Glory Oaks Farm

FOR SALE: GLO RaeLynn (70784)

GLO RaeLynn is our final available 2025 heifer calf and we’ve been holding onto this one for good reason! RaeLynn is a gorgeous, yellow heifer with that feminine look and deep bodied style we love. Her full sister has been rocking the show ring this year and RaeLynn is turning out to be her mirror image.

RaeLynn’s dam (Dorey of Flatland Farm) is a heifer producing machine. She has given us 5 heifers in the last 6 years…3 of which are still on our farm. In a small herd like ours, it’s obvious this is our favorite cow line. Her dam has had all of her calves unassisted, throws perfect highland birth weights between 52 and 72 lbs, and maintains a great udder even as an 8 year old cow.

Her sire (Circle V High Road) has shown the strength in his contributions as well, with genetics from Symbiosis, Star Lake, Black Watch, and big name bulls like Samhach Buidhe of Bairnsley, Karabin Farms Tuffy, and Orison of Culfoich making up his entire pedigree. He was recently awarded Reserve Champion Get of Sire honors at the 2025 NCHCA Regional Show.

Whether you’re looking for your next show ring partner, or future brood cow, RaeLynn will not leave you disappointed!

Pedigree Accolades:

Grand-Sire – 2019 Grand Champion Bull
Great Grand-Dam – 2014, 2015, 2016 NWSS Grand Champion Female
Great Grand-Sire – 2017 NWSS Reserve Champion Bull, 2016 Show Bull of the Year
Sire – 2025 NCHCA Reserve Champion Get of Sire

SOLD: GLO Richelle (70785)

Don’t let this beautiful dun heifer pass you by. GLO Richelle is thick in all the right places and carries herself on stout feet and legs – just like we like them. Her wide hips and rib scream brood cow, which is no surprise given her dam (Ciara of Flatland Farm) is our oldest cow (14) and still producing and raising beautiful offspring year after year.

Her sire (Circle V High Road) has shown the strength in his contributions, with genetics from Symbiosis, Star Lake, Black Watch, and big name bulls like Samhach Buidhe of Bairnsley, Karabin Farms Tuffy, and Orison of Culfoich making up his entire pedigree.

Richelle will sell as part of the North Central Highland Cattle Females of Fall Sale on Saturday, September 13, 2025 in Austin, Minnesota. She will be available for viewing on-site starting Thursday evening until sale time. If you’re interested in seeing her prior to the sale, interested parties are also welcome to set up a time to visit her at our farm.

Pedigree Accolades:

Grand-Sire – 2010 NWSS Grand Champion Bull
Dam – 2013 NCHCA Grand Champion Female
Grand-Sire – 2019 Grand Champion Bull
Great Grand-Dam – 2014, 2015, 2016 NWSS Grand Champion Female
Great Grand-Sire – 2017 NWSS Reserve Champion Bull, 2016 Show Bull of the Year

SOLD – BRF Ciera (53662)

Now available, BRF Ciera (BRF Yukon x JHN Sirius). Ciera is a 10 year old, red cow out of the 2014 NWSS Reserve Grand Champion bull. She is a moderately framed cow who consistently throws our thickest, fastest growing calves year after year regardless of sire. She breeds back quickly (first round of AI 3 years in a row, and on her first cycle exposed to our bull last year), calves unassisted, and has her calves up and nursing soon after birth. She is not halter broke, but is easy to work with by bribing with a bucket of feed. Her trust must be earned, and while we can comb her freely standing in the pasture, she much prefers to just be a cow and left to her own devices. Ciera has a beautiful udder, and while she doesn’t have the greatest feet, we have successfully bred her with good footed bulls to produce calves that have improved on this particular trait. We are only looking to let her go to make room on our farm to keep some of our home bred heifers as 4-H projects for our kids.

We are open to selling Ciera open, with her steer calf sired by Circle V High Road by her side or keeping her until confirmed bred to High Road again for a triple package deal. She will be turned out with the bull Memorial weekend unless deposit and prior plans have been made.

SOLD – GLO Lindi (63798)

Glory Oaks Farm is proud to offer GLO Lindi (BRF Ciara X LEA Lars) for sale. Lindi is a beautiful, dun, heifer born 4/13/22. She was shown at the South Central Highland Cattle Association show in Tulsa this spring and placed 3rd in a very competitive yearling heifer class. She is incredibly thick from front to back and has all of the pieces to make someone a great show partner or incredible future brood cow. Her pedigree offers some of the biggest names in the Highland community, including: LiTerra, Bull Run, We Tired Acres, Drover Hill, Flatheads, and LEA-White Farms. She prefers to be the boss cow in the pasture, but is very easy to work with as she will do just about anything for a bucket of grain.

