"$70? For pork??! You dumb bunny!" This, I suspect, is what my grandmother would have told me, had…read moreshe witnessed the scene. I stopped by the Holding Ranch (http://www.holdingranch.com/) booth at the market and came away $70 poorer, but rich beyond my wildest dreams in smoked maple bacon (cured nitrate-free with salt, brown sugar, dried maple syrup, & a concentrate of lemon, green tea, and celery), pork tenderloin, and Canadian-style back bacon (more on this later). So, if my grandmother were alive to judge, all I could do is invite her to dine with us this week, so that we could demonstrate the wonders of cooking with humanely-butchered farm-to-table products raised with supreme care, love, and attention. Does it solve all the ethical dilemmas of eating meat? Hardly. But I drive a car, too, even if I feel guilty for leaving behind a carbon footprint in my wake. At times like these, I feel the need for some pop cultural wisdom that only a Pig and a Rat engaged in Waiting for Godot style dialog can provide. I call, in other words, on Stephan P. of Santa Rosa, CA, for help. Here's the rat-pig exchange* in question, with the accompanying illustration here (http://media2.px.yelpcdn.com/photo/bUxF5ZzwOAZdPwk_Rn3Trg/l): Pig: Were you ever thrown out of a club? Rat: Plenty, why? Pig: Because that "Society of Cultured Pigs" group just booted me. Rat: They got word of the bacon thing, huh? Pig: ... But B.L.T.'s taste so darn good. Rat: They're too judgmental. I agree, Rat, I agree. That's the issue. Taste! Don't judge!! It is San Mateo on a Saturday. It's only a few minutes after 9 AM, but already the farmers' market is in full swing. Crowds line up by their favorite vendors, hoping to score something delicious and nutritious for their next week's worth of meals. We hadn't been to this particular market for several months, so I made a beeline for the Holding Ranch stand. They are from Shasta, and they raise some of the best cattle, lambs, chickens, and pigs in the world. But because they are a relatively modest-sized operation, and because their products are in such demand, they sell out fast. Especially the bacon and tenderloin, which they only bring to market after the Berkshire Hogs have lived a full life outdoors and are ready to be slaughtered (http://www.holdingranch.com/pages/pork.html). So I was shocked - shocked! - to discover that both bacon (in 2 styles) and tenderloin (a 2.5 lb. piece) were available. Price played second fiddle to a chance to indulge using a porkish palate to provide protein and taste variation in our largely vegetarian diet. Grandma, all I can say is that it was worth it. I'm with the Pig on this one! They DO taste so darn good. I present to you exhibits A(i), A(ii), B, & C: A(i): Grilled pork tenderloin dry rubbed with applewood smoked sea salt, cracked multicolor peppercorns, and fresh cinnamon, basted with pumpkin oil, apple cider and tarragon vinegars, lemon juice, Canadian Grade B maple syrup, and blue agave nectar; A(ii): Sourdough asiago cheese and rosemary corn-kernel biscuits sliced in two and filled up with thin-sliced cold tenderloin, fresh horseradish, Dijon mustard, radicchio, and frisée (eat your dirty sauce little heart out, Ike's!); B: Farmers' market BLTs with sprouted wheat whole grain toast, red, green, and yellow heirloom tomatoes, and microgreen mesclun; C: Winter wheat penne pasta with diced Canadian bacon "pancetta," baby spinach, rainbow chard, chopped tomato, garlic, Madeira cooking wine (from CA), Sonoma chevre, and grated Italian Parmesan. Mr. Pastis, I rest my case. Holding Ranch is guilty. Guilty of being so darn GOOD! That's some pig you've got there, my friend. Dedicated to Wilhelm Y., for his love of pork, and of 21st century Californian small farm culture, in all its many forms. (*) From the 2003 anthology, "Pearls Before Swine: BLTs Taste So Darn Good," Andrews McMeel Publishing, page 13.

