Lamb sales increasingly are being filled and delivered through Prior Orders--that is, orders that are emailed prior to official delivery announcement, which usually meet our available supply, thus mooting the need for a general customer announcement.
This is resulting in fewer announcements and many customers assuming that Sierra Farms Lamb is seasonally unavailable or, worse, out of business. We are thriving (we like to think!) and trying to expand our delivery service by increasing our sheep numbers and other tactics.
So, please send your orders ahead, even months ahead if necessary, to reserve a lamb and to give us better indication of future demand scheduling. We keep group lists for each delivery, so your order will be entered into the appropriate group and be date-stamped as well. Thanks for all the support.
NEXT LAMB DELIVERY
We are planning a Bay Area delivery June/July 2013 to supply fresh Spring lamb for truly exquisite, affordable dining. As with all deliveries, we rely on sufficient demand to make the effort mutually beneficial. So, if this appeals to you, please let us know quickly.
Deliveries to Sacramento, Truckee and other locations are separate trips, usually a day or two following Bay Area delivery.
Please order by email at any time--orders are prioritized by email date. Please include your residential area and cell number. I will respond by email with nearest delivery location and other information.
These lambs are enjoying new grasses and clovers, which, like wine ecology, becomes distinctive "essence" on the dinner plate. Please take advantage of fresh, Spring lamb just when it is at peak flavor.
Deliveries to Sacramento, Truckee and other locations are separate trips, usually a day or two following Bay Area delivery.
Please order by email at any time--orders are prioritized by email date. Please include your residential area and cell number. I will respond by email with nearest delivery location and other information.
These lambs are enjoying new grasses and clovers, which, like wine ecology, becomes distinctive "essence" on the dinner plate. Please take advantage of fresh, Spring lamb just when it is at peak flavor.
Dry Farmed Lamb??
Deliveries of fresh, grass-fed local lamb will occur in late September, November and possibly December. We have a limited number of lambs available, with a wide spread of weight and ages, making accurate forecasting difficult. Early fall rains will speed the growing process, which is always the hopeful scenario.
The latest food discovery seems to be "dry farming"-- as in non-irrigated. Fruits and vegetables grown without or only minimal irrigation have increased flavor intensity, not being diluted by excess water content. We are doing a similar thing with lamb--not by limiting their drinking water, gosh no, but rather making use of native grasses during the dry season. Dry farmed lamb, a new trend? So far we are pleased with results, except for the unpredictability of finish dates.
Grass-fed, dry farmed lamb is worth waiting for. Orders can be made at any time, since priority is maintained by email date. As always, we appreciate your support.
August, 2012
The latest food discovery seems to be "dry farming"-- as in non-irrigated. Fruits and vegetables grown without or only minimal irrigation have increased flavor intensity, not being diluted by excess water content. We are doing a similar thing with lamb--not by limiting their drinking water, gosh no, but rather making use of native grasses during the dry season. Dry farmed lamb, a new trend? So far we are pleased with results, except for the unpredictability of finish dates.
Grass-fed, dry farmed lamb is worth waiting for. Orders can be made at any time, since priority is maintained by email date. As always, we appreciate your support.
August, 2012
Price Increases: Inevitable, regrettable,
We regret to inform that lamb prices will need to increase to keep parity with rising costs. New prices will be $8.00/lb. for whole lamb boxes; $8.50/lb. for half-lamb boxes.
Ground lamb will be $54/box (8) one lb. packages--or $7 per package.
Bones: $20 for 10 lb box.
Sweetbreads: $75 for 10 lb box.
Delivery will continue to be free of charge.
January, 2012
Ground lamb will be $54/box (8) one lb. packages--or $7 per package.
Bones: $20 for 10 lb box.
Sweetbreads: $75 for 10 lb box.
Delivery will continue to be free of charge.
January, 2012
Looking Windward for Good Weather
Hello Loyalists;
Five inches of rain in the past week has greatly improved my mood and the probability that lamb will return this year. Our operation (and your lamb supply) depends on rainfall and natural grass, which for the past two months did not look good.
