This Could Be The End Of Highland Cattle In Sweden

[@simeonandalex]

The problem with this is not that big, industrial butcher facilities charge extra if they see the need. The problem is that rules and regulations in favor of industrial agriculture and very hostile towards small farmers and producers have destroyed the competition. If there were enough small local butcher shops this would simply not be an issue. Like mentioned in the video, we are not affected by this since we use local butcher shops. We are lucky enough to have a couple nearby.

[@63DegreesNorth]

In much the same way as farms must produce and compete, butchers and local slaughterhouses must do the same and that requires that they continue to invest locally in maintaining facilities. I'm very lucky to come from an EU country with very high standards and quality of livestock production and thankfully somewhere that traditional butchers are still very much a part of every small town around the country. It's also the case that as consumers in my country, we're prepared to pay for high quality meat and insist on it, or we'll find a butcher who will meet these demands. Unfortunately that's not at all the case in other countries in Europe. Where I live now in the Nordic countries it's a total hassle to find a real butcher, to find meat that isn't processed, marinated and wrapped in plastic on supermarket shelves. It's cheap, it's nasty and sadly, it's perfectly acceptable to most consumers. Given that situation, it's not surprising that a local butcher simply cannot invest in a facility to allow people access high quality meat because every Joe Soap will just settle for perforated marinated and still tough meat. Ultimately that all seems to come down to consumer education and the choices that they make. I know better, but here, I'm an exception to the rule. I'm delighted to note that this is not the case in Sweden and Norway today, but Finland is a 'write off' in that regard. If you want good meat here you either hunt or you dig way, way deep into your pockets and find a boutique butcher shop doing things the way it used to be done everywhere. One thing I can't say is that it's the governments fault - It's all down to the guy pinching pennies and feeding his family crap.

[@lorcathecrazy5331]

A local processing plant in my area is so busy, that the line up to slaughter is 2 months long. If those big plants have issues with small scale producers, let them eat cake (ei feed lot produced cattle that spend their lives knee deep in feces) The field raised, grass fed livestock will become more in public demand as the obvious political games are exposed. Small scale farmers pay attention to livestock needs, not just profit margins. Humane is part of their business model.

[@simeonandalex]

@@63DegreesNorth it is the same in Sweden. I think it is a combination of regulations and the choice of the consumer.

[@jennifersinclair6044]

Is there talk of grouping these small local butchers together to process your cattle breeder, so he can continue breeding Highland cattle?

[@Mulberrysmile]

This problem isn’t really political along the typical political lines. Here in the US we have both sides beholden to large industry donors and PACs that pay lobbyists and give juicy donations to all buy what they want. What they want is to limit competition, control the market and prices, and eternally increase their profit margins. They get the laws made that make it harder for small businesses to get into a market, to be able to compete, to hire employees, to move their products, etc. I saw this when I was starting my plant nursery. There was a fee, per plant sold. It was not much, but when you are a small grower costs add up fast...the fee had a scale and the scale maxed out so if you sold that amount or 100 times that top amount, the fee stayed the same. That benefits the really big companies. Same thing on chipping animals...if you had a small amount, they all had to be chipped, but over a certain amount and you only had to chip so many... I am constantly pointing out to people that their chosen political party has been complicit in destroying opportunity for small businesses and individuals with these practices. People in both major parties, invariably deny it is “their side” that is the problem and shut down. Tax free zones were supposed to be some huge job making trick...the companies rarely meet the hiring requirements, though. Then they shut down at the end of the tax free period and likely reopen elsewhere under a new contract. Further, this puts greater burden on small businesses and individuals who don’t meet the minimum requirements to participate, and it brings into a community competition that has an unfair advantage. Add in that it usually causes local money to be taken out of the community economic cycle because it sends it to the out of state owners of the company getting the tax break. Every year new rules get thrown on people and small businesses that usually mean having to take classes from some for-profit school run by some buddy of the legislators or governors and that also takes money out of the community, as well as adding a burden to stressed businesses. Another tactic they use to drive small business off the field of competition is road work that kills traffic for two years, cuts off easy access, and changes traffic patterns permanently. So that’s my rant, but let me repeat myself...I don’t care about which of the big parties you (any reader) vote for: the fact is that your party is complicit in creating barriers for you and unfair advantages for big business.

[@williammacqueen1418]

Another example of how corporate influence is crushing small business. The corporations tell the governments what they want, and government folds like a cheap suit.

[@WS-ij1fu]

Congratulations first intelligent comment on this thread.

