Our Farm

We were both llinois farm kids. While our careers in health care took us away from farm life for a few years, we dreamed of establishing our own farm. In 1988, we made the dream come true. Initially, we owned Holsteins and raised calves. The Rockies came later. For a few years, we owned a dairy. We eventually dispersed our Holstein herd and shifted to raising Original Braunvieh cattle. We've always grown and processed our own hay to feed them all. The Rockies and Braunviehs, both lesser-known breeds, have been great choices for our farm. We're proud of every calf and foal we've produced and that has carried the eMDee prefix. We're no longer breeding Rockies, though we still own a few, but we're still breeding and selling grass-fed Original Braunviehs. 

We learned about this small heritage equine breed in 2001. We originally planned to have only two, but over the next few years, we decided to breed our own foals and added more mares and a stallion. We've traveled to many places, trail riding, visiting other owners, or participating in horse shows, versatility events, and demonstrations to promote the breed. What started as a plan to own and enjoy two horses grew to owning a herd of two dozen at one time and becoming promoters of the breed. Over the past 25 years, we've produced show ring grand champions, endurance and versatility competitors, pleasure riding companions, and breeding stock. We will always love everything about this breed.

Original Braunvieh cattle came to our farm in 2010 after Michael learned of the breed's remarkable traits and its long history. This docile breed, bred in Europe for both milk and beef, is raised for beef in this country. They are hardy animals, tolerate both hot and cold temperatures, calve easily, have strong maternal instincts, and produce high-quality beef on a diet of grass and hay alone. While the breed is often crossed with other breeds to bring Braunvieh traits to their offspring, we only produce "Original" Braunvieh, with bloodlines 100% traceable to Swiss lines. We raise all of our own beef, sell a few animals for beef, and have sold breeding stock to several states. Our herd includes about a dozen beautiful brown adults and juveniles at any given time.