean and the common mistakes that can throw those results off. I also made a simple printable soil-sampling checklist and record keeping sheet because you already know I need things written down and organized—or I’d end up with several bags of dirt and no clue which field they came from or what to do with the info. 😂

You can find both on our Gypsy Rose Farm website under the ‘Beyond the Barn’ section.

Apparently, I’m now the woman who gets excited about dirt. But considering that dirt is the beginning of what feeds our cows and raises their calves, I’d say it’s worth getting excited about.

09/03/2026

No big farm lesson today.

Just a pretty cow because sometimes that’s really all Facebook needs. 😂❤️🐮

You’re welcome.😍

08/30/2026

Wow is all I can think to say!!
Last night I was up til late working on Miss Annabelle's history and this one turned into a whole history lesson. What I learned was AMAZING!!

After working on our bull's history, I started digging into the pedigree of one of our cows, Benedict’s Annabelle #56,767.

I knew Annabelle had some older bloodlines behind her, and recently a good friend, Lou Ann Kramer, who has bought several of her calves, had told me that her pedigree went WAY back into some of the early Highland cattle here in America.

Of course, telling me something like that is basically an invitation for me to lose several hours of my life researching it. 😂

And y’all… I found it.

I started with Annabelle’s registration paper and just kept working backward. One cow led to another, then another… registration numbers started getting smaller…and smaller…

Until I landed on:

BLUE HILL — AHCA REGISTRATION #1. 😳

Not #100.

Not #10.

NUMBER ONE.

Blue Hill was the first Highland entered into the American Highland herdbook when it officially opened in 1949.

And we were able to trace Annabelle’s pedigree generation by generation directly back to him.

That alone had me pretty excited, but then when I dug into the history it got even better.

Blue Hill belonged to Baxter Berry, whose Double X Ranch in South Dakota is where the American Scotch Highland Breeders Association was organized in 1948.

And according to AHCA’s historical records, descendants of Highland cattle brought into Montana by Walter Hill in 1922 were later purchased by Baxter Berry and became part of those first foundation cattle entered into the American registry.

So suddenly I wasn't just looking at names on Annabelle’s registration paper anymore.

I was looking at a little piece of American Highland cattle history. ❤️

We even found two more of those VERY early registered cattle in her pedigree:

🐮 Honeydew #12 — born 1939
🐮 Kitten #16 — born 1939

Both were owned by Baxter Berry, and their electronic pedigrees actually stop there because they were born before the American Highland registry even existed.

How cool is THAT?!

And then there was another part of the story I'd heard years ago about some “brothers in Montana.”

Turns out that part was real too. 😂

They were Jess, Cyrus and Earl Shoop — the Shoop Brothers of Browning, Montana.

Their foundation Highland herd also came from Walter Hill cattle around 1925, and AHCA credits the Shoops with playing an important role in keeping Highland cattle from disappearing in America before the breed association was established.

Now, I haven't found a Shoop animal directly in Annabelle's pedigree, so I'm NOT going to claim that part just because it makes a good story. But their cattle and Baxter Berry's early cattle are part of that same fascinating chapter of Highland history in Montana.

And Annabelle's pedigree didn't stop being interesting there.

We found Homeboy of Five Star Farm, an AHCA Impact Sire.

We found Scott of Craycombe, a Scottish-bred Highland whose genetics became highly sought after here in the U.S. He was also a part of our bull's lineage!

We found old Double X cattle bred by Baxter Berry.

And we found red, black, yellow, silver and silver-dun cattle buried throughout her ancestry.

Which makes me look at this dark red, frosted girl standing in our pasture a little differently now.

Her registration paper is only a piece of paper.

But those names on it?

They're cattle. They're breeders. They're breeding decisions. They're history.

And THAT is one of the reasons I've become so fascinated with researching pedigrees.

Registration doesn't automatically make an animal better than another animal. And having a famous ancestor certainly doesn't guarantee a good cow.