[@McCoysOakHillFarm]

Right it has nothing to do with left or right. It is exactly what you said and it has been this way for many decades if not hundreds of years. It has to do with anyone with enough money to buy and force what they want and not for the good of all.

[@lorcathecrazy5331]

In Canada, they are called market management boards. A politically hot topic at the moment. When big industry lobbyists sent money to politicians for influence in legislation to protect their business model. Which generally sums up to, "stop small businessses from interfering with corporate business models". There are diner dates and parties to sway the politicians at every opportunity. Membership in the elite group has it's 'privileges'. They have the power to free or crush any opponent with law.

[@williammacqueen1418]

McCoy's Oak Hill Farm Thank you for your contribution. There’s a lot of shared blame between the right and left. It’s at best naive or at worst blindly tribal to suggest that there’s only corruption or short sightedness on one side of the political spectrum.

[@astroflight6571]

Anonymous Person -- It's not just dinner dates, and the parties include lines and kiddies.

[@bearfamilyfarm4434]

Sounds like you need to add a butcher shop to your list of family farm businesses. They are such a beautiful breed and have such great quality meat & milk, I hope you find a way to keep them! It would mean a HUGE amount of paperwork but think of what you can do for your fellow farmers in Sweden. :-)

[@pmessinger]

The government reaches deep, even into the villages when centralize production owns/controls government. Americans will be lucky to avoid the same damage. MAGA

[@bearfamilyfarm4434]

@@pmessinger- Canada is starting down that same path, it's not good ...

[@donaldmiller8629]

@p. messinger , But we haven't ! Big business controls the government . That is , big business of all kinds . Commercial food producers , chemical producers , medicine producers , etc . Many of the policy makers of the U.S.D.A. go to work for Monsanto as V.P.'s after they retire from the government. As a result , Roundup and GMO crops are approved by the U.S.D.A. for consumption. The same thing happens with the F.D.A. and various medicines. The Assistant Director of the F.D.A. is very likely to be Vice President of a pharmaceutical company after government retirement because approval was given for medicinal drugs to be manufactured in P. R. where the pharmaceutical corporation pays no income tax. The government and big business are like hand in glove. MOST but not all of these deals are between the Socialist Democrats in government and Democrat run businesses.

[@lorcathecrazy5331]

@@donaldmiller8629 I wouldn't say that government influence is a right or leftie issue. It is the old addage, power corrupts and absolute power currupts absolutely. The Conservative party in Canada (the equivalent to Republican in the USA) ripped itself apart, when the leader of the party sided with milk market boards who control production in Canada. Trump complained about 270% tariffs on importing milk products from the USA into Canada. It exposed the corrupt in political lobbying, wide open. And split the federal party in half. Sheer did this to his party and knew there was going to be a public backlash. 5% of farmers control that much of government. And they protect each other. The consumers get price gouging without any alternative.

[@colliecoform4854]

@@Jj-gi2uv Not anymore. The past few years and more have shown this.

[@HeavensGatesCherryFarm]

You are so right, what you are saying is right, this is happening in all part of farming!! they just want corporate farming, it's call big money!!

[@atlebo561]

Its the same in Norway, I am not a farmer (only have hens), are educated butcher and worked as butcher for many years. The two butcher houses I worked on were laid down for the benefit of a larger one that was miles away from our district. The longer the journey for the cattle, the more stressful it is for them and then the quality of meat gets poorer

[@malkaringel7864]

Simeon I can't imagine this extra stress you must deal with. I give you much credit for dealing with issues, none of your making. It's almost unbelievable ...here you are, doing your best only to be knocked over by things that are not within your control!!!

[@stanpatterson5033]

Isn't that always the way, though? Get a good thing, and along comes the Government, and screws it up.

[@TokyoCraftsman]

That is why it's called crony capitalism and has almost nothing to do with true free market capitalism.

[@MycketTuff]

Yup, yet people vote for socialists every single fucking time.

[@david4499]

😥 sad to see everything my Grandfather predicted coming true in our ancestral homeland.

[@j.ericswede7084]

Exactly, Sweden was the only country in Europe (Scandinavia) that survived WW2 intact. Their infrastructure was intact, steel production untouched, etc. Therefore Sweden's economy BOOMED for 50 years after 1945. But the Swedes thought it would never end, they looked to benefits and early retirement and forgot their Lutheran heritage. They have the cross on their flag, but the politicians have forgotten God. My Great Grandparents left Österfärnebo in April 1882.

[@frederickburns1739]

David Lindahl That's what socialism does!!! Look around at how countries in Europe have tried it and failed!?!?!?

