****The Wee Croft****

Scottish Highland Cows

                                                                        THE  BEGINNING

 

                                                                1794

 

                   Welcome to the WEE CROFT! Glad you stopped by.

                                                            Grab your tea & scone (but be careful not to spill!), take a chair,

                                                                         give me an ear, & I'll tell ye a wee story.........                       

                                                                                                                                          

 

     Overlooking the Adirondack Mountains sits a Post Revoluntionary homestead in Holland Patent, New York. built by Simon Willard, a watchmaker from Wethersfield, Connecticut who acquired 108 1/2 acres for the purchase price of $880 on January 26, 1794.

 

After the American Revolutionary War,  Abolitionists and Quakers organized the "Underground Railroad" to aid runaway slaves escaping from the South en route to Canada in the 1800's.

 

"The Willard House"  became one of the many "way-stations" on the "Road to Freedom". Simon's son, Elias Willard, expanded the house to accommodate "those in flight".  Slaves got to this resting place "up the hill" by way of an underground tunnel. A secret door in an upstairs closet provided access to a large room where they could rest during daylight hours before resuming their travel at night.

 

And on November 20, 1853, grandson Ralph Willard deeded a "right of way" to the Black River and Utica Railroad Company which is in operation today.        

(Professor Frederick L. Brough)

                                                                                                  

                                                                          OUR BEGINNING

 

                                                                 2003

 

  The Wee Croft began in 2003 on a lark really. I had come to a place where I (the operative word here is "I") thought it would be a good idea to raise our own beef especially after hearing about all the additives, growth hormones,  radiation treatments, antibiotics, waxes, preservatives & so on in store bought food.

 

 The thing was, what KIND of beef to raise? Being a naturally lazy man (& the fact that my wife ain't no farmer ) , I wanted, nay, NEEDED, something that wouldn't be a lot of work.  Well, much work. OK, ANY WORK.  You know, something that could just about take care of itself .  After much research (more work than I anticipated!), I found my dream animal. The Scottish Highland Cow. Said to live rough and tumble on anything green. Not needing a babysitter. And impervious (somewhat) to the elements...I was on my way.

 

 

                                                                                                                     This is Waggles. So named by my grand-daughter (because she waggles all over!) I originally planned to keep her for two years. Grass fed only. No antibiotics, hormones, steroids, nothing but grass. Then, well, you know.

Then I had a brain storm (or not, depending on who you talk to (like maybe the wife). I'd get a bull and breed my own animals.

Thus came Michaelangelo. A yr. old Registered. bull from very prestiges blood lines. (I hope his offspring taste better for it).

        

At the end of  2 yrs. and still no calf, I thought maybe Michaelangelo needed some coaxing. So in March of 05 I bought 3 more young heifers.  The next April we doubled our herd! A little to much coaxing I think!....

I don't know why, but for some reason we added Gwynevive to the herd.    She's a pretty, white, registered heifer. Along with 5 riding horses, two Draft horses. 2 dozen Chickens, 4 Ducks, 8 Guineas, 9 longhair and 2 shorthair Chihuahuas, 1 Great Dane,  & 1 rather large, hairy beast of some sort (mix of retriever, chow and who knows what else). Oh yea, and 4 calves, we have quite the managerie here. 

OH MY GOSH!  I forgot to tell you what the WEE CROFT means & how we came about it

 

 In October of 2001, thanks to blessings from GOD & some very dear friends, My wife & I had the privilege to visit Scotland. We self toured the North from Aberdeen to Inverness and every little place in between. While South of Inverness we came upon, and visited the Highland Folk Museum (kinda like a European Cooperstown). It featured several centuries including a village circa William Wallace. Very nice. If you ever get to Scotland it is a MUST SEE. Anyway, it was there we learned that "Croft" was their name for farm and everybody knows what WEE means.  But just in case.... It means  "small!"

And so, when we began our adventure into Highland Cattle, we became...The Wee Croft .

 

 But it also has another,  what I like to call  (AFFECTIONATE)  meaning. (Thanks to loved ones)  Having read the previous...you may be getting the picture of the other meaning to "WEE".   If not , let me spell it out for you  

WEE = FUNNY.   CROFT=FARM. Thus..  The Funny Farm!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 OK. Gotta go. Thanks for listening.