Allyn and Rita were both born and raised on farms. In 1977, after giving town life a try, they bought an acreage and returned to the life they loved. The land they bought was undeveloped, but was quickly fenced for pasture. Cattle were bought, land was rented, and the farming began in earnest.
Any one who has raised cattle knows about calving. After years of pulling calves, sleepless nights and huge vet bills, Rita and Allyn read an article in Harrowsmith© magazine about Irish Dexter cattle; Minimal calving problems, good temperament, and manageable size, it sounded too good to be true! They would have to get their own Dexter cattle to try. In 1986 they found three head that met their requirements and brought them to their farm in Alberta, Canada. Those first animals exceeded the claims in the magazine article and were extremely adaptable to the rough terrain and cold winters on the farm. Allyn and Rita reinvested the money they saved on calf pullers and grew the herd. And, as the core herd of Dexters grew, they began crossbreeding with a variety of breeds to develop a better commercial beef product.