[@donaldmiller8629]

@Frederick Burns , For an even more contemporary example of the effects of Socialism consider Venezuela which not so very long ago was a rich country. Now , today , since the advent of Socialism , the people are living so poorly that there are no longer any dogs , cats , rats or mice in sight . The people have eaten them to keep from starving.

[@patriciakavanaugh5300]

@@frederickburns1739 This is not a socialism thing. It's not a political thing either. It's a Big Agri-Business Monopoly thing. And it's been happening all over the US since the 1980s. Farmers providing raw milk for just their family have been shut down and, in some cases, sent to jail because they wouldn't pasteurize. It's happened to small hog and chicken/egg farmers too.

[@frederickburns1739]

Patricia Kavanaugh Like I said welcome to socialism!?!?!?!

[@christinehulmes]

I live in the UK and to answer your question about our Queen having her own Highland Cattle herd. The answer is yes she does. She keeps them on one of her estates up in Scotland and visits them whenever she stays up on her estate Balmoral in Scotland. I am so very sorry about the future of Highland Cattle in Sweden as a whole. The Highland cattle as a breed is becoming rarer and it is important that these breeds are kept going. Good luck in your keeping them.

[@fionajane56]

I have to say this doesn’t really surprise me. Here in Kentucky we just found out that we cannot get animals over 30 months old butchered at the two small butchers near us. Our plan is/was to butcher 3 year old Jersey steers off our pastures in the fall. The USDA requires special handling of the spines, heads and other offal of older animals due to the fear of Mad Cow disease. This special handling is way to expensive for the small butchers to deal with. We had wondered why two other small, local shops had shut down, this was the reason. Most of the local Amish feed out their milk cows calves for beef, Jerseys grow slower so three years is about right for the steers to be of a good size. We have had some of this older Jersey beef...it is fantastic. The average age of a slaughtered commercial beef in the USA is 16 months. Thank you for this information. It is invaluable for any small holder or farmer that wants to fill a need for locally grown healthy food. God Bless you and your wonderfully clean cattle!

[@moovingon6868]

@Fiona C Is it legal for you to butcher your own if you wanted too, in Kentucky still? I realize that may not be an option in your particular situation, rather just wondering if some families did their own.

[@lorcathecrazy5331]

Another FINE example where big agriculture messes up, and the little people pay the price. 16 month feed lot cattle are why mad cow is a concern. Pasture raised beef wouldn't be eating processed feds at all. But the feed lot people have pushed for faster growth rates to the point that cows eating cows through feed additives become a mad proposition. The big industry creates a freakish disease and the home farmer gets the heat. Swine flu, bird flew, salmonella, and mad cow are ALL big industry proplems. The small guy pays attention to livestock, in the field, not from an office counting pennies saved by cutting corners. Big agricultural injects antiboitics into animals and pack them in a small space. Home producers use antibiotics rarely and give lots of space and freedom.

[@WarAdmiral0]

Mooving On This is a late reply, but the concern with older cattle and Mad Cow is the spontaneously mutating version of the disease. The older the cow, the greater the risk of a mutated protein. Because most animal byproduct is banned in the feeding of commercial cattle, there is actually a much lower risk of Mad Cow from commercial cattle slaughtered before 30 months of age.

[@karenfrazer2284]

This news hit me like a bag of bricks. There is a way out, but I always rely on prayer to show it to me. I will continually pray for your solution, Simeon. He knows best and loves your family so much. God bless you all along the way.

[@mustaqahmed9812]

Perhaps the reason is that more peoples are relying on better quality foods day by day & they look for the small farmers to fulfill their need & that scared the big producers. I believe you are going toward right direction, you have right thoughts & talent of what you are doing. Please don't give up. I like to see peoples like you are the winner. It will save not only you but also peoples like us & the future generations.

[@dpower02]

If you have to rely on the government to fix things you are in trouble.

[@mitche499]

I'm sorry to hear that Simeon, the Scottish Highland Cattle is such a strong beautiful breed. Government has a way of stepping in, changing all that is good for the farmer, leaving them without many options to sustain their livelihood. It is happening in other countries and such a shame. Thank you for your video.

[@telyeash4155]

I sure hope the farmers fight and win, much prayers for you and those affected

[@fitzfarm8694]

The lack of local butcher shops is a concern in the states as well. They are often booked up 8 to 10 month in advance in my area. Also I have recently switched from Hereford to Angus just because of the marketing of corporate farms and the likes of McDonald's. The demand for Hereford has dropped to almost nothing because people believe that an Angus burger is so much better. Please continue with the highland breed, if for no other reason than to preserve the breed. Thank you. I really enjoy your channel.

