When Jane Faul sold her Barrington, Illinois home, print shop and graphics studio to retire to the banks of the Ohio River in Kentucky, she was pretty sure she would be continuing her lifelong interest in Arabian horses. Just five Belted Galloway cattle were acquired to help populate the 120 acres of woods and pastures, along with seven Arabs that moved with her from northern Illinois.

In the 20 years since retirement focus has shifted to these unique cows. Now only one 30-year-old gelding, Basil, remains on the farm. The cattle herd, however, has stabilized at 30 to 40.

Jane's avocational retirement career has combined the best of both her worlds -- love for graphics, words and computers plus enthusiasm for the breed fostered involvement in producing newsletters, handbooks, Internet pages and other published materials for the U.S. Belted Galloway Society and the new Galloway World Council.

Faul served several terms on the U.S. Belted Galloway Society's Council and has functioned as Editor and Statistician for the Society since 1989.

Foundation stock for the Paradise Bottom herd included two cows from Aldermere Farm in Maine, plus two cows and a bull from General Van Fleet's old Sleepy Creek herd in Virginia. Twenty-one years ago there were few Beltie females available in the U.S., so to keep bull Sleepy Creek Georgie Patton amused, thirteen Angus/Brown Swiss cross cows were installed, and a few of the belted crossbreds that resulted are still bearing calves at ages 17 and 18.

Bulls have come and gone at Paradise Bottom, but a fondness for Al and Dorothy Tietig's good Stonecroft animals caused a preponderance of these bloodlines.  Paradise Bottom has been home to Stonecroft Duncan, Stonecroft Leo, Stonecroft Caleb and Stonecroft Iroquois, fine gentlemen, all. Current herd sire is Highland Farm Kirk.

Jane raised four children -- Liz, Brian, Marj and Jon -- grown and scattered now but all with an abiding interest in animals fostered by the years when her graphics studio and shop were integrally bound to 'Faul's Funny Farm,' called this by friends and customers who enjoyed the family's menagerie of horses, sheep, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, and more --