THE HANDS FULL FARM HISTORY
In 1897 my Great-Great Grandfather bought our ranch. Over the last 120+ years, the land has been a dairy; laying chickens; beef cow; and sheep ranch. In the years of the Petaluma egg boom, our ranch had about 10,000 Leghorn chickens out running around outside. My Great Grandfather said he'd never confine chickens in a barn, so when the egg producers industrialized and put everything in barns, he moved on to cows and sheep. When my Grandmother and Grandfather took responsibility, they continued on with the cattle and sheep- and now my Dad and I run them. Currently our farm is home to about 100 beef cows (and their calves), 1,000+ chickens, and seasonally 200 sheep, and our fall turkey flocks. In the chicken operation we are still using some of the original chicken equipment- Dad really got nostalgic when he rebuilt the old egg washer that was used here back in the 1950's!... of which we never got rid of. The name “Hands Full Farm” captures our outlook on life. As farmers, our ‘hands are full’ from sunrise to sunset, but more importantly, we strive to take gratitude in the bounty our farm provides us, without taking or using more than what we need- We believe a ‘hand full’ of anything is just enough for us, and all beyond that, we want to share with you the consumer. Our farm represents us sharing with extended arms the bounty of this land with our community and our customers. Today, I run the operations alongside my Dad and Sister, while raising the sixth generation, my son Frank, to continue our tradition of simple, hard work to raise animals that are happy and healthy, providing the highest possible quality product to our customers within our community. The world has changed quite a bit since 1897, and I am more convinced than ever that returning to the way things were done while provide a sustainable path forward for my farm, and all farms. Support from people like you allows for this, and for us to continue doing what we love, year after year, and generation after generation. - Anna Erickson, Proprietor |
*Even if you don't get a your eggs or turkey or meat from us- Try to always get your meat/poultry from a farmer you know. Industrial Ag. has a lot of pretty sounding labels that don't really mean a good natural life for those animals. Talk to the farmers at your local farmer's market about their practices. Not all meat, eggs, and dairy are raised the same...*
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