Post by genebo on Apr 18, 2015 2:36:50 GMT
I was born in a primitive house that my grandfather built. It had no running water, heat or electricity. We drew water from a well using a rope and pulley. We stayed warm in the winter by bundling up. My father was away fighting the war during my early years. As I grew, I spent a lot of time with my uncles. One of them raised Hereford cows and saved up to buy an Aberdeen Angus bull to breed them. His reason was to increase the meat-to-bone ratio of his calves. I was impressed with the science behind what he was doing and was equally impressed by the small size and gentle nature of the little Aberdeen Angus bull.
When the war ended, our family traveled with the Army and I finished school next to the NACA facility at Langley AFB. I passed the exams and went to work for NASA on the day it was formed to replace the older NACA. It was great working with such talented people. People whose pictures appeared on magazine covers. People who were making a difference in the way we lived. I dove right in and lost myself in the same effort for 38 years. Then I retired, to take up private work. I worked all over the place, teaching and consulting and programming. I gathered together enough money to dream of going back to my roots in rural life.
After two years of searching, I found and bought Paradise Farm. I was in hog heaven. I planted row crops like my grandfather had, but was a failure at it. I fed a lot of wildlife, but encountered crop failures. Then I remembered my uncle and his wonderful little bull. I started looking for a bull like he owned. I was shocked to learn what had happened to the Angus that I remembered. Modern Angus were not small. They are giants, by comparison. Mean, too. At several farms where I went to look, I was told to stay in the vehicle, never go into the pasture on foot. It wasn't safe.
Well I certainly didn't have a death wish. I took the advice and decided to steer clear of modern beef cattle altogether.
I discovered the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC). They wrote about the efforts that were being made to conserve the rare breeds in America. They had listings of people who still had Aberdeen Angus cattle, but none were in my part of the world. I looked at some of the other breeds. I was drawn to the Scottish Highlands for a bit, but the first ones I went to visit were mean as snakes and turned me off. I found a list of owners of Dexter cattle and scheduled a visit to some of the farms. I liked what I saw. I went back home and began researching the breed. Everything I read made me like them even better. They really suited the size of my farm and seemed to be an almost exact replacement for the bull my uncle once owned, back when.
I made my way up to vist Olde Towne Farm and was thoroughly hooked on the breed. They not only had a moderate sized herd of Dexters, there were two very noteworthy Dexters in the herd. Boxcar (Rocky Hill's O'Hickory) was a magnificent looking bull. Stately and imposing. But I truly lost my heart to a cow named Pixie of Sussex. She was a dwarf, a short legged cow. Her demeanor was like that of a friendly dog. I can't remember the rest of the herd. Pixie filled my mind.
Of course she wasn't for sale. Actually, none of the Olde Towne Farm Dexters were for sale at that time. Their calf crop for the year had already been sold. I had to look elsewhere. And I did. I looked everywhere within driving range for Dexters to buy. They were scarce. The ALBC was right to be trying to protect them. I was getting desperate, when I finally found a cross-bred calf for sale in New York. Way early one morning I drove to the mountains of New York and bought a two month old Dexter/Shorthorn, that I promptly named Li'l Orphan Annie. She had lost her mother.
Annie did nothing but convince me that I wanted more cattle like her. I finally found two Dexter heifers for sale and I arranged to buy them sight unseen. I was to pick them up in a couple of weeks, when my barn and fence was finished. I was happy when I drove the last nail in the barn and strung the last wire on the fence. I called to arrange to pick them up. I was told I was too late, that she had sold the heifers just that morning, for more money. I was devastated.
I told Gale Seddon what had happened. She told Judy Sponaugle. Judy called me and said that she would make sure I got some Dexters. I burnt up the road going to Judy's place. She took me on a tour of her farm, which was filled with Dexters. There were more than I'd ever seen in one place and all were beatiful! She told me to pick out some that I liked and go home to study pedigrees.
I did that and gave her my wish list. She liked some of my choices, but not all. She told me about how certain bulls and certain cows went well together. Finally she told me to go home and wait. She would pick out some nice Dexters for me.
I was pleased with this,because the more I learned about Dexters, the more I learned how little I knew. Fortunately for me, Judy was wise and she had some Dexters there that had been developed by Barbara Lombardi, who had an excellent eye for putting together a Dexter herd. Ms. Lombardi had passed away and Judy had her herd at her farm. Judy had great plans for them, but decided to fix me up with some of Ms. Lombardy's Windridge Dexters. I think she was tring to make up for the disappointment I'd suffered when the heifer deal fell through.
On my birthday, Judy pulled up to my farm with a trailer load of little cattle. Li'l Orphan Annie and I stood and watched as six little cattle emerged from the trailer. They were gorgeous! I was introduced to Windridge Nollaig, an absolutely fabulous bull, and Windridge Bantrybeth, her daughter Jams Bantrybevin and her other daughter Jams Bantryblair. Plus Ruffles and Pinkie, Dexter/Hereford/Charolais crosses. I felt like I was the happiest man on the planet.
I feel the need to help insure that these little cattle continue to be available. I'd like to be responsible for making someone else as happy as I was when I got mine. The enjoyment I get from my Dexters is enough to share.