SCHELLER - Mel Gajewski believes everybody has, as he phrases it, "a little bit of cowboy in them."

And it was this belief that prompted Gajewski and his wife Barb to embark seven years ago on a business venture raising longhorn cattle. Since then, they have seen their idea thrive and even lead to another business.

The couple live on a 120-acre farm in Scheller, a few miles north of Sesser.

"We really wanted to get some cattle to keep the grass down, so to speak," Mel said. "I think I probably have a little bit more cowboy in me than most people. I guess you could say I'm a cowboy wannabe, so we decided to raise longhorn cattle, some cowboy cattle."

The decision did not come lightly for the Gajewskis.

"We did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people," Mel said. "One thing led to another, and we got started. It was somewhat of a humble beginning."

From that beginning, Little Muddy Longhorns was born, and the Gajewskis now maintain a herd of longhorn that

ranges from 40 to 50 cattle and has both Mel and Barb working long days.

On top of the daily tasks of feeding and watering the longhorns, Barb also researches the pedigree for each animal the couple handles.

"All of our cattle are registered Texas Longhorns, so we have registration papers on all of them," Barb said. "We have a computer program where we can keep track of who's who and what's what and track their lineage."

Members of the Prairie State Longhorn Association and the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association, the Gajewskis have gone into partnership with other breeders to improve the genetics in their herd.

That decision prompted a spin-off business that has the Gajewskis working even longer days while singing the praises of the meat that comes from longhorn cattle.

"Last year we started doing some research on the benefits of the longhorn lean hamburger," Mel said. "Longhorn meat actually has lower cholesterol level than chicken, so we started selling halves and quarters and started developing a customer base."

Mel pointed out that longhorn beef fits in quite nicely with today's health-conscious consumer because tender, juicy steaks are not off limits. According to information provided by the Gajewskis, a study conducted by Texas A&M shows that not only does longhorn beef contain less cholesterol, it also is lower in saturated fats and calories than chicken.

Dr. Joseph Graham is a cardiovascular surgeon at St. John's Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., and also is a longhorn breeder. Graham said that longhorn beef, on average, contains 10 percent less saturated fat than other cattle.

"That puts lean longhorn beef on a par with skinned boneless white meat from chicken," Graham said. "Those facts may come as a surprise to many dietitians."

Seeing the upside not only in the taste but also in the better health, the Gajewskis applied through the state of Illinois for a license to sell longhorn meat.

"We were selling it by the halves and quarters, but some folks don't want to buy that much at one time," Mel said. "After we were licensed we can now sell it by the package, steaks and hamburger."

Gajewski said he always cautions that longhorn beef cooks very quickly because of its low fat content.

"It's easy to overcook it if you're not paying attention," Mel said.

The Gajewskis live in a rural setting but say the road that passes their herd of cattle is well-traveled, and many of the vehicles are people wanting to get a look at the impressive longhorns.

"We live pretty well off the beaten path, but you'd be surprised at the cars that drive very slowly to get a glimpse," Mel said. "It's not your typical herd of cattle."

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