When the time came for Dwayne Lowdermilk to examine the next chapter in his life, it was a glimpse into the past that showed him his future.
Lowdermilk was flipping through a scrapbook his late mother, Hjordies, had put together chronicling her son’s life.
The book contained things like newspaper clippings, report cards and old photos, and she made one for each of her children.
There were two themes in the book: sports and life on a farm.
Lowdermilk loved growing up on the family farm in Burnaby.
When he was 15, he came to Langley to play junior A hockey with the Lords.
Eventually, he worked his way through the ranks of junior hockey and was an NHL draft pick in 1978 by the New York Islanders. Lowdermilk primarily played in the minor leagues but did suit up in a pair of NHL games with the Washington Capitals in the 1980-81 season.
He retired from pro hockey in 1982.
But hockey has long remained in his life as a coach and building and running ice rinks around town.
He was also involved with the junior B Aldergrove Kodiaks and then in 2009, took over the hockey program at Trinity Western University. He held that role until last year.
And a few years ago, Lowdermilk and his wife Susan began preparing for life after hockey.
“I pulled out this book she had given to each of us kids before she passed, a book of our life,” he explained.
“Going through it, looking at all the pictures of me as a kid, up until I was 10 years old, were just animals and I,” said Lowdermilk, who turned 56 last month.
“When I got to 13, it was animals and trophies, and then everything just became trophies.”
Looking back through the book, he realized just how much he loved farming and the Lowdermilks prepared for their next phase.
“We have done the hockey passion, that has been part of my life since I was six years old,” Lowdermilk said.
“And we decided we would raise healthy, happy cattle.
“This was just like a flash of all the memories of how my dad (Ken) farmed,” he said. “It was all about using the land to the best of its abilities and giving back.”
The Lowdermilks, who live on a Fort Langley farm, have launched their own business, Frugie Beef.
Frugie beef is a specialty beef that does not use hormones, antibiotics or growth steroids.
The cattle is raised on fruits and vegetables which creates a natural cleansing process.
The feeding process cleanses the beef and makes the meat tender and leaner.
“We marinate our beef from the inside out,” Lowdermilk said.
He said that this has a direct effect on people with allergies who have been able to eat their product with no symptoms.
Frugie Beef has a herd of 18 and they typically slaughter three a month.
The meat is flash frozen after 21 days of aging to ensure the optimal time to capture the freshness of the product. Each product is individually packaged.
They also offer a subscription service where they will automatically deliver the product around the Lower Mainland every three to six months.
The product is also available at Moreno’s Market and Deli at the corner of 72 Avenue and 200 Street.
For more, visit www.Frugiebeef.com or call 604-290-4886.