But registration gives us something incredibly valuable:

a documented trail.

And sometimes when you follow that trail far enough, you find out that the cow eating weeds in your pasture today carries a little piece of a story that started generations before you ever owned her.

Pretty darn cool, Annabelle.❤️

And if you’ve made it this far down the rabbit hole with me… I did put together a much more in-depth article on Annabelle and her pedigree history over on our website. You can find it under Beyond the Barn: Farm Education & Insights.

And after the last 24 hours of me sitting here with registration papers, notes, screenshots and pieces of paper scattered ALL over my desk, I realized there had to be a better way to organize all of this.

So as I mentioned yesterday…I made one.

I put together a Cattle Pedigree & Ancestry Research Workbook that walks you through researching your own cattle—tracking generations, notable ancestors, repeated bloodlines, historical information, sources and all those little discoveries you make along the way.

I originally made it for myself because apparently this is what I do for fun now. 😂 But I made it available yesterday as an instant download for anyone else who wants to start digging into the history behind their own herd without having a million pieces of paper covering the kitchen table.

You can find that in our Farm Shop under Farm & Digital Resources if you want to grab one and head down your own pedigree rabbit hole. For those of you that already downloaded yours, I'm anxious to hear your stories!

After doing Cash’s and now Annabelle’s…I’m hooked.

I’ll be doing this for every one of our registered cows.

And moving forward, when we sell one of our registered calves, my goal is to provide their new owner with a full pedigree history package on both the dam and sire whenever I have the information available.

Because I don't want to hand someone a registration paper with a bunch of names on it and call it done.

I want them to know who is behind their calf, where those bloodlines came from, and a little bit of the history they're taking home with them. ❤️

Turns out that registration paper really is just the beginning. 🐮❤️

08/29/2026

Like I don’t have enough on my plate as it is🤪 I dove into this little project which turned into a MUCH bigger rabbit hole than I expected. 😂🐮

I started out wanting to dig a little deeper into the pedigree of our herd bull, Blair Valley Cash #57,829, and before I knew it, I had spent HOURS tracing names, registration numbers and generations of Highland cattle.

And I have to tell you… some of what I found was pretty darn amazing. ❤️

I knew Cash had some really nice genetics behind him. What I didn’t fully realize was just how much Highland history was sitting there in his pedigree.

One of the names that really stopped me was Scott of Craycombe SC7557, one of Cash’s great-grandparents further back in his paternal line.

Scott wasn’t just another registered Highland.

He was a Scottish-bred yellow bull, born in 1989, with 100% Scottish bloodlines. He won multiple major shows in Great Britain before his genetics became highly sought after here in the United States.

And his influence didn’t stop with him.

Scott went on to sire the 2006 National Western Stock Show Grand Champion Female and was the grandsire of the 2010 NWSS Grand Champion Female. At one point, his remaining semen was so limited and sought after that it was valued at $500 a straw. 😳

Then I started following the other branches…

There is Sunset Limited Edition #42,794, another extremely influential bull in the breed whose genetics show up throughout accomplished Highland pedigrees. AHCA material has described him as one of the most consistent and well-respected bulls in the registry.

And then there was the maternal side.

That’s where I discovered Honey Hill Luinil #35,315 appears TWICE in Cash’s pedigree — through both Crow Haven Oric and Gwystyl.

At first glance somebody might see that and simply think, “Well… that’s inbreeding.” 😂

But this is where learning the WHY behind a pedigree gets really interesting.

Intentional linebreeding has historically been used by cattle breeders to concentrate genetics from an animal they considered particularly valuable and increase consistency of desirable traits within a family line. Of course, it has to be used thoughtfully because concentrating genetics can concentrate undesirable traits too.

And THAT is exactly why I’ve enjoyed digging into this so much.

A registration paper gives you names and numbers.

But when you start researching the cattle behind those names, suddenly that piece of paper becomes a story.

