Farms to Tables: Harm-N-E Longhorns a dream come true for Dekens family
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
In Clinton, there’s a cattle ranch that looks like it belongs in an old western - and that’s no accident! Long before Clarence Dekens started Harm-N-E Longhorns with his wife, Ingrid, he was a young boy watching old cowboy movies with his father. Clarence was captivated by more than just John Wayne as he drove cattle across the plains - he also fell in love with the stately herds of Texas Longhorns that shared the screen with him. “One day,” he told himself, “I’m going to have those.”
Today, that childhood promise to himself has become a reality. At Harm-N-E Longhorns, the whole Dekens family is truly in its glory - and that includes the cattle. After decades spent raising dairy and beef cattle in Huron County, Clarence was still dreaming of having his own herd of Longhorns. That all changed in 2012, when a neighbour approached the couple and offered to sell them a property perfect for the sort of ranch they wanted to start. A deal was struck, and Clarence told Ingrid and their daughter Michelle that he thought it was finally time. Ingrid and Michelle agreed.
Of course, before the first animals ever stepped onto the property, the couple spent years transforming the farm. Old fences came down, and new fencing went up. Specialized facilities were designed specifically to accommodate cattle with horns stretching several feet further than your average bovine.
It was 2015 before everything was ready for the first Longhorns to arrive on the farm, but the whole family agrees that this unique breed was worth the wait. “I just love the breed,” Clarence confessed. “I love the pedigrees, the bloodlines, the colours and, of course, the horns.”
Those enormous horns may have been what first captured their attention, but it’s the big personalities that have left a lasting impression on the Dekens family. The breed’s distinctive, sweeping horns cut quite the silhouette as cows and calves make their way from the forest and across the rolling pasture in search of their favourite treat: cookies! “They’re gentle giants,” Clarence told The Citizen. “People look at them and think they’re scary, but they’re not. They’re really friendly.”
Every herd has its matriarch, the experienced cow that quietly leads the others. Mothers raise their own calves. Each animal develops its own quirks, preferences and routines, and those personalities become all the more obvious at feeding time.
Visitors looking to meet the herd can often catch their attention with some treats. “We’ll hop on the Gator, grab a bag of cookies or hay cubes, and they’ll just surround us,” Clarence explained. “They know you’re not going to hurt them, and that you’re doing everything in their best interests.” Some eagerly stretch their noses forward in hopes of a treat, while others wait patiently behind the more outgoing members of the herd. A few remain cautious around strangers, but are happy to accept cookies tossed in front of them.
That trust is something the Dekenses have to work to earn on a daily basis. They know which mothers can be a little extra protective when it comes to their calves, and how to be patient with them. That commitment to calm, healthy animals has become part of Harm-N-E Longhorns’ reputation, both as a destination and as a source of locally-raised beef.
Their on-farm store welcomes customers on Fridays and Saturdays from April through November, though appointments and visits-by-chance are also welcome. “Almost every day, people are popping in,” Ingrid declared. The store carries everything Longhorn: steaks, burgers, roasts, tallow, soup bones, mounted skulls and so much more.
Many visitors arrive out of curiosity, wondering whether the spectacular animals are as intimidating as they appear from the road, and most leave surprised and a little bit more informed about this unique breed. “I love teaching people,” Clarence told The Citizen. “I can stand out there for an hour talking to people. They want to know where their food comes from, so we’re fully transparent about what we do.”
Anywhere they look, visitors can see for themselves what makes Harm-N-E Longhorns a special farm. The cattle roam the spacious pastures with plenty of forage, a stream to drink from and a flock of Guinea hens to keep the cows company and keep the tick population under control. On hot days during the summer, the herd will often disappear into the bush to beat the heat amongst the trees.
While the beef offered by Harm-N-E Longhorns is out of this world, for the Dekens family, the primary purpose of their ranch is to spend time appreciating the animals just for being themselves. “We never started this to get into the beef business,” Ingrid laughed.
But the more people heard about their beef, the more people wanted to buy their beef. It wasn’t long before Clarence’s childhood dream had grown into a thriving local business. Out in the pasture, the Longhorns carry on just as they did during the height of John Wayne’s popularity. Calves stay close to their mothers. The matriarch leads the herd. Curious noses sniff the air in search of the scent of one more cookie.