Raised with Love on lopez island

100% Grass Raised & finished Beef

All of our cattle are reared and raised on their natural diet: no spray, 100% chemical and fertilizer-free grass and island hay. Our cows are also supplemented with organic dry land alfalfa, as well as an OMRI-certified cafeteria mineral system that allows our animals to self-select what they need, when they need it, depending on forage/hay quality, weather, gestation, lactation, and other factors. We do not use hormones, chemical wormers, or antibiotics (unless mandated by a veterinarian in case of an illness). We allow our calves to happily grow up at their mothers’ sides, weaning them when they are at least nine months old for better health and less stress. Deeply mineralized, healthy animals make for deeply mineralized and delicious meat. Can you taste the difference? We think so!

We process all of our animals through a USDA-inspected mobile processing unit from the Island Grown Farmers Cooperative, that travels to Lopez Island and provides for a low-stress and humane on-farm slaughter. We sell individual cuts of meat at the Lopez Island Farmers Market, the Lopez Little Winter Market, and at our on-farm retail ‘barn stand.’ For information on purchasing annually a whole, half, or quarter of a cow, please email us for more information.

100% grass raised & finished lamb

All of our sheep are breeds of hair sheep, or as some people like to say, “meat” sheep. Hair sheep, unlike their woolly cousins, do not need to be shorn and their “fur” is not used for fiber. This trait creates a lamb meat that has a distinctive delicate flavor due to the decreased production of lanolin for the wool of these breeds.

As with our cattle, all of our sheep are reared and raised on their natural diet: no spray, 100% chemical and fertilizer-free grass and island hay. Their smaller size allows them to graze the fields of Lopez almost year-round, supplemented by an OMRI-certified cafeteria mineral system and dry-land alfalfa during their last weeks of gestation. We do not use hormones, chemical wormers, or antibiotics (unless mandated by a veterinarian in case of an illness). Our lambs run and play at their mothers’ sides, naturally weaning on their own when the grass is long and green. We harvest them at approximately one year of age in a low-stress, on-farm slaughter that is calm and quiet. Our lamb meat is mild and delicious - we invite you to taste the difference!

We process all of our animals through a USDA-inspected mobile processing unit from the Island Grown Farmers Cooperative that travels to Lopez Island and provides for a low-stress and humane on-farm slaughter. We sell individual cuts of meat at the Lopez Island Farmers Market, the Lopez Little Winter Market, and at our on-farm retail ‘barn stand.’ For information on purchasing a whole or half of a lamb please email us for more information and pricing.

100% pasture Reared & Raised pork

We raise American Guinea Hogs, a breed of heritage pig that is listed on the Slow Food Ark of Taste for its incredible flavor and historical significance. This breed of hog is known as a “chuffy” pig, or as we lovingly like to say, a real porker, bred by settlers as they moved across the American west to yield a high percentage of fat (for lard), as well as flavorful meat. Known also as the homestead hog, American Guinea Hogs require minimal inputs in terms of grain or feed to grow slowly and steadily to maturity.

Our hogs are born and raised on pasture, eating grass and grubs and supplemented by organic produce from local stores and farmers, skim milk from our home dairy, and Lopez-grown soaked barley with field peas. In the fall they are the happy recipients of tons of windfall fruit from the island’s many orchards and cider making parties. They live in a family group and are known for their docility and mellow demeanor. We sell a limited quantity of this fabulous pork during the winter and use the fat from our hogs to produce Local Lopez Love Lard. We also occasionally sell piglets and breeding stock; please email us with an inquiry if you are interested in this amazing breed or would like to reserve pork from future slaughters.