[@joansnyder3186]

These cattle are just wonderful thankyou for opening our eyes to the issues you and your families are awesome farmers

[@rmhamilton5161]

Like you stated, it is all about control not livelihood.

[@zoeykraft8987]

Praying for your family and livelihood.

[@cynn3367]

Control the food and you control the population. Drive people off homesteads and away from the rural environment and encourage town/city living and control is even more enhanced.

[@claudiamia2058]

This is happening all over even here in the US. We don't have highland cattle (to my knowledge) but that is not the issue. It's all about control of food production so they can use food to control the people. Keep a few for your own pantry and grow the others for processing. It's getting bad and wish I knew what could be done. Small farmers are struggling. I am so sad for you.

[@pmessinger]

They're here, but still in limited numbers, owned by independent farmers. Support homestead farms.

[@jamiegreen7537]

Yes they are here in the USA I have big herd of them

[@lemonvariable72]

Look on the brightside, you will be a fucking king if a phophorus shortage hits.

[@PlasticContainerCity]

This is so aggravating. I am so sorry. I hope you can find a solution

[@yassinouchnan9838]

This is not The decision of the politics as there is not anymore real politics. This is a decision of industrials, afraid by the decrease of industrial meet everywhere in Europe. The politicians do what industrials tell them to do. As farmers are not allowed to process in EU maybe they could organize a cooperation between themselves and open some processing places 'abattoirs' . But it's a huge problem for industrials that big decrease in EU and they will do all possible to block that. In fact I guess it will be a world problem in the future as people are more and more interested by what they put in their plate. Hope people there will fight for small farmers as it is the future. In France they have the same problem for all meats and diary products... For myself I by now only from farmers who keeps horned cow and it's really rare to find. And only free range chickens and eggs from free range chickens... We eat less but we know that the animals have a better life and we have a better meet and a much better consciousness. Take care.

[@FarmFreshIB]

We use a small family owned butcher shop here in Missouri USA as well. Fortunately we still have a few of them left. Are there such things as mobile butcher shops in Sweden? They are not common here in Missouri, but my cousin has opened one. He has a big van set up as a butcher shop and he travels to the local farm where he provides butchery and processing of the animal directly on the farm. That way a farmer can pay to have the animal dispatched, cut and packaged as desired without ever moving the animal off of the farm.

[@anthonyberry1314]

You're absolutely right! Ma'am has her own herd of Highlands and have done very well at shows in the past. God bless her!

[@angelaanthony6295]

I agree on politics playing such a huge roll in undermining the small farmer! You see it here in the US also. We too, are so lucky to have a fairly local butcher to take our animals to!!

[@2barbreak]

Hopefully the Highland Cattle farmers can unite to locate Butchers for each other.

[@zipwukwuk]

Hi Simeon, We have a small herd of 5 highland cattle ourselves, here at our small 10 hectare homestead in Denmark. We use home butchering, because its too expensive to process them at larger facilities due to all those transport costs etc. you also talk about. The largest problem is we have to pack all the meat ourselves. Our local butcher shoots them on the field, and theyre broken up hanging from our tractor. He is very quick so i also think its silly that they think they are dirty etc. It usually takes him a mere 3-5 minutes to take off the entire skin, and from that point its like any other cow. It's sad, but farming now a day is like running a factory. The people we know earning money producing beef has 300+ cows, thats why we, at our place will never be able to make money from beef cattle, the other people we know herding highland cattle, is usually as a hobby or using then to graze down large nature areas because highlanders can easily manage all year outside. Sad but true. :(

[@cottagetwo2810]

So sad The way the enemy comes in and tries to destroy . My prayers are with you, your family and homestead . From USA Va.

[@jackieskitchen1966]

I am from the USA, you are so very correct about small farmers being less and less. I am just a gardener to help feed my family. I feel there are a lot of people that are trying their best to bring back homesteading, I personally love this concept and try to be as self sufficient as possible even tho we live in town and can not have farm type animals we can do endless other things. This is horrible that you are dealing with this problem. They look pretty clean to me and beautiful too! If the meat is preferred it could be a marketing thing so they get a better chunk of the profit, unfortunately that cuts into your profit hence you would have to charge more to make up for the loss. I am happy that you said you are lucky to have local small butchers!

[@peterfehr7441]

Hi Simeon. Any of us anywhere in the world that is trying to do small homesteading and are fighting through bureaucratic control, feel with you. Whether it is capitalism, socialist, fascism, or communism it doesn't matter, it comes down to the same thing, controlling the people. Here in Alberta, Canada we have to register our small farms with a list of livestock to "prevent the spread of diseases". Keep working at being self sufficient.

