The

The story of Grandma's Dexter Farm started rather uniquely.  Grab your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy the journey.

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Ferne Rawson of Toddville, had a Dairy farm with all sorts of animals over the years.  Circa 1985 Ferne Rawson, along with Kevin and Julie Butterfield (Ferne's daughter), sold out of the Dairy business.  While the farm had horses and a few other animals always, it was never the same for Ferne.

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Fast forward to 2003/2004 Ferne started looking around for smaller cows so she could raise some cows again, to give her a reason to get out of bed.

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In 2004, tragedy struck, and Ferne Rawson had a triple by-pass.  During her recovery, a special came "The Cattle Show" on RFD-TV 🖥.  RFD-TV had done a special on this amazing breed called Dexter Cattle.  Ferne was mesmerized as Maureen McCready (Fan-C Herd), as she went through the basics of the breed in a field full of cows.  By the time the credits began to roll, Ferne was sold on Dexter Cattle.

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The search began!  Right away, it wasn't a matter of if, it was when.  Back in those days Dexters were more difficult to find than they are today.  Now as you are reading this, I guarantee you will be thinking why is the writer of this article being so descriptive, I promise, it's worth it!  

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​At no point this far in Ferne's journey, has she informed her family, minus her partner-in-crime, her Grandson, Dan Butterfield (Grandma's Herd).  That's important to the story later 🤣.

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Keep in mind, Ferne is still in the hospital from open-heart surgery.  I'm going to give these little cows credit now for saving her life.  She began using Dexters as a reason to get better.  Don't get me wrong, at the time she had about 125 Children, Grandchildren, so on and so forth.  Dexter Cattle were different though.  Ferne and Dan got on the laptop, sitting in the hospital and boy did the laptop sing.  One of the first people Ferne found with Dexters was Rick and Machael Seydel (Timberview Herd).  It was decided that Rick would give Ferne and Dan a tour of the Timberview Herd once she was well enough to travel.  

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The plan is hatched!  Ferne gets out of the hospital!  The evening before, as her doctor did rounds, he informed Ferne she was finally going home tomorrow.  She could take her cow stuffed animal with a big heart and blow that popsicle stand.  As soon as the Doctor left, Ferne said, "Call Rick".  So Ferne said to Dan, don't tell your mom im getting out of the hospital, so she goes to work so we can go look at the Timberview Herd.  

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About 9am Dan, pulls his Ford Mustang to the doors of the hospital for an "Adventure"  Now, I know Dan is going to come off like the bad guy here, give him a break....LOL.... We take off from Cedar Rapids hospital in Iowa and head to Rick's.  Coon Rapids is about 3 hours away on a good low traffic day.  We drove a couple over though because we needed to get to Timberview Dexters around Rick's lunch break.  We get to Rick's and the kindest man, looked at Ferne and was like, "Boy!, you are excited to look at Dexters, huh Ferne?"  So Dan takes one arm and Rick takes the other arm, and slowly walked Ferne down the hill to see some of the most amazing little cows ever.  Most were black, dehorned and Chondro+.  Ferne FELL IN LOVE with those small beautiful cows.  

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Rick had made arrangements with Gordon Graham (NVF herd) from Carlisle.  So Rick helps Ferne back into the Mustang and off she goes to see the NVF herd.  She gets to Carlisle and at the time, this herd was mostly Dun Polled, "Long Leg" Chondro Non-Carriers.  Gordon showed her his herd as well.  Neither Rick, nor Gordon had any Dexters for Sale.  So off she went for home.  About Williamsburg, Rick calls and says "Ferne!  "I just got a call from a Nicolas Primm (Pryme Herd) in Illinois that has a bull, 2 cows and a heifer available.  I sent Dan an email with pics and specs).  

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Once back to Dan's house, Dan ran into the house, download the pics and print them and the email.  Keep in mind this is early 2004, so dial-up internet.  They finally print, Ferne flips through the pictures, picks up Dan's phone and calls Nicolas to discuss a time he was available.  They decided immediately was a great idea.  So off we went to Lincoln IL.  Now, keep in mind she was in the hospital only hours earlier.  Ferne had no business with her feet down in a car.  