Her dam, BRF Ciara, is the daughter of the 2014 NWSS Reserve Champion Bull – BRF Yukon. She is a moderately framed cow, but consistently throws some of our thickest, fastest growing calves year after year. At 9 years old she still has an impeccable udder. She has calved unassisted every year with her calves up and nursing on their own quickly. We are confident in Lindi’s ability to follow in her dam’s footsteps. LEA Lars, Lindi’s sire, is well known for producing low birth weight calves with fast growth rates.

Serious inquiries can contact us at gloryoaksfarm@gmail.com or 214-772-2050. Visitors are welcome to view Lindi in person (Northwood, IA).

Variations on a Midwest Staple

The Sloppy Joe…Maid-rite…Tavern….BBQ…loose meat sandwich, whatever you call it, ground beef on a bun is a Midwest staple. Just because it’s a staple, doesn’t mean it has to be boring. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite sandwiches to add into your rotation. These aren’t exactly ‘recipes’ but ingredients we measure with our hearts. 🙂

Easy & Homemade
Ketchup, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce

Maid-Rite Copycat
Onion, yellow mustard, beef broth, sugar, salt, pepper

Cheesy Beef
Onion, steak seasoning, garlic, cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, shredded cheese

Philly
Onion, green peppers, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, beef broth, provolone cheese

With a Kick
Onion, green peppers, ketchup, yellow mustard, tomato paste, water, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, red pepper flakes

Big Mac Inspired
Onion, pickles, mayo, thousand island dressing, salt, pepper, shredded cheese, lettuce

Bacon & Beer Cheese
Bacon, onion, ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, beer, sharp cheddar cheese

BBQ
Onion, diced tomatoes, beef broth, ketchup, BBQ sauce, shredded cheese

Tex-Mex
Onion, red bell pepper, corn, black beans, cumin, beef broth, tomato sauce, salsa, taco seasoning, sugar, shredded cheese

Cattle Show Packing Checklist

Those of you who know me personally know I love a good checklist, so it was only natural for me to start putting together a show checklist as we navigated our first Highland show last year. With input from many experienced breeders and a few strategic Google searches, below is a compilation of our cattle show packing checklist.

In the showbox

scotch combs in your preferred style (extras…these always seem to disappear)
scissors
blower & hose (an extra hose clamp is always a good idea too)
hoof brush
show products (adhesives, adhesive remover, foam, finishing spray, baby oil/horn polish)
fly spray
paper towels
baby wipes
washing supplies (shampoo, brush, hose, sprayer, foamer, bucket)
extra rope halters
neck ties
show halters
show sticks (bring an extra!)
clippers, blades and blade lubricant

For the barn

extension cords/splitter
fans (for the cattle and people!)
blocking chute
fitting mats
stall mat
divider panels
feed & hay
extra bedding
feed tubs
water buckets
water filter
shovel, rake, broom, pitch fork
wheelbarrow
tool kit (screw drivers, hammer, pliers, wire, wire cutter, duct tape, zip ties, markers, garbage bags)
farm signage
stall cards (include animal name, date of birth, sire, dam, and registration number)
generator

For the people

SNACKS! Seriously…does anyone travel without snacks?
cooler with drinks
chairs
wash rack boots/clothing to get wet
show clothes & backup set of show clothes
belt….I repeat, do not forget to pack the belt
number holder/show harness
hairbrush/hair ties
first aid kit
extra cell phone chargers or portable power bank
bluetooth radio
cards, games, or activities….especially for those with littles, it can be a long day!

If you’re thinking ‘whoa, that’s a lot of stuff’ you’re in good company. Traveling to cattle shows is not for those those like to travel light. That said, the Highland breed has some wonderful people! If you forget anything, I can guarantee there will be someone in the barn with an extra (or two) who would be happy to let you borrow something…just make sure to return what you borrow and pay it forward!

SOLD: GLO Khloe (62564)

After much consideration, we have decided to offer GLO Khloe (Dorey of Flatland Farm X LEA Kaid) for sale. Khloe is a moderately framed, feminine, yellow heifer born 3/25/21. Her pedigree includes many notable farms including Sunset Farm, LEA-White Farm, Drover Hill, Flatland Farm and Five Star Farm. Khloe weighed in at 622 lbs. on June 6, and will likely be around 1100 lbs. fully grown. She is halter broken and comfortable with a show stick. Khloe is a mellow heifer who is easy to work with, but is not ‘in your face friendly,’ which we prefer.

Her Dam (Dorey of Flatland Farm) has been an amazing brood cow since we purchased her as a heifer from Flatland Farm. She has delivered 3 beautiful heifers for us, and we wish we could keep them all! She has delivered unassisted every year with her heifers weighing between 52 and 73 lbs. at birth from three different bulls. She has a fantastic udder and great maternal instincts.