[@gregstanley8430]

This is happening here in the US too. Another homestead KZbinr, Cog Hill Farm, just recently announced he was discontinuing with pigs because his local processor closed down and the next closest one is too far to be practical.

[@kohp111]

I'm sorry for you guys. I hope some people make a concerted effort to keep the line going.

[@lyndacompton1846]

What a shame the government needs to stay out of people's business

[@paulinelarson465]

I saw a program about a rancher, raising buffalo for meat. He solved his transporting and butchering problem by using a mobile unit. A semi-trailer containing a freezer and facilities for butchering, is brought to the field and the steers are shot, towed to the truck, processed without the others being disturbed. The herd was oblivious. It seemed to be an efficient operation. Perhaps a local cooperative could invest in a unit like this and take it to the local producers in turns.

[@mattheefisher2104]

God bless the small farmer.

[@debraclogston9379]

Watching these videos got me interested in local food. We go to a local butcher. I have met Highland cattle, he was the cutest dang cow I ever met.

[@heathergustafson4237]

Get other farmers together and work something out for the highland cows. Your very creative and self sufficient, make your own. Your simply being picked on hope you can work this out

[@kathyp.8938]

Politics... You hit it on the head. It is to control what people do. Raise what you want. Sell to people willing to do their own butchering.

[@Tinkering_woodland_witch]

I had a similar problem here with hogs. Raise mule foot hogs, and the local small butcher wanted to charge me an extra $150 for it being a lard hog, and an extra $75 for being out of standard size... these extra charges made it impossible for me to raise hogs for locals and get the meat processed.

[@annguinard5111]

Government can be frustrating. Keep your chin up and you and your fellow farmers keep on the battle. It's the same in the states, politicians make it difficult.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

We have to stay organized as small producers. It's really amazing when you think about it... How large scale is not as sustainable as small scale. Like any network structure... many many small nodes distributes risk across a greater net sum.

[@anulfadventures]

It is a universal problem anywhere in the west it seems. Governments prefer to deal with "executives" of large commercial farms as opposed to many small farmers. They make all kinds of public noise about concern for the well being of the earth etc. but then they cut the legs out from under the small farmer, the very ones who ARE looking after the land. Everyone saw how the State farms of the Soviet Union failed, could not compete with the family farms in the west. Now we have the Capitalist system trying to do the same thing only commercially owned farms where profit is the only concern.

[@carolwhite8953]

Another sad story, when it comes to food production I support small growers as much as I can. As for butcher shops I live in SE Michigan and I know of one indie shop.

[@eriksward6894]

They will stil lbe arround as a very good way to keep our old pastures open and such. Just perhaps not as a alternavtive for those that breed cattle for meat. We currently use sheep for keeping our old areas cleared and they work nicely but it is a pest to keep those fences working well in småländska höglandet so Highland cattle might be an future option. That combined with the fact that they prefer to be outside all year is very appealing.

[@richardb1949]

It’s not politics it’s corporate agriculture !

[@simeonandalex]

It is politics favoring corporate agriculture.

[@craigmooring2091]

No! It's both!

[@lapatossu5976]

I have to disagree. It's definitely the politicians but one should ask why is it that they want to stick their noses into everything. I mean, it's not like they actually care whether people eat healthy food or not. If they did we wouldn't have Mcdonalds, KFC, Nestle and all the other junk. The problem is that people don't take any responsibility for anything anymore. They blame the government and politicians for everything and anything that's wrong in their lives. The only way for politicians to respond to this is to try to control everything and the only way to control everything is to standardize and regulate. And the more regulation you have more difficult it is for small operators to compete with big business.

[@annahkurtin9665]

One in/and the same

[@lorcathecrazy5331]

@@lapatossu5976 I have one word for you, which exemplifies political culture. I give you ... Monsanto. Hopefully, as time progresses, Monsanto will continue to get their butts kicked in class action lawsuits and failed court case defenses around the globe.

[@cavendish009]

Your cows are so beautiful and should be saved like some of our English highland sheep which live outdoors all year round. Their meat is so special. I do hope this is sorted out so you can go on farming.

[@ivylady13]

What?? Insane. I hope you will stage a formal protest.

[@bigricky63]

Is there anyway of butchering your own? Set up a cooler, My Dad and his brother built one out of a nice little milkhouse. They made a double wall around it and filled the walls with sawdust. They built a cooler behind it. Uncle bought some rails,railhooks and the cooler unit from an old meat shop that was being demolished. I realize there maybe rules regarding private sales, but there are ways of selling memberships to the homestead that over here anyway allows you to sell milk,egg,meat, produce without all the inspection and hassle.

