KOOKOOLAN FARMS - 15713 HWY 47 - YAMHILL, OR  97148 - (503) 730.7535 - kookoolan@gmail.com

Our farm's name Kookoolan comes from my husband Koorosh's childhood nickname given to him by his father.  However, an obscure hero of Celtic literature is the character Cuchulain, pronounced "koo-cullen," who was a big mead drinker.  The name Kookoolan World Meadery emphasizes the diversity of styles we intend to present, but still anchors the meadery to the farm. 

"Farms" is plural for two reasons:  the first emphasizes our product diversity.  We are a collection of small enterprises:  a chicken farm, a dairy farm, a vegetable farm, an orchard, a cheesemaking supply shop, and more.  The second reason emphasizes our relationships with neighbors:  the Kookoolan brand has evolved into a co-op of tiny hobby scale farms, each contributing to our product offering.  Lambs are raised on Lester Sitton's farm.  Pigs are raised on Mark Payne's farm.  Beef steers are raised on Wade Bernards' farm.  Turkeys are raised by Jack Fitzgerald.  Ducks and some of our meat chickens are raised by Cathy and Harry Hutchinson.  Chickens for eggs and chickens for meat are raised by Chrissie and Koorosh.  100% of our raw dairy Jersey cows are raised and milked on Chrissie's and Koorosh's property. 

And finally, "Kookoolan Farms" is a full sentence with a subject and an action verb.  Kookoolan is Koorosh's nickname, and since childhood he has wanted to be a farmer and have a little farm.  These days if anyone from his childhood were to ask what Koorosh does for a living, the sentence to answer the question would be "Kookoolan farms!"

We are a small, diversified family farm located in the Carlton-Yamhill American Winegrowing Region in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range.  Our maritime climate provides mild temperatures summer and winter, and plentiful rainfall for our mixed-grass pastures.  We maintain an integrated diversity of livestock on our own farm:  Jersey cows for milk, and heirloom chickens for both meat and eggs.  Because our farm is so small -- only five acres, and 1.5 acres of that is unusable virgin woodlot -- Kookoolan Farms has evolved into an informal cooperative of small family farms.

-- With local Yamhill farmer Scott Bernards and his son Wade Bernards, we raise fifteen beef steers per year.

-- With local fourth-generation farmer Mark Payne, we offer about 50 free-ranged pigs, raised WITHOUT farrowing crates or wire floor.

-- With Harry and Cathy Hutchinson, we will continue to bring Cornish Cross chickens to the Hillsdale Farmer's Market once a month in 2009 and 2010.
Harry and Cathy Hutchinson

-- With our neighbor Sal Eramo immediately across Highway 47, we raise about 20 to 25 lambs per year.

-- From three local 4-H families, we occasionally buy small number of live rabbits for butchering here on our farm in our licensed poultry and rabbit processing facility.

-- With Jack Fitzgerald of Molalla, we offer Bourbon Red heritage breed turkeys once a year.

This specialization allows each family to raise very small numbers of the livestock they love and know best, without overwhelming the land or the family on any one farm.  Our partnerships allow you to buy all your meats from just one farm, but also allows you to support many small family farms with your food dollars.