I purchased 1/4 beef from Holding Ranch about two months ago. I couldn't find anyone else to go in…read morewith me on a full carcass. I selected them after comparing prices at the four closest ranches and talking to each of them on email to find out about their operation. Prices for a quarter are $5.99/lb cut and wrapped. For a half, the cost is $5.49/lb cut and wrapped and, for a whole, the cost is $4.99/lb. There was a complete selection of cuts, all wrapped, vacuum sealed, and frozen. The only bones were the shanks, soup bones and ribs. No others. There was no porterhouse with a bone, instead it was cut and packaged separately as the New York and the fillet. I think it was about 350 lbs in total, with about a third being ground beef. Took up almost exactly a top freezer space. I'm very happy with the cuts, quality and taste, although you really do need to learn how to cook grass fed beef differently than corn fed. They also sell into farmer's markets in the bay area. They are good people! If you want to find others to go in with on locally grown, humanely and sustainably raised beef and other products join this: http://bamcsa.ning.com Culinary Hatchet www.culinaryhatchet.com http://culinaryhatchet.ning.com http://twitter.com/CulinaryHatchet

Wonderful place to visit! The Alpacas are so adorable and the other animals are just as cute and…read moresweet. The lady showing us around was very kind and very informative. So glad we stopped in

Fun experience for the whole family. Rach tours available…read moreby calling. Beautiful, hand crafted, local art; needle felted creatures, pet portraits, hand and machine spun and dyed yarn, rovings, and batting, all made from alpaca fiber, hats and socks to keep you warm in the coldest weather. Creative hand drawn cards for all occassions, inspired by the creatures out here. Unique wire wrapped gemstone jewelry. Alpacas, mini horses, donkeys, dogs ,cats, a mini mule and a big old mini pig named Merle. So call or visit the website to come out and meet Merle and the rest of the crew. Guaranteed a wonderful experience! 530)859-1994

It is not easy to get across just how wonderful Marble Mountain Ranch is. We were anxious about how…read morethe week would go for our family of 4 with two teenagers, but this dissipated within seconds of arrival. There is a depth and breadth of expertise and care in how it is run that makes this a very special experience. The horses are loved, well-trained and contented, the staff are all adorable, the food glorious. We were fully occupied from morning until night, coasting from one unforgettable and enriching experience to the next. The ranch itself is stunning, and set in a spectacular landscape. Each activity was of the highest quality and it felt enormously luxurious to be in such capable hands throughout. It was a stretch for us financially but absolutely some of the best money we have ever spent

From the charmingly appointed rustic cabins to the farm to table exceptional homemade meals and…read moredeserts, this ranch exceeded any expectations I might have had. All the activities are scheduled so carefully that I was able to participate in everything I wanted to do. Their horses are very well cared for, well behaved and trained. No swaybacked trail nags here! The up to date whitewater rafts and staff were all very knowledgeable and safety oriented. We had some GREAT rapids rides!! The shooting involved expert SAFE instruction and a revolving set of varied experiences with different weapons. The children in attendance had the time of their lives as did this 74 year old horsewoman! The ranch is self sufficient ( off the grid) and well off the beaten path. A real community developed amongst the guests under the guidance and warm personalities of Heidi and Doug. The 30 plus years of love and devotion to the upkeep of the natural beauty of their ranch showed in the gardens and plantings of flowers and trees in abundance. Even the gaggle of teenaged sisters spent less time in the lodge (the only WiFi) than one would have imagined! A fun and deeply relaxing time in nature was had by all. I will definitely be back again! Happy Trails!

Amazing food, amazing service! Get a reservation if you can but if not, they are fantastic at…read morefitting you in. The burgers are delish and salads are soooo good. You can't lose eating here. The Shasta Spritzer was a tasty cocktail made with their own distilled gin and if you are going for non-alcoholic, the Ruby Spritz was yummy as well. This would be my go to place if I didn't live 4 hours away! The staff are so friendly and accommodating as well. This is a win win spot! There's also a cool back room with the old vault where you can buy merch. This place has great ambiance that is old west cool with casual elegance. Eat here!!!