[@McCoysOakHillFarm]

Sweden is not the only country I am pretty sure of that. We have those same set of issues here in the USA. If the cattle are not black hided, high production, etc beef animals then the big feed lots will not buy them. We are hit at the feeder calf level and don't even get to the slaughter house. I use a local butcher for my animals, even though I have black angus, which is sort of the preferred breed here for beef with a few other breeds that cross well with the angus. I think it is exactly what you said at about the 6:25 mark and beyond. It is a ploy for this support for small farmers, businesses, buy and grow local. It is a good movement, but if big corps and the government can get control over the market, because there is a demand for it and there is some money to be made by exploiting it that is exactly what they will do. I try to buy local and support local businesses and farms when I can, but if you are selling junk from where ever by whomever then no thanks. I could go on about things I have heard from the mouths of the dishonest. I like highland cattle and I know I would like to get some black Galloway to mix with my angus. :)

[@karenvalfon]

Sorry to hear those news. Battle and work together with the local butchers and grow strong. It is known that the big companies want to manage everything.

[@flo-llama]

Simeon, thank you for this very important and informative video. I don't think the subject matter was well liked by "some peoples" because I had to watch it on my phone. Normally I watch your videos on my television using a roku streaming device. It played for 1 minute & then refused to load or play any further. It is a common "trick" they use with posters whose messages do not conform to their social & political viewpoints. It may be time for you to create a back up channel. God bless you, your family, your country & all on our planet.

[@hollyssimplelife1634]

We have the same problem in US. Form a cooperative there are some successful ones in the states that sell to big natural food stores. There is strength in numbers.

[@dorascott8286]

Love seeing your cows, very well cared for; my best...

[@JoshuaSmithHomesteader]

Don't give up the fight. More people need to realize the system is screwed. Everyone needs to stop buying commercial. Start buying and shopping local.

[@GailS.7777]

Sad to hear that greed and government interference has hit so close to home. Aside from that I so like your hat color green and your Highland cows are so stately and beautiful!

[@boatmanshuzz4030]

Struggle is Real ! Curious how the cobalt mine turned out? Wondering if you made an update video on it?

[@sunnybelisle4007]

I'm so sorry, Simeon. It's the same here in America...it's all about CONTROL!! The government supports BIG business and seems to be trying to phase-out the small producers/businesses. It's so frustrating to deal with. FYI: you have introduced me to a cattle breed that I knew nothing about, thus, influencing me to consider including them in my homestead livestock. Thank you. :-D

[@sisken12]

The same thing has already happened in the US. Industrial dairy farming has shut down the “mom and pop” dairies across the country. It’s pretty much the same for most aspects of farming here. Either you go big, or you don’t go. I really feel for you.

[@honeyy79]

Learn to butcher yourself, make your own butcher facility on the farm and get it approved by the goverment. If this is what you want then don't depend on others coz then this happens! :D

[@acanadianineurope814]

In Sweden ? Can you imagine the paperwork ? The EU rules ? The government interference in everything because Socialism ?

[@WS-ij1fu]

@@acanadianineurope814 It's Capitalism actually

[@simeonandalex]

Tone Andersen, we do butcher for ourselves. Our own meat that is. If you want to sell you need a facility that is certified. It costs millions of Swedish Kronor.

[@honeyy79]

@@acanadianineurope814 I live in Norway, so yes i know. But its not that bad actually!

[@lorcathecrazy5331]

On site butchering is not a good model. But a mobile unit would be a great standard anywhere. Government regulated and portable, like the back of a tractor trailer unit. Instead of bringing the livestock to the processor, bring the processor to the farm. I think that would be the best of both worlds. From farm to consumer, with inspection between.

[@moonwolfdancer1103]

I agree with what many others have suggested to start your own butcher facility. Perhaps if there were enough of you to do a co op rather than a single farmer the cost and running of it would be more manageable. I am not experienced with livestock rearing so my suggestions are only that. I had parents who had an orange grove but that is entirely different. I hope you and the other farmers will be able to continue to raise Highland cattle. They are a beautiful breed.

[@ldg2655]

Perhaps you can collaborate with other small-business cattleman and put together a portable processing business? That way, it could travel from farmer to farmer and process their cows at the farm, saving the farers the extra charge and circumventing the large commercial processors from squeezing farmers out by controlling what is processed. It's about keeping the consumer DEPENDENT and eliminating any competitors.

