David and Dianne Linderman are the head pioneers of a 45-year-old company that has had the most amazing experiences working with troubled teenagers and animals of all kinds in need of help. Their incredibly successful experiment of bringing troubled kids and at-risk animals together led them to an old wildlife park in Southern Oregon, home to a menagerie of animals that included lions, tigers, and bears. The two had been working together at a dude ranch for a few years and had gained quite the reputation for helping troubled teenagers by teaching them practical building and farming skills, along with cooking, gardening, and raising livestock—encouraging these kids to develop their own work ethic.

Seeing what David and Dianne were accomplishing, an older woman who owned a five-acre roadside zoo up the highway approached them. She shared that she was not going to live much longer and needed people like David and Dianne to take it over—so they did. This was a huge undertaking, but armed with eight troubled teens, they took over the wildlife park, revamping every bit of the entire property, and thus, Noah’s Ark Wildlife Park was born.

As the years went by, they transformed this little roadside zoo into a place families loved. Dianne’s first loves had always been working with kids and cooking, so David built her a small café in the gift shop, which quickly became the locals’ favorite place to eat. Soon, people were coming from everywhere to enjoy the homemade, farm-to-table soups, sandwiches, and desserts.

Although the business was bustling, it was very expensive to operate. With Oregon’s foggy and rainy weather for six months out of the year, they knew they needed a way to bring in more money to support the many mouths to feed—hundreds of animals and eight teenagers. That’s when Dianne had the idea to start a traveling petting farm with the motto, “We Bring the Zoo to You.” David designed and built a beautiful enclosure to take on the road, and the Great American Entertainment Company was born.

Their company became famous at state and county fairs for its cleanliness and professionalism. Soon after, they ventured into the rodeo industry, and their company quickly became one of the most popular entertainment businesses in the country. Forty-five years later, Great American Entertainment Company is still the number one, most beloved attractions company in the industry. For many years, they have traveled to 80 fairs and events annually while adding twelve other agriculture-related attractions and helping many more troubled kids.

Ten years ago, the company bought a ranch in Stephenville, Texas (Dianne was born a Texan), and moved the entire operation there. The Lindermans turned many of the kids they had worked with—now grown up with families of their own—into business partners. Over the years, they have gained a wealth of knowledge that the entire country needs and have discovered the perfect way to share their passion, love, and joy.

David and Dianne Linderman’s son, Luke, is an award-winning filmmaker, and with his talent combined with the hard work of their partners, they have created a show that will not only inspire the American Dream again but will also ignite each person’s inner child. They aim to show that anyone can start a business, a farm, or any idea that can make them an independent doer and thinker. They understand that the negative forces in this world may seem strong, but they are here to show that hope, fun, and bringing life back into perspective can renew the American Dream. Don’t doubt your dreams and ideas—explore them.

Let American Pioneers lead the way with a show that is not only fun but also showcases the innovative things they do on their two ranches with a group of young people. The show will feature other pioneers across the country who are doing similar things. They will demonstrate how you can participate in workshops covering real-life, authentic topics such as ranching, farming, entrepreneurship, cooking, homesteading, publishing, marketing, and so much more.