Wheel-View Farm

Wheel-View Farm has been in Carolyn's family since 1896. Our grandchildren Tyler and Jesse are currently the sixth generation of our family to live on the farm. With a magnificent view that spans 4 states, it has been home to Holstein dairy cows, abundant flowers, maple syrup, Belted Galloway beef cattle.

John & Carolyn began stewardship in 1979, operating a dairy farm until 1988 and then selling hay to other farmers and horse owners. We also manage the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association Warehouse for maple syrup containers. As well as our specialty, the dahlias, numerous perennials are grown for cut flowers.

Recently our efforts to preserve open space and sustainable agriculture on Wheel-View Farm in Shelburne have led us into a new venture -- Belted Galloway beef cattle. Many people have commented to us about seeing these animals grazing in our pastures and fields so we thought we might try to answer some of your questions.

Our first reason for getting these cattle was for land management. Their browsing ability will help us to maintain the open space that remains in our pastures. Second, we hope to sell some animals for breeding stock to other farmers and landowners. We also have beef from some of the cattle available for sale .

Raising animals on pasture is not only better for the animals, it's also healthier for consumers. In particular, animals that graze on grass produce meat that has several times more health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and beta carotene, but less total fat and omega-6 fatty acids.

And now some information about the breed ---

The Galloway breed one of the oldest known to man. Believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, where the environment is harsh and severe, Galloways have evolved into an extremely hardy breed. They require little in the way of shelter, feed supplements, or expensive grains to achieve and maintain good condition and fitness. Cold weather and snow have little effect on them. They have been raised as far north as Alaska and the Scandinavian countries. They have two coats of hair -- the inner is thick and wooly, designed to act as a blanket to retain heat; the outer is long and shaggy, which sheds rain and protects the inner coat from becoming damp and cold. Due to this unusual hair combination they have very little "back-fat". Snow is slow to melt on their back because they lose little body heat through their long hair. The Belted Galloway is considered a docile and even-tempered animal--bulls as well as cows.