[@angels100143]

So sorry to hear of this development in your country. We in uk have farms shutting down by the day, we have fields empty of animals because farmers just can’t make enough money to live on. Diversity is the solution for some farmers with lots of hard graft find other ways to use their farms. May be open small rural abattoirs to serve your lovely animals. How about appealing to the Queen and the people who buy your meat. Any way I will pray for you and your fellow beef farmers .Ann UK

[@jgonzz10028]

In USA there are many farmers that grow 'organic' or 'specialty items' for the local market or export. One can even buy what they want online. Farmers get better prices and shoppers get better quality. If Swedish farms are being adversely effected by politicians in Brussels , from here it looks like a scam.

[@AussiePharmer]

Sorry for the sad but logical news. I guess there are still mobile butchers which visit the farm to process animals, a service we employ. I keep cattle and the shift towards polled or de-horned animals is a welfare issue. Horned animals butt each other during transport, leading to bruising/or puncturing of the flesh. High animal stress (reduced meat quality) and physical damage to the flesh costs the industry money. Thick, matted hair also hides surprises and makes it difficult for processors to access infection or maggots as you have experienced. After transportation most cows emerge covered in dung, short hair cows are much easier to rinse than thicker haired breeds. The only way forward is de-horning physically at birth or breeding the horns out, then shaving the animals before processing. A very difficult issue for farmers and I empathise with you as we have had to breed the horns out of our cattle.

[@roypotts3745]

That is wild because when I was over there in the seventies that was all it was about local cheese beef bread everything! They just went nut crazy over there!

[@bartsch4cb]

Such beautiful cows. I've never seen that breed before. Its a shame governments are doing this. Small farmers are the backbone of any country. We have it here too. Don't give up fighting.

[@mitchh9111]

You are lucky to have some local butcher/slaughter houses.... here in middle England I don't have access to smaller abattoir, my cattle would have to travel many miles to reach a bigger abattoir that does cattle. It s one of the reasons I gave up my small herd of Dexters. Sad decision but I wasn't happy to give my stock additional stress of travelling many miles as opposed to 4miles to an old family run abattoir/butcher. Sad times.

[@alisonbender8611]

Simeon, I think your Highland Cattle are beautiful. Hope you will be able to be a positive force with other farmers in your area to keep the Highland Cattle a viable breed in your Country.

[@StRain-zx2vo]

Simple solution, process yourself. We always processed our own. Great opportunity for growers to band together and thumb nose at "politics"

[@TokyoCraftsman]

Simeon, I'm really sorry to hear about your troubles. This is typical of too much government, they just get in your way, but this is what people vote for, the large overreaching central planning bureaucracy that they think knows best. Big business and the government colluding to stamp out the little guy, this too is a common thing all over the world, and it sucks. Best of luck.

[@mikeboone4425]

It's a real shame but everything has been politicized today even animal farts . good luck and all this done by people who have never had to make a payroll and it all starts in the university . Happy trails

[@WS-ij1fu]

Too thick were you ?

[@ellenjackson3798]

Thank you so much for the video. This is exactly what the government wanted/wants to do to the US small farm businesses. If your government is like ours, they probably have made regulations to restrict small farmers from creating their own butcheries as well. Such a shame, but if enough people fight the good fight they will win.

[@deutzmans1]

In Ireland our small slaughter houses are nearly all gone and our rural life and smaller farms are in a bad way now too

[@harrypotter4309]

You are correct. The Queen does have her own herd of Highland cows and is very proud of them.

[@Sanados]

The channel started to nice. With friendly people and a lot of information. Sadly, there is only negativity left.

[@gregmislick1117]

Just get a big stencil and some paint and label them all " Soilent Green" before you send them in. The corp influence on government regulation is insane. I'm investigating installing a solar farm on family land. Due to the influx of similar things in that area, the farmer's lobby in the state has added fees to "prime farm land" if used for such. I understand. BUT... for the last 40 years, the local farmers have wanted nothing to do with using our land ( which at this point is as "organic" as it comes having had not a gram of chemical placed on it... meanwhile the town tax assessor wants to label all the land residential building lots and tax it accordingly - which means that it would become houses. How does this work?? At least the solar is, for the most part, still untouched land ( the arrays stand on posts in the ground ... and some wires...) which is easily reverted to productive farm land at any time should that choice be made... ah well, it is what it is. Feel your pain ( to some extent) Good Luck!!

[@gillian4033]

I haven't read all of the comments so someone may have made this point - buy your meat from a local/small butcher who can tell you about the source. I'm approaching retirement and in relocating find myself looking for small towns with an independent butcher. If we continue to buy from the large supermarkets we'll feed into this issue. I understand not everyone can afford to do this, but if you can please support the small supplier - as they say 'follow the money'.... you might not think your small purchase matters, but if enough do it it's a 'trend' and the big companies watch 'trends' like you wouldn't believe!

