As January rapidly flies by we're getting our ducks in order for 2020 deliveries. As ever, our goal is to deliver product to customers as, in essence, a side effect of the normal research and restoration projects at Sophia. To that end we're now accepting orders for 2020 delivery of:
Broilers. This year our plans are primarily focused on Freedom Rangers, as they do well in our environment and produce a healthy bird, albeit at the cost of taking somewhat longer to mature. Broilers are delivered picked, wrapped, and frozen, unless otherwise requested.
Turkeys. While we are fond of heritage breeds, these typically take two years to mature. For our own consumption we're planning a batch of conventional meat bird for holiday delivery. As with broilers, these are delivered picked, wrapped, and frozen, unless otherwise requested.
Hogs. Again, our bias here is toward heritage breeds, with Kunekune/Guinea hug crosses being our default choice. As with heritage turkeys, these take at least two years to mature, and are quite small compared to more conventional breeds. This year we will be running Berkshire, Duroc, and Hampshire; for those for whom an entire hog is too much, hog shares are available. These hogs are raised to order and delivered on the hoof; slaughter and processing is the responsibility of the buyer. For customers in the Plumas and Sierra counties, we strongly recommend George's Custom Meat Company.
All of our animals are a byproduct of our leader-follower systems, and as such are free-range and not confined, save at night in order to protect them from predators.
We are gauging the market for duck. Waterfowl are much more difficult to process than chickens and turkeys, and as such we tend to keep on hand a flock sufficient for slug, snail, and insect control. If raised-to-order duck is of interest, please contact us.
Note that we do not offer eggs; the liability associated with doing so vs. the potential economic upside simply isn't worth it. We're also not currently offering lamb, as browsing our sagebrush in order to keep in healthy imparts a taste to the meat that most people don't like. For those seeking lamb, we suggest Anna Harvey at The Harvey Ranch.
In addition to animals, we're accepting orders for perennial plants. From our nursery we're offering:
Heritage apples, pears, and cherries adapted to the environment of the Sierra Valley and eastern slope of the Sierras. We have apple cultivars suitable for eating, cooking, over-wintering, and cidering; in the latter category we also offer crabs. Cultivars are available on a variety of modern root stocks, please contact us with your specific requirements so we can better help you select the right cultivar and root stock for your needs.
Medicinal plants. We've been experimenting for a few years with both cultivated perennials as well as wildcrafted items and would be happy to discuss what we can source for your needs, be it in 2020 or the future. Note that while we have a marked bias toward perennial agriculture, we are happy to consider annuals on a case-by-case basis.
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