Scottish cattle.
Champion genetics.
Breeding decisions made generations ago.
Bloodlines that traveled across an ocean.
And decades later, pieces of that history are standing out in our pasture here in Ohio. ❤️

I think that’s pretty incredible.

And after spending entirely too many hours researching all of this 😂, I put together a full 5-generation pedigree and lineage profile for Cash so I could actually see how all of these pieces connect.

I went into quite a bit more detail about Cash’s lineage, Scott of Craycombe, the championship genetics and some of the other cattle behind him over on our website under Beyond the Barn: Farm Education & Insights section.

Because apparently when I say I’m going to “look up one little thing,” what I really mean is I’m about to spend the entire day researching Highland cattle pedigrees. 😂🤦‍♀️🐮

But this one was absolutely worth it. ❤️

Strong heritage. Proven genetics. And a whole lot of history standing out here in our SE Ohio pasture.

08/24/2026

MONDAY MYTH vs. FACT

MYTH: Highland cattle are tiny cows.

FACT: All that fluffy hair might make them cute… but don’t let the teddy-bear appearance fool you. 😂

A traditional Scottish Highland is considered a moderate-framed beef breed, not a miniature breed.

According to the American Highland Cattle Association, mature Highland cows generally average around 900–1,200 pounds, while mature bulls average around 1,500–1,800 pounds, depending on forage conditions.

I actually get asked this one ALL the time.

“Are yours minis?”

And sometimes people come to the farm looking at calves and are a little surprised when they see our mature Highlands standing out in the pasture. 😂

So where does the idea that Highlands are tiny cows come from?

A lot of it comes from what we see on social media. Those adorable little fluffy “mini,” “micro,” and “tiny” Highland-type cattle have become incredibly popular—and there absolutely ARE breeders who specialize in raising smaller cattle.

But this is where a little education about what you’re buying becomes really important. ❤️

Not every small, fluffy, Highland-looking cow is genetically the same thing.

Some breeders have spent generations selectively breeding naturally smaller-framed Highlands to other smaller-framed Highlands, gradually producing smaller cattle without introducing dwarfism genetics.

Others produce smaller Highland-type cattle through crossbreeding with smaller breeds, such as Dexter cattle.

And then there are miniature breeding programs that may involve chondrodysplasia genetics—often shortened to “chondro.” Certain chondro mutations produce shortened stature and legs, but they also come with important genetic and breeding considerations.

That distinction REALLY matters.

A smaller-framed Highland that has been selectively bred for size is not necessarily the same genetically as a Highland-cross carrying chondro. And a fluffy little cow advertised as “mini,” “micro,” or “tiny” isn’t automatically a separate miniature version of a registered fullblood Scottish Highland simply because of its size.

None of that means there is anything wrong with raising or owning miniature or crossbred cattle. There are some absolutely adorable little cattle out there, and there are breeders who are very knowledgeable about the genetics behind their programs. ❤️

The important part is simply knowing what you’re buying.

If you’re shopping for one of these smaller cattle, ask questions:

What breeds are in its pedigree?
Are the parents fullblood Highlands or crosses?
Was the animal selectively bred for smaller mature size?
Has chondro testing been done, if applicable?
What size are the parents at maturity?

And if you’re purchasing breeding stock, understanding those genetics becomes even MORE important. Certain forms of chondrodysplasia can have serious consequences when two carriers are bred together.

So when you see one of those adorable fluffy little calves on social media, remember…

“Highland,” “mini Highland,” and “Highland-looking” don’t necessarily tell you the same thing.

Know the genetics. Know the parents. Know the expected mature size. And buy from a breeder who is willing to answer those questions.

Because that adorable little fluffy calf you’re looking at today?

