Woodworth has raised cattle on his 90-acre farm just northwest of Lynden for 45 years. He first raised Polled Herefords but 20 years ago, he switched to raising the Highland breed, distinguished by its long hair and handsome sweeping horns.

"A lot of people think it looks like a yak," he said of the breed, which originated in Scotland in the 1700s and was imported to Canada in the 1880s. The breed is "somewhat rare" in Canada and the U.S., Woodworth said. Ontario has the largest number of stock, followed by Quebec and Alberta, but it is well known in Britain where "people pay a premium at restaurants for it" because of its quality meat. "It's tender and low in cholesterol and fat," Woodworth explained.

Often described as noble, Highlands have two coats; the inner, thick and woolly, acts as a blanket to retain heat while the outer is a long coat that sheds rain and snow to prevent the inner coat from becoming damp and cold.

"Highland cattle are great," Woodworth said, noting that because of their hardy nature, the animals don't have to be housed in barns and they're easier to care for than other breeds.

Highland cows are also noted for their fertility and "easy births," making them attractive to people who have an interest in farming but only want to do it on a part-time basis. Even so, Woodworth and his wife, Chris, who generally takes a lead role in caring for the young calves, find there is plenty to keep them occupied. There's fencing, feeding, haying, general care and machinery maintenance to fill the hours.

Right now, there are about 90 head on the farm, including about 20 calves. Woodworth plans to cut back about 50 per cent this year, but he'll keep his favourites, including a couple of females who have borne several calves over the years and have earned a comfortable retirement.

He has developed a close bond with his herd and has names for many of his stock. They dot the pastures, most of them exhibiting a pleasing red coat while others are white, black, yellow or dun (brownish-gray).

Woodworth has done well as a breeder and sells some of his stock privately. He has "constant clientele" from the Toronto area and remembers one man who used to travel all the way from Ottawa to buy steers.

Because of his longtime association with cattle breeding, Woodworth is a former president and current director of the Canadian Highland Cattle Society, which has more than 300 registered members across Canada. Last summer, he was awarded the G. Gordon Khol award as Canada's breeder of excellence. He was the unanimous choice at the Society's annual meeting in Saskatoon, but because he was unable to attend, the cup was presented to him before the annual Highland show at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto last November.

Khol, he explained, was a Quebec lawyer who raised Highlands. A group of his friends put the award together in the 1990s in honour of the late lawyer.

The Woodworths are proud of their farm and the 3,000-square-foot, two-storey home of stone and wood that they built on their ranch 16 years ago. It took about three years to construct the R2000 home, which features wooden plank floors and lots of interior wood fixtures, including joists and windowsills taken from the old King Edward Hotel in Brantford that dated back to the 1840s.

The Woodworth property is aptly named Clachan Glas Farms, which in Gaelic means Grey Stone.