Dalkena Highlands

Answers provided by Derek and Honey Smith
Photos provided by Dalkena Highlands

www.dalkenahighlands.com
@dalkenahighlands

This story is a part of our collection The Craft of Cattle.

What are you known for?

We are known for our adorable fluffy cows, our grazing practices, and delicious homegrown and pastured with love products from right here in the Inland NW! We take pride in being completely transparent in our practices and how we operate on our farm. We love seeing animals live their best lives here and provide for not only our family, but so many others as well.

What type of cattle do you raise and why?

We raise Scottish Highlands. We fell in love with this breed 4 years ago when we just started our operation as a first generation family farm. We needed a breed that could handle the colder winters that Newport throws at us and we also needed a breed that would ease a family like ours into raising cattle. They are wonderful moms, calve easily on their own and provide some of the most delicious beef we've ever had.

How long have you been raising this cattle?

We've been raising this breed of cattle for 4 years now and have loved every minute of it!

What is a favorite story from the ranch?

One of my favorite favorite stories is of when we had our first calf. We had just had our cattle delivered from Oregon and we're totally new to all the things! We were truly learning on the fly... when one morning, we walked out to do our typical morning chores and discovered the most fresh and perfect little calf on the farm! She has held a special place in our heart for a long time and now lives on a wheat farm in Pomeroy, WA.

What do you want our readers to know about you and/or why should they consider where their beef comes from and how it is raised?

I think the most important thing I want your readers to know about us is that we're a hard working family like most of them too. My husband is a firefighter full time, I'm a school RN and we really strive to provide our family and others with the best nutrition possible. We also love being able to share our farm and the experiences we have here with others. If we can learn something new and share it with you, that's our goal. We would love to see more families farming like we are and have regenerative agriculture be at the forefront of consumers minds when they are making purchases.

Why did you decide to enter into this field and/or what is your "why" for continuing?

We started on a small hobby farm in western Washington at first... when we realized we wanted more land, more animals and a different lifestyle for our kiddos. We found just that up here in Newport. Our kids absolutely love the farm, this lifestyle and helping us in between school, sports and friends. Our son, whose now 6, was diagnosed as a Type One Diabetic when he was 4. He is one of the main reasons we continue to do what we do. We believe it is so important for not only us, but others, to know and appreciate where there food is coming from. While we care for our insulin-dependent son, we are always reminded when we serve our proteins, that he can be medicine free in those moments. That really drives us to keep our eye on ethically raised proteins that fill our table, and hopefully soon, yours too!

Is your beef featured at any local restaurants and/or how can our readers find your product?

We are not featured in any restaurants currently, but would love that in the future. We currently sell a variety of our cuts online at our website. We will deliver right to you or meet at a convenient location - better yet, make a visit to the farm and come see what we have to offer in person!

Anything else you'd like to share?

We love our customers, their stories and how a different beef has changed their way of thinking. We would also love to meet some of your readers this Fall at the Spokane County Interstate Fair in September! Our winter calf, Cedar, is the mascot and it would be a great way for folks to come see a highland cow in person.