[@Medinskiy1979]

Keep going, you are doing right thing!

[@annahkurtin9665]

Very quietly process at home. Pressure can some of the meat. GOD be with you.

[@markgalyen38]

You need to start up your own butcher shop

[@jwilliams9468]

There's always something with the governments of our countries having to be the controllers and into every nook and cranny of our lives and livelihood. I'm grateful you are part of a community that has a common sense approach to your daily lives.

[@candidethirtythree4324]

The government had NOTHING to do with this...It was the slaughterhouse that raised the price!

[@jwilliams9468]

Candide, perhaps you should watch it again and look at the bigger picture of what's going on there.

[@alotofgrey]

Here in the US we have pig and cow "mobile" butcher shops that service the small farmer nitch market like yours. If that happens that small business opportunity will be there.

[@keithbrennan7429]

Im a small farmer, raising rare breeds in Ireland. In the Irish context, large farms, large factories, and industrial production are becoming the norm. It's not because of politics. Or Europe. As a farmer, my experience of local and European politics has been to experience support, training, grating and education provided to me. The fundamental reason why agriculture is becoming industrialised is commercial, and market driven. The vast majority of customers want cheap meat. They want the cheapest meat they can buy. The drive to compete, ruthlessly, to cater t that means industrial farming, large scale slaughter, and uniformity of breed are the norm. It's not politics. It's not Europe. It's economics. Demand. The power of the market. My abbatoir it's has margins that's are wafer thin. If I give him stock that decrease his efficiency, I need to pay him to manage that. Because if I don't, the slaughterhouses that do only commercial breeds will outcompete him. I wish it weren't so. But it is. Ai don't farm despite European support and local politics. I farm enabled by them. They subsidise welfare schemes for increasing the health of my flock. They pay for knowledge transfer programs. They provide marketing and admin support for getting my product t market.

[@downhilltwofour0082]

There is a constant pressure from corporations all over the world on local governments to limit the opportunities of small businesses fo all kinds. The sad truth is, Money talks.

[@CatsRule]

Not quite sure where you are coming from, friend Simeon … So little time … So much to say … This Alberta cat is wishing you the best of luck. Love cat.

[@randallkrich6584]

I just talked to my uncle in Wisconsin he said the same thing the butchers aren't taking them anymore because of the horns but they produce nice marbled meat

[@joellenbroetzmann9053]

It almost makes one want to get schooled in being a butcher so you can continue to have those beautiful animals. It makes me think back to the days when most of my older relatives had oxen or work horse teams and sometimes even a trotter to pull their sleigh to church. My mom went to Sunday School driven by a very old man who had horse and sleigh. He had been friends with Abe Lincoln. Nothing like a sleigh ride!

[@larsandersson5464]

What is Your source for this information? (or just rumours)

[@kaydewinter3588]

yes, the queen does have them

[@annahkurtin9665]

is one - hair, horns 'n' all

[@jeanettedavis4633]

Sorry to hear this.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Just wondering if they have the soft undercoat shed like musk ox... that fiber is very much sought out. Know that doesn't change the processing plant mess but...

[@MadWiking]

Simeon, please tell us more about the government takeover of the REKO-rings. (preferably in another video) I did not known the government had interfered in that at all.... That's scary!!

[@georgemontgomery8847]

Hi Simeon, I was just wondering if the Highland cattle are on a rarebreeds list in Sweden I know they are not native to that country, or if there is something like our RBST in the UK. They were on the list here not so long ago along with the belted Galloway.

[@MJ-pc3ry]

Sad that the government finds ways to knock out the little guys (companies). Get rid of factory farming, and SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS!! ❤🇨🇦

[@bigears4426]

When a sheep has long wool it is easy to contact the flesh with the wool and it would be the same with these cattle , it takes longer because you have to go a lot slower

[@marcomarco7099]

We are in 2021. What about this ev. additional fee of 2000 SEK? Yes/No?

[@travisnorseman8648]

I asked before but I am still wondering if you can shear and use the fiber?? If not, why?

[@travisnorseman8648]

If so, you could shear them before sending them to the butcher and have the extra fiber for whatever it might be good for.

[@soapsfromhome9979]

Makes me sad how the government wants their hands in everything. They’ve done it to the small dairy producers also. ☹️😭

[@myfriendoretheshepherd6618]

They are trying to weed out small farmers who raise good meat! Can you find a portable person who does the slaughtering of the cows individually? We have this in the US. Don’t let them win! We are praying for you and all the small farmers! Blessings and don’t give up!