Birchwood Croft – Beef

Strathnairn – Inverness-shire

Our 35 acre croft backs onto the Monadhliath Mountains. We keep mostly Shetland cattle that are hardy so can thrive on land that is unsuitable for other agricultural usage. Calves run with their mothers for at least 8 months before being grouped with others of a similar age, allowing the mothers a bit of peace. Steers are kept to around 30 months old to allow time to mature fully, giving the meat extra flavour from their foraging. They are generally fed grass and hay, with treats in a bucket to help encourage handling. Meat is usually vacuum packed and frozen to allow for demand to be spread over the year.