Devil's Gulch Ranch Tour
On July 27, 2014, CUESA visited Devil’s Gulch Ranch for an up-close view of rabbits, pigs, and sheep as part of “A West Marin Farm Tour with Chef Thomas McNaughton.”
Devil Gulch Ranch is a diversified farm based on 75 acres in Nicasio, California. The ranch is located within national park boundaries.
Mark Pasternak began farming in 1971, when he acquired his first plot of land after responding to an ad in the San Francisco Chronicle. Today, he and his wife, Myriam Kaplan-Pasternak, raise rabbits, pigs, sheep, and horses and grow wine grapes. They also farm on several acres in Novato and Petaluma.
The farm raises about 30 sows, usually Yorkshires, a breed that has large litters and strong maternal instincts. These sows are resting indoors while nursing, out of the afternoon heat, but they typically roam the property on pasture.
The Pasternaks buy Duroc and Berkshire boars for breeding. This youngster with Berkshire heritage is named Porklift. Pigs are fed a diet of whole milk, whey, whole-grain bread, spent brewers grain, and leftover tortillas from a tortilla factory.
Mark originally introduced sheep to the ranch for weed control in the vineyards and now raises them for meat. They graze on pasture when grass is plentiful in the spring and are moved back to the vineyards in the summer.
Maremma sheepdogs guard the flock.
Miriam and Mark began raising rabbits about 15 years ago as a 4-H project for their daughters. They started with three rabbits. They now have about 2,000! They were one of the first farms in the area to raise rabbits on a commercial scale, and the rabbits are in high demand among restaurants. To utilize the whole animal, the ranch also sells rabbit pelts and feet.
Miriam has been trained as a veterinarian and is now an internationally recognized rabbit expert who has helped families in Haiti raise rabbits for income and food.
The rabbits are a mix of Rex, New Zealand, and Californian breeds in a range of colors. Each breeding doe (mother rabbit) is housed in her own cage, and babies are kept with their mothers until they are weaned, usually after about six weeks. They are slaughtered at a facility in the Central Valley at 10 to 12 weeks, when they reach about 5 pounds.
Raising rabbits comes with many challenges. They cannot be raised free-range because they are vulnerable to predators. They are also highly susceptible to diseases, so Devil’s Gulch allows plenty space in each cage, which is about 30 x 30 inches.
Each doe is given a name (this one is named Zinger) and their cages are labeled to help distinguish them. Naming the rabbits is a way of showing them respect, Miriam said.
The lower level of the cage mimics a burrow. To keep the rabbits’ environment clean and disease-free, the cages are elevated a few feet above the ground so that the manure drops below the boxes. Their nitrogen-rich manure is used as fertilizer in the ranch’s vineyards.
These tiny rabbits are just three days old! They have not grown their coat of fur or opened their eyes yet.
Transparency is important to the Pasternaks, and they find many ways to open their ranch up to the public. The ranch hosts a YMCA summer camp where kids learn animal care, pottery, hide tanning, and other outdoor skills.
Chef Thomas McNaughton visited the ranch with us to provide his farm-to-table perspective. His San Francisco restaurants, Central Kitchen and Flour + Water, are among Devil’s Gulch’s best customers. He makes a point to purchase whole animals and use every part in his dishes and cured meats. Off of a 300-pound pig carcass, only 2 or 3 pounds may not make it to the plate.
“It’s amazing to have Devil’s Gulch so close to the restaurant, and very educational for our staff,” Thomas said. “We try to buy the best possible ingredients and use whole animals. We look at each animal and figure out what we want to do with it. It forces us to be creative.”
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CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) is dedicated to cultivating a sustainable food system through the operation of farmers markets and educational programs. Learn More »