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Scottish cattle farmer visits B&B Farms for farm tour

Courtesy Photo Jock Gibson, of Edinvale Farm in Northern Scotland, recently visited B&B Farms in Alpena County, to tour the farm and compare notes with B&B Farms owners Ben Nowakowski and Brook Alloway.

Here at B&B Farms, we practice rotational grazing on our pastures with holistic practices, focusing on the well-being of the animal, the land, the farmer, and the consumer. We are a regenerative farm, meaning we build soil and sequester carbon. We finish and sell all our animals as beef.

We are always looking to expand our knowledge and improve our farming, so when our extended family decided to book a summer vacation to Scotland, the first thing we did was to reach out to their Soil Conservation District and request information on cattle farms. How surprised we were when one of the farmers offering to host us in the summer of 2025 requested to visit here!

That is how we ended up fortunate enough to host Scottish cattle farmer, Jock Gibson, from Edinvale Farm on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Jock was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship which allows him to travel the world for eight weeks. He is studying how animal diet and nutrition affect meat eating quality in 100% grass-fed systems. Of all the places in the world, he chose to visit Alpena, Michigan, to see how farmers in this area overwinter cattle.

At B&B Farms, Jock toured the farm, met the cattle and saw one farm’s solution to six long months of “winter,” when grass is not growing. For farms that finish animals on grass (the process of marbling and fat cover), and sell grass-fed beef for a premium, it is essential that the finishing animals (18- to 30-month-old heifers and steers) continue to gain weight and maintain excellent physique throughout the winter. All farms will have different strategies to pull this off. At B&B Farms, the animals are fed high-quality first cutting hay, with free choice salts dissolved in apple cider vinegar. The cattle remain outdoors, yet have access to windbreaks for the nastiest of days. It is in early spring and late fall, when the weather turns from cold but dry, to cool and wet, that cattle have the hardest time retaining their body condition. At these transitional times, the cattle at B&B Farms remain outdoors on a 5-plus-acre pasture, but are fed hay on concrete and have access to a lean-to with bedding. Feeding on concrete eliminates mud and retains the soil structure of the pasture, and the access to the lean-to allows the animals to shelter when it is raining, but the vast majority of the time, the cattle choose to roam and bed down in the pasture. In Northern Scotland, where Edinvale Farm is located, they, too, have long winters, but there, the winters are wet. So, though the farming practices may differ, the principals remain the same.

Though Jock came to see how farming is done in Michigan, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge. One of the most notable things to come from Jock’s visit was the conclusion that many of the struggles for 100% grass-fed farms are very similar, even if the details differ. On Edinvale Farm in Northern Scotland, Jock is breeding shorthorn and highlander cattle, looking for genetics that will create a herd that will finish appropriate marbling and fat cover at a younger age, so there is only one year to overwinter the animal. At B&B Farms, we are doing the same, but with different breeds and different genetics.

Courtesy Photo Brook Alloway, above left, and Ben Nowakowski are seen with their children, Rosie and Gus, at B&B Farms in Maple Ridge Township.

Edinvale Farm is certified Pasture For Life, which guarantees the consumer that the beef is 100% grass-fed. Jock has to farm within the constraints of these guidelines, and similarly, B&B Farms is EOV (Environmental Outcomes Verification) certified. This certification focuses on the regenerative aspects of the land, and narrows our management choices.

For farms in Scotland and Michigan, deer are a nuisance. In Northeast Michigan, we allow farmers to harvest deer with disease control permits, or crop damage permits. In Scotland they allow the sale of deer carcass, from hunter or farmer, and one can additionally apply for a special permit to harvest and sell venison from regenerating forests.

We are excited to visit Jock and Edinvale Farm this summer and foster this relationship. We hope that what we learn from farmers across the world will positively influence our farming and management choices here in Northeast Michigan.

For beef cattle farmers in this area that are looking to expand their knowledge of 100% grass-fed operations, you don’t have to travel to Scotland! There are many excellent resources here in Michigan and a great network of like-minded farmers. A great place to start is Michigan State University Extension and the Lake City Research Station.

Ben Nowakowski and Brook Alloway are the “B&B” of B&B Farms, located in Alpena County’s Maple Ridge Township. They have a 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef cattle operation. Reach them at thegoodnessofgrass@gmail.com.

Brook Alloway

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