The Farm

Our Cows

Cows originally moved from the West of Scotland to Stewart Tower in 1952. These cows were Ayrshire cows which were slowly phased out and Friesians were introduced. We have now introduced Holsteins in to the herd, alongside three descendents from the original herd, to Stewart Tower. All cows are now born and reared on the farm before entering the milking herd.

Milk at Stewart Tower comes from our herd of Pedigree Holstein Friesan cows. Cows here calve in the early summer or autumn. They are milked twice each day - early in the morning and again in the afternoon every day of the year. Fresh milk is collected to make our ice cream and the rest is sold to Robert Wiseman Dairies to supply their bottling plant in Aberdeen.

In the summertime the cows live outside and graze on the fields around the farm. During the winter they are all housed and fed a winter ration which includes silage and wholecrop wheat grown on the farm. Young heifer calves are reared for 2 years before they enter the milking herd. Beef calves are reared as store cattle and sold at the local market.

We grow a variety of cereal crops at Stewart Tower. Wheat and barley are primarily grown to produce feed and straw for the dairy herd. However, some of the barley is sold to the malting trade and used to make whisky.