Wolf Pack runs a very efficient program as a professional butcher shop and also as a learning center for the agricultural students at UNR who enjoy the classes and work experience that they receive here. They have a really good program with experienced veteran butchers who teach the students and apprentices, just like the old days.
The facility is USDA inspected which means that they have a federal inspector on site each day of their operations. And believe it or not, this is one area where we can appreciate the government. The USDA requirements include a room temperature of 40 f degrees, spotless working surfaces and equipment, and absolutely zero flies or bugs of any kind. Additionally, the USDA requires weekly samples and testing of all products to insure a bacteria free result for all consumers.
But now let's talk about what we're all really here for... BACON!!! Let's face it, there is no sense talking about a pork butcher if you don't mention the most important 5-letter word in the English dictionary... Bacon :) They brine and smoke our Low-Sodium Bacon, Cottage Bacon, Round Hams, and Ham Deli-Slices right here on site in a controlled program that insures consistency for us throughout the seasons.
Country Sausage, Mild Italian Sausage, Low-Sodium Smoked Bacon, Low Sodium Smoked Cottage Bacon, and Smoked Ham Slices from Wolf Pack Meats are now included in our Pork Inventory on our website. Look for the *NEW PRODUCT* title on the Wolf Pack Items. We're happy to share these high quality healthy meats with you along with the continuing story of where your meat is coming from and how it's being handled.
It was an event-filled six days with a beautiful ceremony on Saturday. We are all thankful for these new relationships and incredibly blessed by God and his many blessings he continues to shower upon us.
We are all incredibly happy for the joy that the newlyweds bring each other 😊 You can look forward to seeing a lot more of Karen's involvement with Family Friendly Farms here on out as we continue to grow and expand.
From left to right: Jacob, Emma, Amanda, Eric, Cecilia, baby Thalia, Zach, baby Alicia, Ty, Charles, Karen, Philip, Michael, Ali, Emy, Cami, Nina, Nik, and Tia.
The clan has grown exponentially and will only continue to as we welcome the new generation into our hearts and homes 🥰
The Cottage has housed a multitude of families, couples, and individuals in the fifteen years since we moved into the house we built, but none are as special as these latest inhabitants because the new generation of Zeiters are back within its four walls!
]]>And then he had a little bit of a break for college, then he got married, had a baby girl, and worked in IT at Zeiter Eye Medical Clinic... And now he's back at Our Lady's Ranch as Family Friendly Farm's Operations Manager! The move from Stockton back to Grass Valley was a group effort involving siblings, the FFF farmers, and (of course) his wife, Cecilia, and daughter, Thalia.
When we first get married and especially when we have a baby, it can be a bit overwhelming with how much stuff we acquire. Despite this, it all fit into one Uhaul! All of the established families out there can probably laugh at that - just one Uhaul?! Even so, moving is no light affair and can cause lot's of stress no matter the situation, but we can say with confidence that this venture went incredibly smooth and was filled with smiles.
But how can there not be smiles when you have so much help and you're moving home of all places?
When Zach and Cecilia got married they knew that they wanted to move back to the Ranch eventually, the appeal of raising their kids in such a beautiful and wholesome environment is an opportunity that's just too good to pass up. And Zach knows the Ranch and the operations here like the back of his hand. He'd been pouring blood, sweat, tears, and love into this place since he was a kid so how could he not?! They were just unsure of the timing.
It turns out the timing was just shy of their two year wedding anniversary and just in time for all of the amazing changes happening with FFF.
Everyone has a place to live on the Ranch, from the big house to individual trailers. But Zach, Cecilia, and Thalia moved into the most special and long-standing dwelling on the Ranch: The Cottage. A few years after the Ranch was bought in 2000, a shabby modular home was dropped off and, after a some major renovations, the young Zeiter family moved in with their four kids.
We lived there for three years, during which time two more kids were born, the big house was built, and we started our farming journey with no idea what we were doing. If only the photos we have from that era weren't in the old physical form buried in a box somewhere...
The Cottage has housed a multitude of families, couples, and individuals in the fifteen years since we moved into the house we built, but none are as special as these latest inhabitants because the new generation of Zeiters are back within its four walls!
