BLACK OAKS RANCH
Jim & Onna Perkins
36272 State Highway 44
Viola, CA 96088
530-474-4404
joperkins7@frontiernet.net
Welcome to Black Oaks Ranch.  We named it that because of the
large, old Black Oak trees on the Ranch.  The oaks produce
wonderful crops of acorns that our animals enjoy (especially our
American Guinea Hogs, aka "Acorn Eaters!")

Black Oaks Ranch is in Northern California about an hour's drive
east of Redding, CA.  We are at the 4300' elevation eight miles
west of the north entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park (one
of the country's least used and most beautiful National Parks!)  It is
not unusual to get three feet of snow in the winter.  We truly enjoy
each of our beautiful seasons here which are conducive to
producing the wonderful variety of legumes and grasses growing
in our pasture.

The Ranch is part of Scharsch Meadow which has a history in its
own right.  It was developed by a Swiss, Ignatius Scharsch in the
late 1800's.  He partially cleared the area of the native Ponderosa
Pines and Oaks and developed the meadow over a period of time
to establish a summer range for cattle.  Scharsch put in a
diversion dam on a creek and then established a series of ditches
which sub-irrigate both sides of the huge meadow which is
bisected by State Highway 44.  Our irrigation is dependent on
snow-melt from Mt. Lassen and the surrounding high country.

Having only 8.5 acres (six acres in permanent pasture) we make up
in quality that which we lack in quantity.  Our intent is to raise
heritage breed livestock that have been identified by the
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) as needing
conservation and/or protection from extinction.  

We are raising the following heritage breeds of livestock here at
Black Oaks Ranch:  black, red, and dun polled, registered,
purebred IRISH DEXTER CATTLE (meat, milk, and breeding stock;)
HOLLAND CHICKENS (eggs); registered, purebred OBERHASLI
DAIRY GOATS (milk & breeding stock.) and AMERICAN GUINEA
HOGS (great tasting meat and breeding stock.)   We intend to
cross breed our AGH with another great meat breed such as a
Kune Kune so as to hopefully produce an even better tasting and
leaner grazing meat animal with less lard content. Each of our
breeds are classified by the ALBC as either “recovering”, (Dexter
Cattle, Oberhasli dairy goats) or  “critical” (American Guinea Hog,
Holland Chicken.)

We truly enjoy each of the breeds we raise and benefit from. We
believe we have the responsibility to continue being good
stewards for all that our Creator has provided us.  Our animals are
raised in as natural an environment as possible, primarily grass
fed without the use of hormones and unhealthy additives.  
All of our animals benefit from the lush grass and legumes and
they, in turn, improve the quality of our subdivided pasture
through the management practice of frequent rotational grazing
and their superior fertilization process!

We are pleased to offer our customers quality meat and milking
pedigreed stock as we continue to strive for the right combination
of genetics for outstanding meat and milk characteristics.  
Dexter's are wonderful dual-purpose animals (meat and milking)
and the 4%+ butterfat content of their milk is truly delicious as well
as making great butter.  Our pedigreed Oberhasli dairy goat line
has been producing a wonderful sweet milk which is naturally
homogenized.  

We invite you to enjoy our animals and the several ways they
continue to enrich our lives!

-  Jim & Onna Perkins