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The guy in the bibs is Steve - most people have heard of him even if they don't recognize him. Steve grew up on a dairy farm, milking 100 head of Holstein cattle, and farming. After high school, he raised hogs, in addition to managing the cattle and crops. Anita is your narrator here, and grew up on a hog and crop production farm. She has degrees in biology and chemistry, and did research in nutrition, and some graduate work in clinical psychology before getting into computer technology marketing. Nate is Steve's youngest and has been showing livestock since he was 4 years old. Nate's son, 3 year old Tanner, is the newest addition to the Dahnke group and is already learning the ropes (see his pictures below). In all there's 12 grandkids - four are showing livestock, so far.
Anita designed and maintains this website. Steve has only touched a computer once and that was with his elbow while reading the newspaper. He managed to wipe out the entire desktop in the process. When you send an email to Steve, it gets printed and he reads the hard copy. Then, most likely, he'll pick up the phone and call you.
During the 80's and 90's Steve and Anita raised Hampshire sheep and sold range rams, show sheep and breeding stock throughout the US. In 1989 they entered their first ram in the Indiana Stud Ram Test. This ram had an average daily rate of gain of 1.63 lbs, setting a record that has not been beaten. They also were very active in the showring throughout the U.S. Their last year showing sheep they slick sheared all their Hamps, but even then their Yearling Ewe was reserve champion overall. Steve was well known for the pranks he would pull on other breeders.
In 1998 Steve purchased their first 5 head of Boer Goats from an Indiana breeder. In the early years, foundation does not raised at S&A Farms have come straight off specific ranches in Texas. Because focus has been on percentage does, it has been very easy to build a high quality breeding flock. Currently, productivity and repeatability are emphasized, with the majority of goats born and raised at the farm. The fullblood does at S&A Farms are mostly a cross of South African and New Zealand bloodlines.
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