Martson Farm Highland Cattle

The Martson farm was originally settled in Oregon's Willamette Valley around the 1850s by the Bagby family. The Bagby clan came across the Oregon trail looking for fertile land and opportunity. The original farmhouse was built in 1852 from lumber milled from trees harvested on the farm. The last renovation the Bagby's completed was the addition of a kitchen built-in 1879. Over the generations, t

he Bagby's raised dozens of children in the small home located 5 miles south of Molalla, Oregon with the last of the clan leaving in the late 1950s.


In 1974, after seeing an ad for a "100-year-old farm with a new 'addition' (the 1879 kitchen), Rick and Debbie Martson bought, renovated it in 1983, and turned it into their family’s home. Originally raising sheep and Angus, the farm was a small operation just large enough to feed their family and a few friends. During a trip to Scotland to commemorate their anniversary of meeting during college, Rick and Debbie saw the ancient breed of Scottish Highland Cattle roaming the hills throughout Scotland. Knowing that Oregon and Scotland have similar climates and terrain, they began researching local herds of Highland Cattle in the Northwest. Starting with one cow and calf in 1992, the herd has since grown to more than 300 head freely grazing the homestead. Rick and Debbie’s eldest son, Alex, has helped the farm to grow into a business supplying local area CSAs, restaurants, and private buyers with the flavorful, low-fat beef which the breed has been known for worldwide. Now, with help from grandchildren, children, and friends, the farm has grown to nearly 360 acres of lush pasture and forest ideal for naturally raising Scottish Highland Cattle in the traditional way. The Martson’s recently acquired the original Dickey family homestead with its approximately 90 acres of pasture. John Dickey came across the Oregon Trail in 1845 and was the first to settle on what became known as Dickey Prairie - about 11 miles from where the Bagby's subsequently settled.