It's a super exciting time as Zach enters into the daily work again. We can't wait to see what we'll accomplish with his help.
From high school homecoming queen who graduated college (at the age of twenty) with a degree in industrial engineering, and the mother of two beautiful daughters, to becoming a business executive and then an international distributor of fine wines, this woman has done it all. Well, not everything yet because now she is in charge of business development for Family Friendly Farms :)
Hi Everyone! Phil here with the latest farm news...
We are now making plans for a new butcher shop to be located right here at Our Lady’s Ranch, and we intend to expand our product line to include a full array of smoked products and sausages. So as we begin cutting new meats, Karen will be cutting new territory for our home delivery and shipping services.
It was no accident that Karen found us and recently began her work here. After my wife passed away a few years ago, divine providence led me to Honduras to meet this dynamic person who is now filling me up with all her love, while also filling up our business with her passion for good health and tasty food.
Hi Everyone -
Our last post hinted at a new project that we are very passionate about and we want to share it with you. We say "new," but really this ministry has been blooming in our hearts and minds for over 25 years now, well before Family Friendly Farms began.
FFF was initially founded in 2010 with our first Farmer's Market in Grass Valley, but we first purchased Our Lady’s Ranch back in February of 2000... And what you see in the photo above is not what it looked like back then. The photo shows the blood, sweat, and tears of parents, kids, and friends working together over a few decades. We took a property that was essentially an old car graveyard with unexploded shells from WWII training exercises, and returned it to God's original creation.
Many of you are aware of our enjoyment of the Catholic Faith as we even named the ranch for Our Lady, who is the mother of Jesus. And also, back in our days of Farmer's Markets, we placed a bowl on the table filled with Miraculous Medals for visitors to have as a gift, if they so wished. Now that simple bowl of Medals and the occasional farm tour and church retreat has transformed into a larger ministry as we've talked with other families and watched the landscape of our nation change. So here's a glimpse into the broader vision...
In a world where morality is subjective, children are left to their own devices, and the divorce rate is above sixty percent, it is time for a new way. Our Lady’s Ranch has begun a new way of salvation that is guided by the Catholic Church and the messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje. We have dedicated the last twenty-five years to a homesteading lifestyle that brings healing and restoration to families... Now it is time to share our experiences with you.
Family healing through homesteading is not a new idea...
“More than a few young people have already chosen this path;
also many professionals are returning to dedicate themselves
to the agricultural enterprise, feeling that they are responding not
only to a personal and family need, but also to a ‘sign of the times,’
to a concrete sensibility for the ‘common good.”
~ G.K. Chesterton
And we are not the only ones pursuing this lifestyle! The desire of young and old folks alike to return to the old ways of community within a rural setting has set the nation on fire as prices rise and our rights are further restricted. And as people have found the Family Friendly Farms website, we have been receiving more and more requests to learn about this community homesteading way of life that we've developed here.
We're very happy to share what we have learned over the past 25 years! On the website you'll find a treasure of stories and photos of faith, family, and farming. The site also contains a forum to chat with other people interested in this way of life, full documents detailing the spirituality and lifestyle of Our Lady's Ranch, a step-by-step guide on how to get started yourself, and a journal with multiple authors sharing entires regarding FAITH, FAMILY, and FARMING.
Feel free to let us know what you think! We would love to read some feedback from you old and new customer-friends who have stood by us over the years. Also, please feel free to forward this email to your family and friends who you think would love to join our growing network of people who love God, kids, and nature.
Blessings & Peace to you... ♥️ The Zeiter Family & Friends
The White Family – Jason and Chelsee with their five hilarious kids and one more on the way! – found us through their search for healthy meat to purchase. After an adventurous farm tour and then 100 questions and answers later, they moved into "The Cottage" here at Our Lady's Ranch. They now participate in our community garden and provide the free-range eggs that you've been buying, while learning about growing meat chickens, turkeys, and pigs.
