Rollins rancher's new breed becoming popular
The Daily Inter Lake
Ed Jonas created a new breed of cattle with one purpose: a healthier beef that is lower in fat and cholesterol than the meat from market-dominating Angus and Herefords.
Jonas began breeding his HighMont cattle in 2003, after purchasing a Scottish Highland bull and five Piedmontese cows.
The Scottish Highland is the oldest breed in Europe, and with long, woolly hair that enables it to live in harsh climates, it lacks the thick layers of fat of other breeds. The Piedmontese of Italy carry the myostatin gene, which dramatically develops the animals' muscles.
Both breeds are rare in the United States, but seem perfectly adapted to the Montana climate.
Jonas' herd has expanded to 150 animals.
"We're selling everything we can produce," Jonas said. "I need a magic wand to make them grow faster and quicker."
On Blacktail Mountain Ranch in Rollins, which Jonas runs with partner Connie Robert, the ranchers seek to develop lean beef, fed on grass and finished with high-protein flax and oat meal for better omega-3 absorption.
"I believe in what I'm doing," Jonas said. "We went out one icy winter day and we looked at each other and wondered if anybody cared about what we were doing."
The pair had little to fear after an article in Sunset magazine in September 2008. The ranch now ships to restaurants as far away as Los Angeles and New York City, but also supplies locally, to St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan, The Docks Restaurant, Bar and Pizzeria in Lakeside and Cafe Kandahar in Whitefish.
Jonas' beef typically has an eighth-inch layer of fat, as compared to half an inch on other cattle, which equals a third of the fat calories of typical beef. The HighMont beef also has lower cholesterol than chicken.
The latest breeding experiment at the Blacktail Mountain Ranch is breeding a HighMont bull to Piedmontese cows, which Jonas hopes will yield an even leaner beef.
Last year, Jonas processed 17 animals and predicts 17 to 20 this year.
"With this economy going in the bucket, we're just leery about putting too much beef in the freezer," he said. "But we have a three-month back order and we like it that way."
On the Web:
www.blacktailmountainranch.com