Farmer Spotlight- Radios a Necessity After Experiencing Hurricane

Meet Emily

Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, Emily Young is the heart behind Happy Hens and Highlands, a homestead rooted in heritage, resilience, and a deep love for Highland cattle. What started as a simple dream in 2014 quickly turned into a full-fledged farming lifestyle built through curiosity, trial-and-error, and a whole lot of grit. 

"I just wanted on Highland cow," Emily laughs. 

"My goal was to homestead and have a dairy cow, plus some chickens for eggs. I got one Highland cow and quickly realized cows are addicting. You need more than one."

That realization escalated quickly. Within a month, one cow became four and in under four months, Emily found herself caring for nearly 30 Highland cattle. With limited hands-on farm experience beyond childhood memories of her dad's cows, she dove in headfirst. 

"I didn't really know anything about Highland cattle," she says. "I would go hug on my dad's cows growing up, but I hadn't actually done farm work other than petting them. That was the extent of my experience."

Why Farming Matters to Emily

While Emily has always been drawn to the beauty of Highland cattle, her connection to farming runs deeper than appearances. Her family's roots trace back to generations in the mountains of western North Carolina- some of the earliest settlers in the region. 

"My family's heritage- we settled in these mountains," she explains. "We have deep roots here. It's more about protecting the land and seeing all the farmland getting brought up and developed. I've always had a huge attachment to the land and I've always loved animals."

As her herd grew, so did her knowledge. Emily began showing Highland cattle and learning more about breeding, genetics, and temperament- shaping her operation into one focused on quality animals raised with care and intention.

"There were some really crazy ones in that initial group," she admits. "It was a huge learning curve. As I learned more, I started selecting for temperament, focusing on quality genetics, and building really good breeding stock."

Sharing the Realities of Farm Life

Emily also learned early on that farming and sharing it online comes with its own challenges. After some of her cattle photos were used without context in a British tabloid, she realized how easily misinformation can spread. 

"It was this wild, completely made-up story about me and my cattle," she says. "It made me realize how fake things can be on the internet."

That experience reshaped how she approaches social media. Today, Emily is intentional about sharing the real side of farming, the hard days alongside the beautiful ones. 

"Farming is super hard. It can be heartbreaking and a lot of work," she says. "A lot of people only share the pretty moments. There's so much people don't tell you about." 

The message she receives from people who learn from her honesty continue to fuel her passion for sharing her story. 

How She's Using Two-Way Radios on the Farm

In 2024, Emily's farm was directly impacted by Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of western North Carolina. While her animals and farm survived, the storm wiped out power, cell service, and access to nearby roads for weeks. 

"My farm was okay, but we were without power and cell service for around a month," she recalls. "My parents live right down the road, I can see their house from mine, but it took hours to get to them because the creek turned into a river. The storm took out all the roads."

The experience changed how Emily thinks about communication and preparedness. 

"You always have your cell phone in your pocket, but in a storm like that, cell phones aren't much good," she says. "I never expected the entire cell grid togo out. Power outages, I'm used to, but it was weeks before phones worked again."

After the storm, Midland equipped Emily and her farm with tools designed for exactly these moments, including the GXT67 GMRS 5-Watt Walkie Talkie - GXT67PRO, GXT3000 GMRS Walkie Talkie 2 Pack - GXT3000VP4, WR120 NOAA Weather and Emergency Alert Radio - WR120, and ER50 Portable Emergency Weather Alert Crank Radio - ER50. 

While day-to-day farm use is still ramping up, Emily has already found the radios invaluable during events. 

"We hosted a big Highland cow show and auction," she explains. "The entire team running the event used the walkie talkies to communicate. It made everything so much easier."

She also uses them when her boyfriend helps around the farm and knows they'll become a staple as her operation continues to grow. 

"I see the value," Emily says."We're absolutely going to be using the two-way radios as things ramp up on the farm."

December on the Farm

December on the farm is quieter, but no less important. Emily uses the winter months to plan ahead, care for her herd, and prepare for what's next. 

With colder weather settling into the mountains, her focus shifts to animal health, infrastructure, and setting goals for the upcoming year, not to mention, holiday-focused photoshoots with the cows. 

For Emily, farming isn't just a lifestyle, it's a responsibility to the land, the animals, and the people learning from her journey.

As she's learned firsthand, staying connected, especially when it matters most can make all the difference.