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250 miles later, we are in a pasture staring at cows at 9pm.  Can't see much, but atleast she knew she would get to make sure she "kind of" saw what she "WAS" buying.  Grandma's Dexter Cattle Farm was born! Ferne writes Nicolas a check, said she would get back to him tomorrow with an eta on the pick up date. Off she goes for home.  Now again, 2004, so that fancy GPS on your phone or in your car was a figment of someone's imagination.  You held papers from Mapquest while driving lol.  Ferne and her partner-in-crime, Dan get lost in the Quad Cities about 2am.  What year is it?  Yep, 2004, Cell Phones only worked in the state they were issued.  So only once they arrived back in Iowa, Dan's phone begins to work.  (This is 18 or so hours after getting out of the hospital and the patient, Ferne, was still in the car.)  Dan calls his Dad, Kevin.  Eventually Julie (Ferne's Daughter) and Kevin, get Ferne and Dan on the road home.  When we tell you that Julie and Kevin were not excited about Ferne and Dan's "Adventure" would be the understatement of the 21st century.  Words like abduction, death, open-heart surgery were being flung around like you were mowing grass.

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Ferne and Dan, not only didn't confess to where they were, we just took the lashes and went to bed when we arrived home, about 5am, a mere 21 hours after the hospital release.  No sleep, no rest, hardly any bathroom breaks.  Needless to say Ferne and Dan slept all day.

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Day 2, 3:45pm, Ferne and Dan are still sleeping.  Kevin, walks in, phone is ringing.  Kevin answers the machine making noise on the wall, where Nicolas states, "Well, did your Grandma talk to your dad yet?"  (Imagine his confusion, as he is still not "in" on Ferne's new business venture.)  Kevin was "up-to-date" by the conclusion of said phone call.  Dan is certain that the screaming and hollering began before the phone was "neatly" placed back down.  Words and phrases like "No cows are coming on this farm", "It's my farm until I die", "We have no fences that will hold them", "Wait until your daughter hears what you have done", and "I'm a big girl" were hurled back and forth.

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Comprise won the day however, and Kevin and Lester (Kevin's brother, Dan's Uncle, and Ferne's honorary son/grandson) began building fence.  Ferne was so, so, very proud of her purchase.  

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It was finally time to bring these amazing little cows home.  Kevin took Ferne to Lincoln IL this time.  I believe we all randomly heard Kevin said things like "You owe me so big" approximately every single mile marker.  

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They arrive at Nicholas' Farm and get Rainbow Hills Miss Ellie, Pryme Margaret, Great Escape Paddy and the heifer loaded up.  Kevin is shown an additional heifer named Pryme Eudora Jean, Kevin, who gave Ferne such a hard time falls in love enough to tell Nicholas, to let us know if she comes up for sale.  Ferne, grinning at the softer heart forward the business venture came up in conversation everytime a complaint was voiced.  

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Those little cows were truly the best thing that ever happened.  Ferne would wake up everyday and take the golf cart over to the farm to see her Dexters.  A few weeks pass and she had DEXTER FEVER. Dexter fever is a disease that just gets you.  She was like, "Find me some more, these are amazing!" So Dan gets a Herd Book.  A herd book, now extinct, was a book with all the owners, breeders, newly registered Dexters and Transferred Dexters all in a book.  

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​Anthony Bauer (SPD and Tama Herds) had 1 cow for sale, SGF Caitriona.  Ferne knew there was a 0% chance that Kevin was on board with expanding Grandma's Dexter Farm considering it's been less than a month.  So Anthony was talked into a Delivery 🤣.

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Ferne was convinced that Kevin wouldn't notice a new one.  So she made sure SGF Caitriona was delivered while Kevin was at work.  Kevin totally noticed as this was the first "Long Leg" and the size difference and build made it beyond obvious. 

 

​Ferne was in love with Black, Red, Dun, Chondro+, Non-Carriers (of Chondro), Horned, Polled Dexters.  She wanted one of each, which led to Genetic questions.  Rick said John Potter (SGF and Tama herds) was the man to explain it all.  John and Dan became good friends pretty fast and it wasn't long before a Trip to Michigan would be in the cards.  During said trip, Dan fell in LOVE with SGF LPFK Antares and Tama Thunderstorm.  That trip and a number of trips to come, Dan tried everything to get John to sell those two.

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Ferne wasn't done increasing the Grandma's Herd though.  E.M. (Elias) Lesko (Lazy L's herd) in Wisconsin had some Dexters for sale as well.  Lol.  Grandma decided 2 more would cure the Dexter fever.  So after a trip to Wisconsin, Grandma got her hands on Lazy L's Jan-Lou (which she called Janice) and Lazy L's Phoebe.  Ferne LOVED the TV show Friends, so she was excited.  While at Lazy L's she fell in love with Lazy L's Jinglette.  Jinglette touched Ferne's heart in a very special way but Elias wasn't ready to let her go.  A deal was struck to inform her if he ever changes her mind.  

