Welcome to the Homestead!
You probably found your way here thanks to some form of social media, and boy are we glad to have you check us out! Our pledge to you is that we do not raise more animals than we can care for by ourselves and within the acreage we have available. This natural restraint provides an immovable stopping point in terms of what is best for the animals and our 8 acre pasture. Please allow us the opportunity below to provide some definitive proof that the animals we raise and the food we grow are leaps and bounds above what even the most expensive grocery store provides.
Poultry: Pasture raised – 100% access to grassy pasture in sunlight or shade – fed Modesto Milling feed that is certified organic non-corn and non-soy based – no antibiotics or any form of medication used. All poultry will be fully processed and vacuum bag sealed in accordance with Exemption P.L. 90-492 and must be picked up from the homestead. Message down below or contact via cell at 209-771-2402
Chicken: Valley Farms Hatchery Red Broilers at $4.25 per pound
The industrial producers (Tyson, Petaluma, Foster, etc) will only ever produce the Cornish Cross variety of meat bird, which has anywhere from a 4 week to 8 week growth period and provides a 3lb to 5lb bird. They do this because it is most beneficial to their profit margins and shareholders, not you or your health. All of our poultry is pasture raised and of a slow growing variety of meat bird that requires 14 weeks of growth and will range in weight from 5lb all the way up to 9lb. A slower growing bird allows their bodies time to develop more nutrients in their meat, allows for a firmer and denser meat that doesn’t shrink when cooked, and gives them enough time to mature to a proper processing age.
Turkey: Dunlap Hatchery White and Bronze Broad Breasted at $6.50 per pound
2024 is our second year raising turkeys and they are by far the more interesting and entertaining birds to raise. Differing communicative chirps and caretaker recognition are two of my favorite traits about turkeys, not to mention their slower growing rate and natural curiosity lend them to have much more of an impact on our lives because they are around for almost twice as long as the chickens.
Cows: We currently have four Jersey cows and a calf. These cows live on the pasture with access to sun or shade. Any of our cows that are in milk will also receive some form of additional feed and feed supplements to assist with keeping weight on them and helping them with their milk production; however, we still source their feed and supplements from Organic based Modesto Milling.
Raw Milk: $7.50 per half gallon (exclusive to herd share members)
Raw milk is a by-product of being a member of our herd share in that we will not and can not sell raw milk to the public who are not part of the herd share. In accordance with state law, being a member of our herd grants you a certain amount of shares of what the cow produces; that being milk in this instance. Please reach out to us using the button below to indicate you would like to be put on the reserve list and once we are getting close to having room in our herd we will contact you to expound on the requirements.
Health concerns about raw milk are not without warrant; however, I still believe that people should be allowed to decide what they want to put in their bodies regardless of what the mainstream believes/thinks. I also believe that people should take the time to actually research something if they are considering putting it in their bodies; thus I compiled a short list of the main diseases, but not all, that are transmissible by consuming unpasteurized milk:
o Once common in the USA in the early 1900s, Bovine TB is eradicated from the vast majority of herds within California according to the CDFA.
o The disease is spread via droplets that are shared between cows. Per the linked article: Most people infected with bovine TB bacteria do not get sick. However, some infected people, particularly the very young or very old, or those with a weakened immune system, can develop bovine TB disease. Early treatment of bovine TB infection can significantly reduce the chance of developing bovine TB disease.
o Raw milk is not the main cause of Salmonella, that would be our industrialized meat packing systems routing the vast majority of our poultry through a select few facilities and then relying on recalls to protect you.
o The easiest way to prevent Salmonella is to keep clean equipment and keep feces out of the product. We hand clean each cow teat before hooking up the milking cups, and after milking we sanitize each cup before repeating the process on the next cow. Our milker is enclosed and the risk of fecal matter falling into the milk is non-existent.
· E.Coli
o E. Coli is most commonly spread via contaminated surfaces, ranging from the counter top to the surfaces of fruits and veggies
Here is a letter from the Raw Milk Institute describing scientifically tested benefits of consuming raw milk. Once again, no one is going to care about your health as much as you, and you should be the final decision maker in what goes into your body.
Lastly, I am not a doctor or any kind of expert. I have done personal research to satisfy myself and I know that I take a risk in consuming raw milk. With that said, I will personally never choose to go back to the processed garbage that is store bought pasteurized milk.
Vegetables and Herbs: We grow Baker Creek seeds almost exclusively in our garden, with a focus on tomatoes, peppers, and garlic. Prior to the existence of our hoop house and garden the land was used as a corral area for horses and beef cattle. That means that the ground was extremely compacted and not cared for in a 20+ year span. We have brought our little hill quite a long way, but for the 2024 season we are still not quite where we want to be in order to sell veggies or herbs.