If it’s a traditional Highland, that baby may very well grow into a 1,000-pound cow—or a 1,500+ pound bull—with a pretty impressive set of horns. 🤷‍♀️

Highlands may be moderate framed…

but traditional Highlands definitely aren’t pocket cows. 🤪

And THAT is your Monday Highland lesson from Gypsy Rose Farm. ❤️

…And for future inquiries, ours are standard size, this pic is just one of our baby calves🥰

08/19/2026

I’ve really been diving into Highland coat colors, genetics, genotypes and all that fun stuff lately… and let me tell you, it can send you down one heck of a rabbit hole. 🤪🐮

Have you ever wondered how two Highland parents can surprise you with a calf color you weren’t expecting?

Highland coat colors are a whole lot more interesting than simply “red cow plus red bull equals red calf.” 😂

Most solid Highland colors begin with one of two genetic color families: black-based or red-based. Then the dilution gene lightens that original color:

🖤 Black → Dun → Silver Dun
❤️ Red → Yellow → White/Cream

A dun Highland is actually black-based, while a yellow Highland is red-based. And just because a Highland looks black doesn’t mean it can’t carry red and possibly produce a red-based calf!

Of course, genetics can go much deeper—especially when wild-type genes, brindle patterns and other influences join the party. Apparently, even cows enjoy keeping us on our toes. 🤪

If you’d like to understand Highland coat colors without feeling like you need a genetics degree, I just added a new post to our farm website explaining it in simple terms.

For those who want all the details in one place like me, I also created a downloadable Highland Cattle Coat Color Genetics Guide with color charts, genotype examples, possible breeding outcomes and research information from the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.

You can read the full farm post or find the free downloadable guide in our website shop under Farm resources & digital downloads section:

🌐 www.gypsyrosefarm.com

08/19/2026

Love what this farm does to help others, our family has battled cancer many times😢 What they are doing to help people through that battle is a true blessing ❤️🙏

We are all impacted by a Cancer journey, whether it is directly or indirectly

This September, we’re coming together to walk beside those impacted by cancer because no one walks alone.

Join us for COOrageous in Motion, a community walk filled with hope, remembrance, compassion, and connection.

🌾 Walk through the corn maze.
🐮 Meet some Highland coos.
💚 Honor Area.
👕 Every registration includes an official event T-shirt.

Every step helps sow seeds of hope for individuals and families impacted by cancer.

📅 September 26, 2026
📍 Rutledge-Wilson Farm Park | Springfield, MO

🎟️ Registration is now open!

https://runsignup.com/Race/MO/Springfield/COOrageousInMotion

08/15/2026

Well… apparently all this time I spend keeping track of cows, calves, breeding records, expenses and everything else around here finally turned into something useful for somebody besides me. 🤣

I’ve added TWO new digital downloads to the farm website!

I originally started putting these together because I wanted something simple and organized that I could actually use here on our own farm. Then I thought… surely I’m not the only one with cattle records written in three different places and receipts that I swear I was going to put somewhere safe. 🤦‍♀️

*Cattle Record Keeping Printable Pack:
This one gives you printable pages to help keep your herd information organized—individual cattle records, breeding/calving information, health records and the other details we’re always trying to keep track of.

*Livestock Expense & Profit Tracker:
THIS one might be my favorite. 😂 You get printable record pages plus an automatic spreadsheet. You enter your expenses, sales and other numbers as you go, and the spreadsheet does the math for you—automatically totaling income, expenses and profit/loss.

Because selling a calf for $###X sounds pretty darn good… until you start adding up the hay, feed, vet bills, registrations, breeding expenses and the approximately 972 other things we spend money on. 🤣

These aren’t just for big cattle operations either. Whether you have a couple cows, a small homestead herd or quite a few head, they’re simply meant to make keeping your records a little easier.

Both are instant digital downloads on the Gypsy Rose Farm website, so you can download them and start using them right away. ❤️

And I’ll be adding more useful farm printables and downloads to this section as I create them, so keep checking back!

Because apparently I’m not satisfied with just raising the cows… now I’m making paperwork for them too. 🤪