Our Multi-Generational Family Farm

The Beginning….

DJ Horton Farms LLC. of Norman was started in 2003 by owners Jan and Dale Horton, retired educators of home economics and agriculture education.  It was the family’s dream of selling high quality beef cattle for a specialty niche market of exhibition beef for the livestock arena.  Dale and Jan believed in the work ethic that raising livestock instilled in them and their kids Jona Kay Horton Squires and Dusty Horton along with hundreds of other students that they taught and mentored over a combined 58 years of teaching.  It’s the core family values of working together as a cohesive unit and balancing the challenges of mother nature while raising livestock in a sustainable healthy environment for both the land and the livestock.

During the 70’s and 80’s the family operated a small purebred swine operation East of Norman and they sold high quality genetics raising champions for the plate and for the exhibition show ring.  The 30 sow operation involved grinding feed with a grinder and buying corn in bulk, learning how to manage pigs on the pasture as well as advancing to farrowing houses and smaller confinement operations.  Each of the kids had their own projects as Jona Kay raised purebred Suffolk’s and Hampshire Ewes and had a small flock of 10 head to manage.  Dusty participated in the raising of the swine and both children showed beef cattle and raised a few stocker calves to help offset the costs of their exhibition livestock.

However, after the kids graduated and started their own families that is when DJ Horton Farms was established and the additional 203 acres were purchased East of Lexington to run beef cattle and raise Bermuda Hay.  Jan and Dale have raised numerous highly prized beef animals through their innovative embryo transfer program and artificial insemination from their 65 cow herd.  It was a true joy for Dale and Jan to watch their beef cattle be champions in the show ring while continuing to bring the family together with the grandkids (Maverick, 28, Gatlin 25, Blaine 24 and Jentry 18) who as growing kids were involved in building fence, picking up sticks, vaccinating cattle, assisting with genetic selection, as well as the selling and marketing of cattle and swine through direct sales and usage of online marketing tools.

The Future…

DJ Horton Farms started transitioning the business in 2017 when Dale had some health issues so the specialty beef niche market changed from raising cattle for the exhibition livestock ring to commercial cattle going direct to the consumer by selling halves and whole carcass beef after being custom processed.  This led Dale and Jan to look at other ways to be selling their beef and they decided to sell products at the farmer’s market starting with private labeling of their very own jellies, canned okra and pickles.  In addition, Dale decided to help out a former family in Webbers Falls and has been selling corn on the cob for the past four years.  Meanwhile, Jan pursued getting a food manufacturing permit and for two years Dale and Jan participated along with their kids Dusty and Jona at the Norman Farmers Market and a few local festivals selling corn and canned goods.

However, after the passing of Dale in September of 2020, DJ Horton Farms has been undergoing another transition of selling private labeled ground hamburger by the pound and extending the farm to grow herbs and flowers which will be sold at the local farmer’s market in Norman.  Jan along with Dusty and Jona will continue the legacy of working as family, maintaining wholesome loving and trustworthy traits while serving the customers of Oklahoma high quality locally grown agricultural products and continuing the education tradition of teaching others about agriculture.