Welcome to Texas Trails Ranch
Nestled in the woods of the charming small town of Marquez, Texas Trails Ranch has been making a mark in the animal breeding and goat milk products industry since its establishment in 2019.
Texas Trails Ranch was created by the Danforth family, who have a profound love and passion for animals. With their experience and expertise, they have dedicated themselves to establishing a unique and well-regarded breeding program, specializing in rare and exotic animals, including Nigerian dwarf goats and several species of deer and antelope. The Danforths also strive to showcase their animals’ extraordinary beauty while offering exceptional products derived from their prized herd. This Texas-based family ranch involves the collaborative efforts of Brett and Mindy Danforth, along with their two daughters and their spouses, all diligently working together to provide you with nothing short of the finest animals and top-notch products from the ranch's abundant offerings.
Our Origin Story
Our Dedicated Team
Brett Danforth, the CEO of Texas Trails ranch has a bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering and Masters degree from Texas A&M- Gig’em! His engineering degree along with his MBA, and over 20 years in sales and marketing in the corporate world, help to build the business side of our ranch. He also handles daily operations and activities.
Mindy Danforth, one of the ranch owners, enjoys spending time with her herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats and caring for the extensive gardens on the ranch. She is a master gardener and is always learning and growing her knowledge about our native Texas plants. Mindy makes the luxurious skin care products along with Claudia for the ranch.
Chelsea Dowty, the oldest daughter of the ranch owners, holds an Animal Science degree from Sam Houston State University, which equips her with extensive knowledge and expertise to ensure that all the animals at Texas Trails Ranch receive the finest levels of care. With a firm belief in the importance of raising top-of-the-line animals, Chelsea places a great emphasis on the selection of high-quality genetics as the foundation for their well-being. Additionally, she diligently ensures that every single animal is provided with the utmost care and nutrition, further contributing to their overall health and happiness. She teaches High School biology during the week.
Dylan Dowty, son in law to the ranch owners, has a degree in facilities and industrial systems. He is known as “Mr. fix-It” around the ranch. Whenever something breaks he usually can figure out how to fix it. He is the most experienced of the family members in caring for all things ranch related. He is always available to consult with the owners and spends a great deal of his time off from his day job helping at managing the ranch. He is a huge asset in developing the growth plan for the ranch.
Claudia Kornelis, is the youngest daughter of the ranch owners. She Has a BS in Communications and a minor in Art, and is a licensed cosmetologist with a certification from Aveda. She enjoys utilizing her minor in art along with her cosmetology degree to create the finest and most beautiful skin care products our ranch can produce. Her vast knowledge about skincare has really made a difference in the products we offer. She also enjoys making various ceramics and pottery items for her etsy shop- claudscreativeworks.
Christian Kornelis, son in law to the ranch owners, has a masters degree in Materials Engineering from Texas A&M. He enjoys woodworking and building things, and contributes to the operations of the ranch.
Our Enchanting Ranch
Enclosed within our high fence, our ranch is home to an array of animals. We take pride in successfully breeding and caring for a variety of deer and antelope species, adding to the natural beauty that surrounds us. We also have a spacious goat barn and pasture that is home to our friendly herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats. Additionally, making our ranch a vibrant and dynamic community, we have a flock of chickens, two horses, a delightful miniature donkey, and our three beloved dogs. Each creature brings its own unique charm to the Texas Trails family.