Willlowdale Simmentals is north of Valleyview, beside Highway 49. That can be both a blessing and a curse. Willowdale came from humble beginnings. Dale & Judy Smith and Family started with a small acreage and just a few cows. Over the years we have grown to calving out 140 cows.
Dale & Judy Smith have been selling bulls in the Peace Country for 26 years and continue making changes to meet the demands of our customers. Developing polled, red, low maintenance Simmentals has been our goal. A strong AI program has allowed us to build calving ease and performance into our herd.
In 2009 we purchased IPU Accelerator 206U from LaBatte Simmentals. He calved easy, and had consistent progeny with great body depth, length and very good dispositions. Many of his daughters are still in our herd.
Other walking herd sires we have purchased to build our herd included: Sunny Valley Banker, CMS Keystone 332A, and LFE RS Lewis 820Y. Recent herd bulls added are: PRL Beamer 14 73B, (Porter Ranches), MRL 37C (MacMillan Ranching) and Outlaw Mr Breaker 68C (Outlaw Cattle Company).
Also in 2009, we were one of the creators of the Peace Country Supreme Bull Sale.
We diversified in 2012, buying a small group of Red Angus cows. Each year we have a few Red Angus bulls and/or SimAngus bulls in the sale.
For the last several years we have been having many of the sale bulls genetically tested. We are able to let buyers know which bulls are homozygous polled and if the black bulls are homozygous black. We use homozygous polled bulls and like the guarantee of having only polled calves.
In the fall we sometimes consign select females to Checkers or the Red & Black Simmental Sales.
Throughout the years as our herd grew, our sons were always an active part of the operation. They have both chosen careers away from agriculture, and live in other communities, but they are part of our decision making. We are very fortunate that they still maintain as interest in the cattle and often are here to help, especially on the big days. Kent and Braden are a big part of the crew for the Peace Country Simmental Sale.
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