Isaiah and Stevenson are our newest additions and landed here one year apart (Isaiah in 2021 and Stevenson in 2022). They both live on the Ranch and have become fast friends through their common passion for farming and accelerated spiritual growth. Stevenson is learning about the business and marketing of FFF, which includes collaborating with Phil for weekly sales ads and corresponding with our growing customer base. He is also learning everything he ever wanted to know about growing healthy food. Isaiah manages all the ranch work around here, which includes lots of fun jobs with power tools and powerful tractors. Exciting projects include expanding the olive orchard and building a new pond for family fishing and more fresh food.
Joe found us during the great "COVID Job Exodus" of 2020 when all the restaurants shut down. What started as part-time work has become a few years of full-time service and we're lucky to have him on board! So far he has done just about everything around here, and now he fills in the gaps wherever we need: deliveries, farming, animal husbandry, and more! Through FFF he's discovered a love of working outdoors while developing a tremendous amount of useful skills, especially when it comes to raising the pigs and the chickens.
Some of you remember our early years of simplicity and innocence, but we have all grown up since those wonder years and want to share a family update of what we're all doing now...
]]>Starting in the back and going from left to right we have Alisandra (“Ali,” age 7) and Christia (“Tia,” age 8); in the middle is Zachary (“Zachy,” age 10), Dad, Joseph (“Jo-Jo,” age 5), and Michael (“Miggy,” age 4) held by Mom; then myself, Tyler (“Ty,” age 12), and Mariana (“Nina,” age 2).
It's been a long time since we've posted anything new on our Storytime Blog and we think it's high time that we update you all on the latest family farming news. Some of you remember our early years of simplicity and innocence, but we have all grown up since those wonder years and want to share a family update of what we're all doing now...
Fourteen years doesn’t seem like that long in the grand scope of things, but a lot has happened since then, including an expansion of the farming business, kids going to college and graduating, the discovery of a long lost sibling, weddings, grandkids, and the death of our mom (Alicia). Losing her was the most difficult thing that has ever happened to us and it is only because of our faith and love for each other that we’ve made it to where we are now…
Ty (24 years old) graduated from John Paul the Great University with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Theology. One week after graduation, she married her childhood friend Charles Straight and they live together in Sacramento. They are expecting their first baby in June and naming her “Alicia,” in loving memory of mom.
Zach (23 years old) is a huge reason why Family Friendly Farms look like a beautiful park. He took off in 2017 to Thomas Aquinas College where he met his wife, Cecilia. Zach and Cecilia live in Stockton, CA with their newborn baby girl where he runs the IT department for Zeiter Eye.
Tia (21 years old) is a go-getter and graduated high school two years early (let’s go homeschooling!). She attended the University of California San Diego and graduated, summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a focus on Political Science! She’s currently living in Tokyo for this year while teaching English at a high school there.
Ali (20 years old) is the only Zeiter kid still at home (although she’s rarely home now) running around with a full schedule of pre-nursing at community college, while pursuing her passion for photography and performing in aerial dance. It’s so interesting to hear about her latest classes, detailing the complexity of anatomy or the emotional stages of childhood development.
Jo (is 18 years old) attended a three month long survival camp last year in Idaho where he was the star of the show (it’s really not fair to throw a ranch kid into the mix in camps like that). This year he’s attending college in Utah with technology courses to pursue a career in software engineering.
Michael (16 years old) has always been incredibly energetic and social and began attending Villanova Preparatory School in January of this year. At this new school he has all the opportunities he wants to pursue new adventures and sports — like baseball.
Nina (15 years old) definitely wasn’t going to be left at home when Michael took off to school, so she went to Villanova boarding school just one month later. There, she enjoys art (her supplies took up most of the room in her suitcases when she left) and running for the track team!
In 2018 we found Phil's unknown long-lost son Eric Hallin. Although over ten years older than Ty, it's been awesome for the rest of the seven Zeiter kids to get to know him and their new sister-in-law and nephew and niece. They live in Paso Robles where Eric helps many people with financial planning and advisory services.
Last year God brought Karen into our life through his providential kindness to Dad. Although she lives in Honduras, they see each other at least once a month and have traveled the western hemisphere with a renewed youthful enthusiasm.
Our family has changed much over the years and the Zeiter kids are all discovering their own paths... Meanwhile, God has been leading others to live and work at Our Lady’s Ranch and we’re looking forward to introducing our new farmers to you soon!
Blessings and Peace to you,