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A few months later Elias called and said he had watched her get picked on for the last time.  Would Ferne buy her?  Kevin spun into a new dimension like the Tasmanian Devil.  He had just been there, the trailer was hard to get on the property, etc.  So Elias said he would deliver Lazy L's Jingles and Lazy L's Jinglette.

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At that point, Ferne decided that would do for now.  It's vacation time!  Midwest Old Threshers and Settlers Reunion in Mt Pleasant.  Her family and extended family would do their best to make it.  Ferne goes to see Larry Graber (Glockenhof's Herd) at the log villiage.  Ferne had put up with quite a bit of trash talk from many of her family.  (Especially Kevin, and her son Orlie)  They just didn't understand yet she would say.  They are the cattle of the future.  So Larry and Ferne hatch a plan.  Ferne decides to sell Pryme GDF Rosie and Lazy L's Jinglette to her friend Larry, so he could eventually bring them to Old Threshers and close enough for Ferne (Grandma's Herd) could go visit.

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Larry didn't even make it to the end of the driveway before Ferne said, "Oh I made a big mistake" Pryme GDF Rosie had stolen her heart.  It wasn't long, when Ferne told Dan, let's go see Rosie.  (Ferne's mom's name was Rose, so fitting the first calf was Rosie).  Dan and Ferne head to the store and get a 50 Pound Sack or Cattle Cubes.  They headed to Larry's, and Larry wasn't home.  After permission was given over the phone Ferne got to play with Rosie and Jinglette over the fence, stuffing them with treats.  It was like they had never parted.  Before leaving the rest of the sack was put in his shed, and was marked, "For Rosie and her friends".

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About once every 2 or 3 months a trip happened to see the girls.  Rosie made it to Old Threshers the next year.  Ferne would tell every family member and every customer or farm tour to make sure to visit Larry in the Log Village and see Rosie. More on Rosie later.

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Ferne had to be pretty sick to not see her cows.  By Spring of 2005, Nicolas Primm called and said Pryme Eudora Jean (Dora) was available.  Dan was no longer just feeding Ferne's addiction, Dan now caught Dexter fever.  Dora was Dan's solo purchase.  Dora was never in her pen.  In fact, she was so used to being tied up she preferred that.  Really she just wanted attention that usually came from being tied up or on a lead.  Dora made appearances at events, the Iowa State Fair, and more.  She was even featured in the newspaper at one point.  

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​Ferne and Dan combined efforts and before long they acquired an entire herd in Missouri that caused Kevin and Julie to pick them up for their anniversary 🤣. There was so many purchased that one had to be sold back for beef as the last one wouldn't fit on the trailer.  To make matters worse this particular trip was 2 round trips to Southern Missouri as the Trailer broke down, tires popped, a sale barn had to come rescue us and boarded the cattle until we could come back with a different trailer. It was a big big mess.

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By Fall 2005, Ferne and Dan knew a new bull may be in order because Great Escape Paddy was now overworked 🤣🤣🤣.

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So Dan, found a bull calf had come up for sale in North Carolina he had seen a picture of at Nationals. He won 2nd Place in Cow/Calf at Nationals.  Dan had to have this bull.  So he contacts Sally and Warren Coad (FF Freedom's Herd) of Freedom Farms Dexters from NC at the time and purchases FF Freedom's Hot N Humid (Hotty for short).  He went on to be an AI bull, and used in Grandma's and Glockenhof's Herds.  He was a stud.  Sally and Warren were incredible to deal with and even met us half way.  The trip to meet Sally and Warren was an infamous one.  On the ride back Kevin fell asleep in Ohio at an interchange.  It was a ride that Dan, Kevin and Hotty would never forget.  Tires were off the ground, could have rolled.  Pretty sure if Hotty was still alive he would still be horrified from that trip.  Dan nearly gave Kevin a heart attack with Coffee as Kevin refused to pull over for a bit and rest and Dan refused to ride with Kevin without a sip of black coffee at each mile marker.

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Hotty is home and he is a sexy beast even at a young age.  All Dan and Ferne could think is we have all a ton of Great Escape Paddy calves coming but we have to wait for Hotty calves for the year after that.  Well if you have ever had Dexter fever you know what they were thinking.  Yep! That's right, "We need to buy some open cows".

