A daughter’s love of Highland Cows led her family to create a small farm in Social Circle where people can visit and learn more about the beautiful animals.
It’s a childhood rite of passage to beg one’s parents for a pet. Many kids are delighted when their folks agree to adopt a dog or a cat, but when Taylor Rose Bramlett, now a junior at Social Circle High School, asked her parents for an animal to love, she did not have a canine or feline companion in mind. She had fallen in love with a special breed of “fluffy cows” and longed to call one of them her own.
Her parents, Steve and Teresa, not only said yes to one Highland cow in 2025. The family ended up with three of the Scottish gentle giants and may acquire more in the future. “Cows don’t like living alone,” Teresa said. However, adopting Highland cows is a far more complicated process than heading to the local animal shelter. It required the Bramletts to move from their home in Newborn to the countryside of Social Circle and clear acres of woodland to create an expansive pasture. So it was that Chasin’ Shade Farms was born. Teresa had grown up with horses, so she already had some experience caring for livestock. Even so, she delved into research and learned all she could about this breed of cattle.
Highland cows have been a common sight on the hills of Scotland for thousands of years, as their long, double-layered woolly coats protect them from the cold and damp weather. They have the longest hair of any cattle, and it comes in a range of colors, including yellow, ginger, red and black. Their dossan—lengthy emo-style bangs—cover most of their face and fall between long, distinctive horns. Highland cows have a stocky build and take four years to reach full adult size, which ranges from 1,100 pounds for females to 1,750 pounds for bulls.
“They have 360-degree vision and can smell scents originating six miles away.”
Teresa Bramlett
“They’re very smart animals,” Teresa said. “They have 360-degree vision and can smell scents originating six miles away. They’re also the most docile breed of cows. They want human attention and will gently eat treats out of your hand. They’re very food-driven.”
The first cows to join the Bramlett family were 4-year-old Aile and her young calf, Edan. Aile has a red coat while Edan’s is yellow. Both have sweet, playful personalities. “Edan is my emotional support cow,” Teresa said. Soon after, little Nova, another yellow calf just one month younger than Edan, joined the fold. Nova’s personality is a bit spunkier and more rebellious than Edan’s. Still, Taylor Rose—self-proclaimed as the “bougiest cowgirl ever”—claims that’s why Nova is her favorite of the three cows.
“I mean, look at that,” she said, pointing to Nova gnawing on the rope that kept her tethered to the fence. “How can you not love her?”
Their overall quiet nature makes Alie, Edan and Nova ideal for interacting with people. Chasin’ Shade Farms has hosted adorable Highland cow photo sessions during the holidays, complete with props such as the cow kissing booth built for Valentine’s Day. People can also schedule one-hour visits to hang out with the cows. In preparation for farm visitors, Teresa bathes the cows and blow-dries their hair, often adding flower wreaths or bows. She also started a TikTok account to share them with the world. Most mornings, she takes her coffee out to the pasture and videos whatever the cows are up to. The cows are the stars of the videos. Taylor Rose and brother Barrett, 18, mostly stay in the background when it comes to social media. “People ask me a lot of questions,” Teresa said, emphasizing that she enjoys learning more about her beloved animals as she finds the answers.
The Highland cattle’s arrival was a bright moment after a difficult two years during which the Bramlett family split their time between Georgia and their original home in Mississippi. Teresa’s mother, Margaret Touchstone, had been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Teresa wanted to be with her during her treatments and surgeries. That season of life closed with a month of hospice care at Touchstone’s home.
“We spent a lot of time together on her back patio watching the birds,” Teresa said. The activity gave the Bramlett family farm its name. “Mom was in a wheelchair, and we said we spent our days ‘chasing the shade,’ rolling her from one section of the porch to another to stay in the shade while she enjoyed the fresh air. My mom passed away on June 7, 2024. She had a beautiful Japanese maple tree in her yard. That’s the tree that’s on our logo.”
As the calves adjusted to the heat and humidity in the summer of 2025, the Bramletts made it easier by installing fans in the barn. Mama Aile went on her own quest of “chasin’ shade” and chose a patch of bare earth beneath a wide cypress tree, a perfect spot to waste the hot afternoons away.
Keep up with Aile’s, Edan’s and Nova’s adventures on TikTok by following @chasin.shade.farms. Email chasinshadefarms@gmail.com for information on photo shoots or to schedule a time to visit the cows.
Click here to read more stories by Kari Apted.
Related Stories
Salt of the Earth
Bringing Down Barriers