We come here all the time and sometimes the experience is great but lately the experience has been…read moremore like last night. The staff was welcoming and friendly but we were seated and forgotten about for 10+ minutes and then it took another 10 minutes to get our beer & wine. We were one of three tables; there were plenty of staff. I had to get up to request condiments and later flag the waitress down for another drink. The food was thrown together with very little care & my burger was missing all the toppings described on the menu and our sides were mixed up. All this with the "Manager" right there, strolling around casually chatting with her staff. Very Disappointing!

My girls had the MOST amazing horseback riding experience of their lives today thanks to Rockin…read moreMaddy Ranch! I highly recommend it.

Laura, Scott and her staff were absolutely amazing to us from the moment we arrived til the moment…read morewe left. I felt at home, at ease and had the best time while we were visiting the area. We will be coming back for sure!!! The property is very clean, horses are very calm and taken care of. Our group consisted of 4- all beginners (ages 9 and 15), our guide was very patient, knowledgeable of the area and was an amazing leader! We couldn't be more happy and pleased with our experience! Thank you for everything! Kim & family

This lovely family owned farm is a gem! Try the chile relleno turnover, and thank me later!…read moreDelicious baked goods, and wonderful homemade jams are all available with quick walk up service. Gorgeous property! Great place to grab a treat, and enjoy the beautiful Oregon countryside.

This is one of the best bakeries around. Homemade fresh pies both sweet and savory, jams, jellies,…read morehoney, cookies and other delectables. We went twice in a week. Initial visit we got some jams, hot cocoa mix and cookies. Both the molasses cookies and the Butterscotch are wonderful. On the second visit, picked up more molasses cookies as well as a mini berry pie and a berry turnover. The owners are just wonderful, very kind people and remember faces and names of regulars and non regulars. They've got some of the sweetest little dogs running around the farm.

We discovered Applinger Farm through Lisa's generous donation to the her High School Alumni Group's…read morefundraiser auction of a stay in the Orchard Suite. Go Hornets! This weekend escape was just what was needed! The fun things that Ashland and the surrounding area offers was topped off with everything that her private retreat brings... a beautiful country setting, a quiet comfy room that feels like a home, special goodies that fill out the coffee bar, a spa for ultimate relaxing AND ice cream! Another trip is definitely in our future!! AMAZING!

I stayed twice during a round trip, Aug 9-10 and 14-15 2023, and had stayed there previously in…read more10/2021. I thoroughly enjoyed myself on all occasions: Applinger is a magic place right off I-5 with beautiful scenery, tranquil setting, and of course Bubba the horse (for whom they gave me carrots to share w/him both ways). The Orchard Suite is beautiful and comfortable, and Lisa does all that she can to make it memorable. I really don't even have any little complaints, except that I can't just check out of my busy life and stay there. Can heartily recommend and will certainly return myself - can't wait.

Lovely home with vintage and antiquities galore. It's whimsical but more than that too. The family…read morethat runs it is warm, friendly and generous. We felt embraced without feeling examined. The room was large and well appointed. The towels were plush. The view of the mountain was exquisite. Breakfast in the morning was a cherry on top. The location was perfect. We enjoyed lake siskiyou and hikes at mccloud. Thank you for a great weekend

Everything! Gorgeous setting. View from the porch of Shasta is breathtaking! Each room is…read moreexquisitely furnished in antiques and the bed was the most comfortable ever. Large game room and guest kitchen for an evening glass wine. The breakfast,which we take on the porch, is gourmet. David and Chris are so accommodating and kind. This is our fifth stay and not our last!

What a wonderful surprise to find this place! Tucked away in Phoenix Oregon is this cheese shop. So…read morecute and unassuming. The cheese monger knows her cheese! Very helpful in choosing cheese, butter, and other additions for an amazing cheese plate. In the same space is a coffee and pastry shop that specializes in vegan items. Do not pass up this shop. Perfect for pairing with the gorgeous wines of Rogue Valley.

If you are a lover of cheese this is a must stop. The owner is a lovely lady from France that is…read moreabsolutely passionate about cheese. I purchased some Swiss double cream Brie, Cotswold, salted French butter and a few other items that were extraordinary. This is a small local shop. There is a coffee house in the building as well. I highly recommend visiting this local business.