LEA Kaid, Khloe’s sire, is the son of the famous Sunset Rebel Yell. He passes on his calm personality and stamps his offspring with the classic Highland head and lots of breed character.

Serious inquiries can contact us at gloryoaksfarm@gmail.com or 214-772-2050. Visitors are welcome to view Khloe in person (Northwood, IA).

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

As we near the end of our #beefmonth challenge, I’d be remiss if I didn’t cook one of my favorite cuts – brisket! Now, I will say that smoking is still my favorite way to cook brisket, but with a busy family and lengthy cooking time it just didn’t work for us to do that this weekend. Cue some help from the never-failing slow cooker.

I VERY roughly followed the instructions and recipe from Jen at Carlsbad Cravings. She’s a little more ambitious than I am, so we went with a trusty Cookies BBQ sauce instead of homemade…but her homemade sauce sounds amazing if you have the time!

Another quick ‘cheat’ from an expert beef eater is with the brisket itself. If most of you are like I was until we started raising our own beef I was pretty intimidated by the brisket. Briskets are HUGE and we used to only make them if we were planning to feed a small army…and then you really can’t afford to try new things and risk messing it up when you have a bunch of people coming over to eat. When we butchered our steer last Fall, we asked the locker to cut our 1/2 of the brisket in 1/2 (so really brisket quarters). This has made it so much easier to enjoy brisket outside of large, special occasions and make just enough for our family! 5 stars…I highly recommend. Here’s my version of this recipe…

Recipe:
Slow Cooker:
2-3 lb. beef brisket trimmed of excess fat
1 c. water
1 T. beef bouillon
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 c. BBQ sauce

Rub:
1 T. paprika
2 T. packed brown sugar
1 T. chili powder
2 t. garlic salt
1 t. onion powder
1 t. pepper
1/2 t. dried thyme

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with sides/jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up. Set aside.
2. Spray 6 quart (or larger) slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Trim brisket of excess fat and rinse and pat dry. If your brisket is extra long then slice it in half so it will fit in your slow cooker.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together Spice Rub ingredients. Rub all remaining Spice Rub evenly all over the meat then place brisket on prepared baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F to sear meat.
5. Transfer brisket to slow cooker. If you are using a ‘regular’ 4-5 lb. brisket you may have to squish it in. Not all of it will be under the liquid.
6. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until brisket is very tender, flipping over half way through cooking. If your brisket is tough, it just needs to cook longer.
7. Remove brisket to a foil lined baking sheet. Brush with barbecue sauce and broil 5-10 minutes, until slightly caramelized. Meanwhile, microwave or simmer remaining barbecue sauce until warmed through.
8. Brush brisket again with barbecue sauce and slice across the grain or chop if desired. Serve with remaining barbecue sauce plain or they make delicious sandwiches.

Stovetop Beef & Noodles

#nationalbeefmonth is still going strong and today we tried another new recipe using one of my favorite, but typically underappreciated cuts – stew meat. While it may not be the most glamourous cut of beef, it’s delicious and versatile. While my family loves a great beef stew in the Winter, it’s been far too hot for soup this week. We took the Stovetop Beef & Noodles recipe from Eating on a Dime, added some fresh asparagus from my Grandpa’s asparagus patch and BOOM…a delicious dinner with enough left overs for a quick meal tomorrow!

Ingredients:
1.5 lb. stew meat
1 T. butter
1/2 onion, diced
3 c. beef broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water
12 oz. egg noodles

Instructions:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent (3-4 min.)
2. Add in beef and brown the beef in the skillet with the onions (8-10 min.) over medium heat.
3. Pour 2 c. of the beef broth into the skillet and add in the seasonings. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 min. until the beef is tender. Watch closely and slowly add in the last cup of beef broth as the broth starts to cook off.
4. Mix the cornstarch into the 1/4 c. of cold water in a separate bowl. Stir this mixture into the skillet mixture and allow to cook for 10 min. or until the sauce has thickened. **My addition, add cut up pieces of asparagus at this time.**
5. While the sauce is thickening, cook the egg noodles in a separate pot based on package instructions.
6. Serve the beef mixture over the egg noodles and enjoy!

Sirloin Stir Fry

When it comes to steaks, sirloins are one of the most versatile cuts. They can be eaten as a steak or cut up to work in a variety of dishes. Last night, they made some delicious beef stir fry!

When it comes to stir fry I’m not much of a recipe person…more of a throw in what you have in the fridge person. Since we’re not quite to garden season in Northern Iowa, this time I took advantage of a frozen stir fry mix. Easy, quick, and delicious!

Directions:
Thinly slice your sirloin, heat oil in a pan and fry apx 1 min on each side. Set aside so your meat doesn’t get over cooked. Add a little more oil if needed then fry your veggies. Add the beef back in, and enjoy! Customize to your taste by serving over rice, or topping with a stir fry sauce.