Cynthia and Doug Dear started raising Texas longhorn cattle years ago but didn’t begin selling beef until
March 2012. The couple’s herd on their Buda property ranges anywhere from 30 to 35 longhorns.[/caption]

Cynthia and Doug Dear made a business out of their hobby of raising Texas longhorn cattle.

The couple began Dear Run Land and Cattle Co. when they started selling meat from their purebred Texas longhorns in March 2012, after initially buying the iconic bovines to complement the park-like landscaping at their home, whose facade is a dead ringer for the Alamo. "The longhorn is a Texas icon we couldn't pass up," Doug said. "You wouldn't build a house that looks like the Alamo if you didn't like history." Anywhere from 30 to 35 longhorns can be found roaming freely and grazing the Dears' north Buda property. Longhorn meat is leaner than beef from other kinds of cattle and even poultry, according to data from the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. Because they are grass-fed, the Dears' longhorns are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as tuna and salmon, are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are recommended to be eaten at least twice weekly by the American Heart Association. The long-horned cattle first brought over to the Americas from Europe by the early colonists eventually became iconic in Texas because they helped preserve the Texas economy during the Civil War, Dear said. But an outbreak of cattle tick fever that began in the late 19th century saw the population of Texas longhorn cattle dwindle to near-extinction, according to the Texas Longhorn Marketing Alliance's website. Concern over the breed's sharp decline reached the U.S. federal government in 1927, when lawmakers designated a fund to begin a federal herd of purebred Texas longhorn cattle. Purebred Texas longhorns today descend from one of seven blood lines that existed at the time, according to the marketing alliance. People now breed the cattle in all 50 states, according to the website. The Dears first began raising longhorns in 2007, they said. The herd grew bigger and bigger as they bought more cattle and their existing cattle reproduced. "It's taken a while, and it's a lot of work," said Dear, a landscape architect by trade who works as an arborist for the city of Austin. Cynthia handles the majority of the business operations. The Dears run their cattle ranch like a "boutique," they joked. The smallness of their operation allows them to focus on quality—from taking care of their animals to packaging and labeling the meat, the Dears said. Like many other small businesses, the Internet has provided the couple with a wider reach. An Alaskan woman encountered Dear Run's website while in the process of moving to Pflugerville and later purchased the company's meat products. One customer from the Netherlands called Dear Run's meat "the best I have ever tasted" in a testimonial on the company's website. The Dears said they are happy serving their niche market. Some of their clients include In.gredients in Austin and Cross Plants and Produce in Kyle. "We're local, have good local clientele, and [the business] works," Dear said. 512-848-9797 www.dearrunlonghorns.com