Copeland Family Farms, LLC is a family owned and operated farm in the northern mountains of California.
The Copeland Family has been ranching in Siskiyou County since the 1870's, when John Copeland and
his sister Sarah moved to the area from Texas. Today, Bob and Dusty Copeland are upholding the tradition
of honesty and integrity in the ranch operation. In the early 1990's they added meat goats to the
family farm, looking for a lean, healthy meat to raise for their own family consumption. Goat steaks
were too small to satisfy their cattlemen's appetites, so in 1996 they began a planned genetic program
to produce larger weaning weights on their kids, with a goal of marketing at 100+ pounds and at about
5 months. The "MONEYMAKER" meat
goat was the result of this program.
In 2004 Bob and Dusty began marketing their USDA "Copeland Family Farms Certified American chevon" to
the nation. It was soon evident by the high demand that they would need to make a major decision. Should
they just close their store when they sold all the meat from their own animals, or should they market
other producer’s wethers? One major concern they had was the area auction yards were all closing
to goats, where would other producers market their animals? However the variety and quality of the livestock
varied greatly, and the Copeland Family wanted to maintain a uniform product for their customers. No other
producer was getting the high weaning weights that the Moneymakers were getting, with the average goat
producer weaning weights of 60 pound sort less. The "Partnership for Excellence" idea began when
talking to local area ranchers in the Harris ranch program.
Using the Harris ranch ideas, the Copeland Family Farms "Partnership for Excellence" was created
and is being presented to area goat producers at meetings and one producer at a time throughout the northern
California, southern Oregon region.
Should the Partnership for Excellence become a success two things will be established. 1. Copeland Family Farms
will be able to contract with retail stores to provide a greater amount of quality, uniform goat meat
to fill the demand in the retail stores.
2. Producers in the program will have a known steady market
for their larger weaning weight goats.
This program will not be for every producer, and Copeland Family Farms is only looking for those producers
who will best fit the program.
"We are looking for producers with a majority of Swiss or Swiss Nubian
cross does. Producers should have adequate natural browse and graze for the livestock numbers they
are maintaining." They also must be willing and able to implement our vaccination and feeding program.
Copeland Family Farms Certified American Chevon must meet the high demands of the American consumer,
and also satisfy the USDA to meet "all naturally" raised products.
The
CFF breakfast and dinner sausage program began earlier this year. This is a good outlet for cull
does for producers in the program. Does must meet the all-natural feeding program.
Congratulations
to Jim and Ann Cook of Willow Mt. Ranch for being the first producers to qualify for the " Partnership
for Excellence" program.
They were awarded Jubal Lee for their genetic improvement program. Their goats range on high
mountain meadows and meet the standards for "all-natural" raised.
If you think you may be interested in the Partnership for Excellence program for Copeland Family
Farms, please contact Bob or Dusty Copeland at 530-436-2348 for more information. An inspection
of your farm and program will be made.
Also, Bob and Dusty are available to speak and give slide show presentation of their program.
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