About Us
45 and Holding is a small veteran owned and operated farm in Locust Grove, Virginia. We are right in the middle between Culpeper and Fredericksburg, and in between Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.
In 2015 it all started with purchasing a home on 2 acres with the hopes of purchasing 43 acres attached to the original 2. In 2018, the additional 43 was added. After walking and maintaining the full 45 acres, I said, “I don’t want not one more acre.” The Name 45 & Holding was created quickly.
In November 2018, a hog lot was built, just for family processing. A lot of infrastructure needed to be different, learning from mistakes is costly but necessary sometimes. I was put in touch with Cut N’ Edge Construction locally in Burr Hill, Virginia. A new and improved hog lot was built. A few conversations later, unsure where to start, a plan was devised to do fencing and build a barn. It was all raw land, no infrastructure. Thoughts crept in that we may be getting in over our heads. The mowing took a full day, every Saturday everyone knew it was mow day. I was tired, saw a deal I couldn’t refuse for a Jack and Jenny. Great! Two Effective lawnmowers, that quickly became 3!
The Longhorn obsession began when I told my significant other, Tommy, “I just want one longhorn for shock factor.” My plan was to raise a couple Herefords for family processing.
We visited Dallas Ft. Worth Stockyards in July 2021 when we went to see the grands. That’s when we had the opportunity to see their beauty and grace in person for the first time. The fire was smoldering. I kept saying, “I just want one.” Once we were home, Tommy spent a couple months researching and looking for breeders within driving distance. Then he contacted a few longhorn breeders in Virginia and we were told about the East Coast Classic coming up. We attended the East Coast Classic September 2021. I was so excited, telling Tommy to bid on each one! We weren’t sure if longhorns would be in our budget, but the longhorn community was so friendly and informative. Amazing folks! The more we learned the deeper the obsession was fueled.
Tommy again made contact with several breeders, I picked out a bull calf, he wasn’t named yet. I studied his pedigree, we both researched it all, felt like we knew what we were doing. Our little bull calf was officially given the name Outlawed Casanova. He has turned out to be quite the affectionate one, loves head rubs and kisses. Within a couple days I decided I didn’t want him to be lonely and picked out a heifer, Mile After.
It felt like an eternity waiting the 3 months before they’d be ready to come to their new pasture. They arrived on December 26, 2021. The feeling was indescribable, I was awestruck!
Fencing had been completed, the barn was not ready yet. Neither appeared to mind, there was plenty of natural shelter, hay, grass, and water. They quickly settled in, they were perfect, the desire for more quickly grew.
The search began again, checking pedigrees, looking at the many colors, markings, horn shape… again being pointed in the direction of other breeders, in February 2022 we added Flip 4 Profit, confirmed bred to Maxim. We experienced our first heifer, Flip’n Iron Lilly born on the farm April 12, 2022. We continued to grow a herd, in March 2022 Rustic Finale was added, in April 2022, we attended the Cherry Blossom, entered a heifer in the futurity for more experience and to immerse ourselves in the knowledge we would gain. That weekend Sparkled Up joined the herd.
I didn’t stop looking, my browser history was just longhorns, breeders, and research.
I came across 3 beautiful heifers that I couldn’t decide between or stop thinking about. In November 2022 Uptown Girl, Tiger Lilly, and Southern Confetti arrived to join our herd.
On April 18, 2023 45’s Rustic Ten-O-C Proof was born.
In May 2023 I saw two, I just couldn’t refuse, drove to Dickson Tennessee and brought home Waialua Cowgirl CPL and Rum Java 615.
No we aren’t done yet…Our herd is continuing to grow!
We are steady making plans for more land clearing, fencing, shelters and infrastructure in order to continue growing our herd. We have not solidified what the “end plan” is, we follow the best advice a long time breeder gave us. “If you look out at your herd and still smile, you’re on the right path.” We are smitten, smiling, and looking forward so we know we are on the right path.
