She started in eighth grade with three heifers and a bull, went viral with 18 million views overnight, and now runs Magnolia Minis, a thriving mini and Highland cattle business in Central Illinois with close to fifty head. This week Taylor sits down with Sophia Poignant to talk about how social media changed the Highland market, why online auctions have taken over, and what it's really like to build a cattle business from scratch as a teenager.

Sophia brings a fresh, honest perspective on buying bulls, spotting scams, raising bottle calves, and why a goat named Mildred might be the best foster mom in the business.

Key Takeaways

Trust your gut with your cattle — if something looks off today, don't wait until tomorrow.

Be very cautious breeding chondro positive heifers and always research a bull's parentage and calving history before committing.

Highlands can look tiny as yearlings and still grow significantly between two and three years old.

Horn size can be a clue to actual age — watch for sellers misrepresenting how young their animals are.

If a deal looks too good to be true in the Highland market right now, it probably is a scam.

Episode Highlights

Sophia shares the moment her video hit 18 million views and how overnight virality built her business.

The story of Mildred the nanny goat who fostered a micro Highland calf for five months and wouldn't let anyone else near him.

Taylor and Sophia compare notes on the great online auction debate — private sales versus wider reach.

Plus the shower incident with a bottle-fed Angus calf that Sophia's mum did not see coming.

Timestamps

00:01 — Going viral: 18 million views and what happened next
01:31 — Starting out in eighth grade with three heifers and a bull
03:43 — Chondro genetics and sizing from the start
05:49 — Growing the herd and getting married
06:40 — Future goals: downsizing size, not numbers
09:18 — Agritourism: exploring the idea
13:39 — Hard lessons: don't second guess yourself
17:37 — How the Highland market has changed in seven years
19:13 — Private sales versus online auctions
26:15 — Mildred the goat and the micro calf she raised
33:04 — The shower, the calf and the camera roll
36:37 — The social media myth of the house cow
43:31 — Chondro bull advice and watching for age misrepresentation
47:39 — Scams: how to spot them and protect yourself

Follow Sophia at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnolia_minis/?hl=en
TikTok: @magnolia_minis

Follow us on social media so you don't miss out on any advice, auction updates, or crazy farm stories!

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Facebook: Horns N Hooves | Instagram: @hornsnhoovesauctionpodcast | TikTok: @Hornsnhoovespodcast | Website: hornsnhoovesauction.com

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

Some farms breed cattle, this one breeds connection. This week Lori sits down with Lou Ann and Mike Kramer of Remark-Able Ranch in Greenfield, Indiana, a 501c3 nonprofit using Highland cattle to bring joy, healing, and confidence to people of all abilities. What started with a trip to Scotland and a love for "the pretty ones" became a mission built around the Kramers' daughter Brianna, whose bond with their first bottle-fed steer changed everything.

This episode covers agritourism insurance realities, why petting zoos require more than one of each species, and the kind of moments that happen when a so-called "murder cow" finally finds the right person.

Key Takeaways

Agritourism insurance is highly specific by state and activity — read every line before assuming you're covered.

Highland cattle bond with individual humans, not just with people in general. Steers make exceptional companions and babysitters for calves and herd mates.

A 501c3 nonprofit status takes real groundwork, including signage, accessibility, and insurance compliance.

Highland cattle have a uniquely calming, therapeutic effect that translates well to special needs and mental health programs.

Episode Highlights

Lou Ann shares how a trip to Scotland and a backwards spelling of their last name led to Remark-Able Ranch.

The story of Augie, the bottle-fed steer who became the herd's unofficial babysitter and Brianna's best friend.

A wild, "feral" bull named Emilio Estevez who only ever bonded with one woman, completely unprompted.

The realities of insurance, accessibility, and what actually goes wrong when you open a farm to the public for the first time.

Timestamps

00:01 — Welcome & introduction to Remark-Able Ranch
01:46 — How Lou Ann, Mike and Brianna got started
04:33 — Brianna's story and why this mission matters
06:40 — A trip to Scotland and "can we get the pretty ones?"
14:08 — Cowgirl Confidence and the Highland community
21:45 — Becoming a 501c3 nonprofit
26:15 — Agritourism insurance: what people don't expect
29:25 — Petting zoos, transferability and including everyone
40:55 — Augie the steer and the bond between bulls and babysitters
41:17 — Emilio Estevez: the feral bull who picked his person
47:57 — Calving schedules and managing fly strike

Learn more or book a visit at remarkableranch.net

Connect with Remarkableranch on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088917934871

Follow us on social media so you don't miss out on any advice, auction updates, or crazy farm stories!

Find us on Facebook: Horns N Hooves
Instagram: @hornsnhoovesauctionpodcast
TikTok: @Hornsnhoovespodcast
Website: hornsnhoovesauction.com

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/

Going from boat days on the river to calving checks at 3am is not a small leap — and Annie from FW Cattle Company is here to tell you exactly what that transition really looks like. This week Lori sits down with Annie to talk fencing failures, BVD testing nobody warns you about, and the uncomfortable truth about chondropositive calves that social media will never show you. If you're new to Highlands or thinking about getting started, this episode is packed with the kind of hard-earned lessons most people only learn the expensive way.

Annie and her husband traded city life for a farm in Stillman Valley, Illinois, and built FW Cattle Company from the ground up — fencing, infrastructure, education and all.

Key Takeaways

Build your fencing and infrastructure before the animals arrive, not after.

Always BVD test incoming cattle, even from reputable sellers — a negative mom doesn't guarantee a negative calf.

Confirmation matters more than size or color when choosing breeding stock.

Quarantine new arrivals for 10-14 days, even if they look healthy.

Chondropositive does not always mean small — thick, structurally sound calves can carry the gene and still be substantial.

Episode Highlights

Annie shares the real story of trading river life for farm life and what nobody warns you about with fencing.

The conversation gets into MooCall calving sensors, why a health certificate doesn't always mean what people think it means, and the heartbreaking realities of breeding chondro to chondro.

Lori and Annie talk honestly about the financial side of this hobby — including embryo losses, bull calf pricing, and why "this'll pay for itself" rarely holds true.

Plus the social media myth of the apartment-sized mini Highland gets fully busted.

Timestamps

00:01 — Welcome & Annie's transition from city to farm life
03:35 — Building proper fencing and infrastructure from day one
08:07 — Designing pastures and dry lots that actually work
12:53 — Why a headgate is non-negotiable
13:55 — The truth about social media and "teacup" Highlands
16:22 — Confirmation versus color and size
20:01 — The real cost of embryo work and low success rates
22:13 — Bull calves, collecting semen, and realistic returns
24:29 — BVD testing and why it matters even with reputable sellers
28:08 — Health certificates: what they actually guarantee
33:04 — Chondro to chondro: a hard lesson learned
35:39 — MooCall sensors and why they're worth it
44:20 — Supporting customers long after the sale

Learn more about FW Cattle Company at fwcattlecompany.com

Follow us on social media so you don't miss out on any advice, auction updates, or crazy farm stories!

Find us on Facebook: Horns N Hooves Instagram: @hornsnhoovesauctionpodcast TikTok: @Hornsnhoovespodcast
Website: hornsnhoovesauction.com

Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/