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As luck would have it, Elias (Lazy L's Herd) calls and says his health has caught up to him, his bull had passed and so nothing was bred and would Grandma's Dexter Farm like to acquire the herd?" It was meant to be.  Like seriously, what are the odds?  

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Dan goes to the bank because this was going to be a doosy.  13 cows, some calves on the side, it was a gaggle.  Sidenote: Fall 2024, 19 years after Dexters left Lazy L's Ranch, a father and daughter shows up at Grandma's Dexter Farm and wind up buying 4 head of horned Dexter Cows.  Though the conversation and Dan getting information to transfer said animals to them in the registry, low and behold it isn't the same town, it's actually the same piece of property.  Yes, the same property that Elias Lesko and the Lazy L's herd lived on, had changed hands a few times and now the new Dexter Owners live there...  After doing some research on the Dexters purchased, a descendent of Lazy L's Jan-Lou was headed back to that farm.  Recently that family purchase 3 more and a 2nd animal that also descended from Jan-Lou was headed "Home".

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Dan and Ferne quickly built a business taming Dexters, selling Dexter Semen and creating lovers of Dexter Cattle.

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​In 2006, Ferne took ill.  She spent the bulk of 12 weeks in the hospital, much of it in Intensive Care.  The Dexter Community and the Rawson Family were all keeping Ferne in their prayers.  The hospital practically had a waiting room full of Rawsons, and extended family but also a number of Dexter Family was there. Ferne made everyone promise and keep her 5 very special starter herd, was to be allowed to stay on the farm so they could die there.  I know, if you are a cattleman reading this, you are probably like good lord, they are cows.  Keep in mind this was something she started.  She built.  Something different.  Something special.  Her 5 were Rainbow Hills Miss Ellie, Pryme Margaret, Lazy L's Jan-Lou, Lazy L's Phoebe and Lazy L's Jingles.  All 5 eventually passed after long lives after Ferne passed.

 

Rick from Timberview and Larry from Glockenhof's to name a few.  During Larry's final visit, he said, "Tell Ferne, I righted a wrong and she had to pull through, she needs to go home.  Larry had taken Pryme GDF Rosie and put her in with the herd at Grandma's.​  Rosie resided at Grandma's Dexter Farm until 2023 when she just collapsed.  She was eating hay and less than 15 minutes later she was gone.  

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​August 25th 2006, Ferne Rawson passed away from a brutal 12 week battle.  The Grandma's Herd totalled over 70 head at that point in time.  

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The next few years was turbulent.  It took quite a bit to hang on to the herd.  Many many were sold off to stay afloat.  Hay had skyrocketed, we lost pastures, it is amazing that the herd persevered.  

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Each time Dan visited John Potter, Antares and Thunderstorm would always greet him.  John had become enthralled over a couple "Avidya" cows that Dan and Ferne had co-owned and eventually SGF LPFK Antares, who at the time was one of the most used and AI sire.  At the time steers weren't recorded unless you paid to register them as a bull so the count is considerably higher than what you see in the PDCA or ADCA databases and Tama Thunderstorm came to Grandma's Dexter Farm to live.  (Sorry that was about the longest run on sentence)  As of April 15th, 2025, Tama Thunderstorm is alive and well with gads and gads of descendents including numerous AI Bulls as well as sires who were used on large Registered Herds.

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The mission of Grandma's Dexter Farm is to focus on the future of course, at the same time we do not want to forget the past. We of course bring in new genetics, but the bulk of the Registered Dexter herd still trail back to those initial animals even if we buy a cow today, often times it goes back to our animals and we feel like a piece of that animal is still here.  Forging our breeding program into the future.

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While writing this, we used names of people, herds and animals because Grandma's Dexter Farm wouldn't be what it is today without the amazing people of the breed like Rick & Machael Seydel (Timberview Herd), John Potter (SGF and Tama Herds), Sally and Warren Coad (FF Freedom's Herd) aka Freedom Farms Dexters, Larry Graber (Glockenhof's Herd), Gordon Graham (NVF Herd), Chuck and Jan Daggett (Daggett's Herd) Deb Botruff (Aspen's) and many many more who gave selflessly to put the best Dexters on the market. (Please do not be offended if I missed a name, this is a work in progress, with the end of the story, not yet in sight...

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Julie Rawson Butterfield (Daughter)

Kevin Butterfield (Son-In-Law)

Lester Butterfield (Bonus Son)

Dan Butterfield (Grandson)

Stacey Schlotfelt (Granddaughter)

(2 more of Ferne's Great Granddaughters are thinking about getting started in Dexters)

Devon (Special Helper)

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