The Rural Voice, 1993-08, Page 27sunny Spain. According to tradition,
they were brought to North America
by explorer Christopher Columbus
500 years ago. The longhorns'
appeal was that they could travel long
distances without water, surviving on
scrub vegetation even in desert
conditions.
Although the longhorns helped
create many of the legends
associated with the West, by the
end of the 19th century, Texas
longhorns were nearing extinction.
To preserve the breed, the American
government established a federal herd
of purebred longhorns on an
Oklahoma wildlife refuge in 1927.
Some of the Cahill cattle are direct
descendants of those cattle.
While Fred Cahill's boyhood
dream was to be a cowboy, he also
possesses some good old-fashioned
horse sense, so he studied economics
at the University of Western Ontario.
After graduation, Fred, who has an
easygoing, natural way with kids,
considered running a children's day
camp on his parents' farm. That plan
did not materialize, but eight years
ago, Fred's brother leased Melwood
Conservation Area as a private
contractor, operating the
campground, pool and picnic
grounds. Fred joined in the camp's
operation and eventually moved the
family's longhorns onto the site.
Gail, a city girl and single parent with
two boys, met Fred, married him and
discovered that she and her sons were
as captivated by ranch life as her
husband.
The Cahills started their Western
kids' camp in 1992. Shortly
afterwards, they learned that the St.
Clair Conservation Authority was
planning to sell Melwood and two
other conservation areas. At a family
conference with the boys and Fred's
parents, the Cahills decided they
wanted to stay in the ranching
business and stay where they were.
They bid on the land and, after a
suspenseful wait, in December they
became the actual owners of the
Texas Longhorn Ranch.
The family now pastures 35
longhorn cows, 30 calves, two bulls
and some steers on neighbouring
pasture land. In September, the ranch
is the scene of an authentic Western-
style roundup of the calves.
Both the Cahills enjoy promoting
Stewart Cahill (above) shows his
roping skills. Camper Bicky Bertling
(below) sees the world from
horseback.
and selling the unique breed. They
show their longhorns every year at
the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair,
and at other farm events. They also
promote the cattle through a glossy
newsletter, called The Cahill Corral,
which is published, according to the
masthead, "every once in a while, or
according to Fred's schedule."
Last year, the Cahills marketed
their bred cows for $2,000 and up,
and their yearling bulls for $1,000
and up. The longhorns, say the
Cahills, are a "genetic gold mine",
noted for easy calving, good disease
resistance, and the fact they can feed
on roughage rather than costly grains.
Despite the cattle's rather menacing
look, Gail says the longhorns are "a
docile breed" and the family often
walks out among them in the field.
As well as selling the cattle to
fellow breeders, the Cahills also "sell
one pile of longhorn beef". The
meat, grown without hormones or
other additives, and lower in
cholesterol than other red meats, is
popular with health -conscious
consumers.
"Society has just kind of played
into our hands," notes Gail.
One of the Cahills' customers is
Swain Greenhouses, near
Eagle, Ontario. The garden
restaurant at the greenhouse sold
12,000 longhorn burgers in 18
months after adding the meat to their
menu. The Cahills are also
shareholders in the Texas Longhorn
Cafe, right in the heart of cattle
country — downtown Mississauga!
The Cahills also sell sides of beef,
delivered within a 60 -mile radius of
the ranch.
Probably the best promotion for
the meat is the ranch's authentic
Texas -style barbecue and dance, held
in July. The Cahills started the event
five years ago, in appreciation of the
outstanding medical care their son
Greg received after a serious
snowmobile mishap. "The barbecue
was basically a thank you to the
Strathroy Hospital and the Children's
Hospital in London," says his mother.
The event was so successful it is
now an annual event. This year the
Cahills, family members and
volunteers from the campground,
served over 250 pounds of barbecued
longhorn beef, cooked on an open
spit, to 500 guests. The barbecue
AUGUST 1993 23