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THE STORY OF
  HAPPY MOUNTAIN^®  
MINIATURE CATTLE FARM

An American Original

Back in 1965 Dick Gradwohl had just finished his Masters Degrees and was looking for a job. Highline Community College south of Seattle/Tacoma International Airport was at the same time looking for an instructor with an MBA and actual business experience. As it turned out it was a very good marriage. Dick took the teaching position thinking it would be a good temporary position until he figured out the next business to go into. By this time he had opened and operated six successful business ventures. He ended up teaching entrepreneurship and marketing. What had started out as a temporary position became a 27 year career.

Of course his family needed a place to live so they drove up and down many roads looking for houses for sale. Eventually they saw a small for sale sign on a post and stopped and talked to the owner. This was a farm of several acres with a great view of Mt. Rainier hence the name Happy Mountain^® Farm. Arlene was the farmer. Dick had no experience with farm life. The price seemed right and the barn was huge. The house, built in 1915, needed lots of repair but Dick was good at fixing things up. The family of four moved in August of 1966 and Dick started training as a cattleman. His background in business and knowledge of genetics would prove to serve him well.

The first cattle were standard size Herefords. For several years the family concentrated on breeding purebred Hereford cattle. Then came a few Angus and Angus/Hereford crosses. One of the Herefords calves became very special to Arlene. The calf was named Misty. Misty is a beautiful animal and has had many calves over the years. She had twins once and the result was a prolapsed uterus. Misty has had lots of health problems but we keep working with her. She is now 21 years of age and is still going strong. She can't have any more calves but we keep her anyway. She is like the energizer bunny and just keeps going and going.

The City of Seattle and surrounding urban areas just keeps growing and spreading. Real estate taxes on the farm just kept going up and up. The land was no longer cheap. The family found it necessary to sell off some of the land to be able to afford what was left. The farm got smaller and smaller and as that occurred large cattle just didn't work. Dick got to thinking about smaller cattle for smaller acreage. In the Spring of 1971 a small herd of Dexter cattle were purchased. These were the short legged variety. Some of the smallest Herefords were also kept. Over time small Angus, small Highland, smaller Belted Galloway and Dutch Belt cattle breeds were added. From this base Dick has now developed a total of ten completely new breeds of miniature cattle based on crossbred foundations. These include the Kingshire^TM Miniature Cattle, Kentshire^TM Miniature Cattle, Covingtonshire^TM Miniature Cattle, American Beltie^TM("Mini-Cookie") Miniature Cattle , Black Baldie^TM Miniature Cattle, Happy Mountain^® Miniature Cattle, Grad-Wohl^TM Miniature Cattle , Barbee^TM Miniature Cattle,Burienshire^TM Miniature Cattle, and Panda^TM Miniature Cattle. All ten breeds are registered and have an approved written breeding program including breed standards. The farm currently maintains a stable of ten foundation breeding bulls.

Cattle from Happy Mountain^® Miniature Cattle Farm are now in 28 of the 50 states including Hawaii and fifteen other countries. Two of the breeds developed are being used in organic beef production for today's consumer. Dick's wife Arlene has done a good job at teaching her apprentice how to be a farm boy.