In the upside-down world of lamb farming, dark clouds are a good sign—let’s hope they continue to float our direction.
The time lag between deliveries is inconvenient for those needing lamb, and nearly ruinous for us trying to keep our enterprise afloat. Each year we experience a period of cash flow drought that wipes out any gains we had built-up and brings back a disheartening uncertainty common to farm production.
Without being too dreary, I’ll explain some of the considerations we deal with. We have lengthened our lambing time in order to provide lamb over a longer duration, but this method has challenges and added costs when trying to provide a grass-fed product during seasons when no grass is growing. Fortunately, most of you accept alfalfa hay as being a form of preserved grass, which, mixed with other protein sources such as edible dry beans, makes tasty lamb during the dry summer and early fall. Hay prices have nearly doubled in the past 18 months, driven by the dairy industry which also is monopolizing the alternative protein supply. So, the production side is having its share of new challenges.
The same is happening in the revenue side. We kept our delivered price the same last year while the live lamb market went crazy. Throughout 2011, more revenue could be made by selling live lambs than by processing and delivering them, even without considering the costs of either processing or delivery! Talk about disheartening—but loyalty has its value too, so we shepherded on. However, some changes to our unique model of fresh lamb delivery are necessary if we are to continue this service, and because we have a partnership with you loyalists, we’re asking for ideas.
The CSA model, using monthly “subscription” payments, is designed to even income flow across most of the year, as well as providing a sense of demand and working capital. This works for vegetable farming, but I’m not sure it will work for this lamb delivery model. So, I’m at a loss of what options are available or how this model can be improved. We all have a good thing going here, so there should be a way to keep it viable.
Thanks for your support and thoughtfulness,
Mel and Mary Thompson
Ordering Instructions
Please place orders by email at any time, rather than waiting for the deadline! The last delivery was filled entirely by pre-orders, without posting to the larger customer base.
Check the other posts here for all the info you need before ordering.
Please keep farmers toiling and local lamb on the menu.
Orders and questions: mmt@digitalpath.net
Delivery Information
We are experiencing higher demand than usual, so it is important to place your orders at any time, rather than waiting for the monthly newsletter.
New customers: please send your area of residence to match-up with the nearest delivery location. Also send your cell # for delivery day messages or scheduling changes.
We deliver to many Bay Area and Northern California locations, bringing Fresh cut and wrapped lamb, ground lamb, sweetbreads and bones. Ordering is by email; payment is cash or check at delivery.
Sierra Farms is providing this unique monthly delivery of fresh lamb from our farm to your tables to establish moderately priced lamb as a reliable alternative to other meat choices.
Additionally, this service brings lamb lovers the assurance of knowing the farmer and the growing methods and practices that influence the flavor and healthiness of the product.
Our goal is to become the best source of fresh lamb, raised in a realistic manner and efficiently provided at the most reasonable cost. Bay Area and Northern California lamb lovers are uniquely placed to benefit from this endeavor. Please do so...and tell others!
ORDERING IS BY EMAIL: mmt@digitalpath.net
New customers: please send your area of residence to match-up with the nearest delivery location. Also send your cell # for delivery day messages or scheduling changes.
We deliver to many Bay Area and Northern California locations, bringing Fresh cut and wrapped lamb, ground lamb, sweetbreads and bones. Ordering is by email; payment is cash or check at delivery.
Sierra Farms is providing this unique monthly delivery of fresh lamb from our farm to your tables to establish moderately priced lamb as a reliable alternative to other meat choices.
Additionally, this service brings lamb lovers the assurance of knowing the farmer and the growing methods and practices that influence the flavor and healthiness of the product.
Our goal is to become the best source of fresh lamb, raised in a realistic manner and efficiently provided at the most reasonable cost. Bay Area and Northern California lamb lovers are uniquely placed to benefit from this endeavor. Please do so...and tell others!
ORDERING IS BY EMAIL: mmt@digitalpath.net
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