MN Agriculture: E2's Emu Ranch, It's More Than Just The Oil

MN Agriculture: E2's Emu Ranch, It's More Than Just The Oil Day 19 of my 30 Days of Ag "All Things Minnesota Agriculture" is Eric and Beth Engstrom of E2's Emu Ranch located in Shafer, MN. My goal for this blogging series was to highlight Minnesota's agricultural diversity. And who thinks about Emus as part of Minnesota's agriculture? I surely hadn't. Beth is professionally a Registered Respiratory Therapist working full time in a hospital setting, but they started their Emu Ranch in 1994. They bought 4 four-month old emu chicks to begin their breeding flock. They chose the farming life to help offset the costs of raising two kids and future college expenses. A Few Fun Facts About Emus: It is believed that the emu is a survivor of prehistoric times and dates back some 80 million years roaming the outback of Australia. Emus are curious and docile. They are about 10 inches tall at birth, with black and white stripes. As 3-month-old chicks, they turn nearly solid black, changing into a tan, brown, and black mixture as adults, some with a bluish neck. The feathers are downy, with no stiff vein running through the center. The mature emu is 5 to 6 feet tall and normally weighs 90 to 120 pounds. They are flightless and strong runners, reaching ground speeds of up to 40 miles per hour in short bursts and covering about nine feet in stride. Emus adapt well to temperature extremes from in excess of 100 degrees to below zero. No diseases have yet been diagnosed as common to the species. They can exist on a simple diet and require much water, drinking 2 to 4 gallons daily. They also will play in water or mud. (Thank you to Emu Fun Facts) There are many benefits to emu oil. Social Media Sites and Contact Info: 1 / 5

Facebook: E2's Emu Ranch Website: E2semuranch.com. Phone Number: 651-257-6664 Why did you decide to raise Emus? "We decided on raising Emus because of the diverse marketability and the uniqueness of the animal. They are friendly and social so we didn't have to worry about our small children being around the birds. We incubate the eggs as emu lay during the winter months. The emu lays a beautiful green/turquoise colored egg. It is always so exciting to get the first egg of the season and even better when the first chicks hatch." What kind of meat does Emus provide? "The birds provide us with an incredible red meat that is our substitute for beef. The meat is actually a by-product because the main marketing product is the emu oil (which is medically substantiated) which is derived from the fat of the bird. It is a transdermal that regenerates and promote the healing of skin, and has been extremely beneficial for burn patients. We belong to a cooperative in Oklahoma that processes and finishes the oil and oil products for us. We also have the leather tanned and the feathers are marketable too." 2 / 5

How diversified is your farm? "After ten years we decided to diversify the farm. We were already raising chickens for meat and eggs as well as turkeys. I have large gardens for produce and a variety of fruits and orchard trees. Again we were looking for a more non-traditional animal so we bought 2 alpaca. Soon after we added two sheep. Working with the fiber intrigued me, so after we sheered the animals for the first time I looked at all that fiber and said, "now what?" I talked to some fiber people and they directed me to a nice woolen mill that prepare the fiber and my husband bought me spinning wheel for my birthday. After about a year of trial and error my spinning was finally to the point where I could sell then yarn. A few years later we bought 3 more alpaca and 2 more sheep. I also learned how to felt slippers and mittens. I recently bought a circular sock knitter and soon I hope to have finished socks for sale. No matter what new products we develop, the Emu oil and oil products will always be the main focus of our farm." Who are you customers? "Most of our marketing is kept local. We have a booth at the Lindstrom farmers market and we attend many of the local holiday craft fairs. We also participate in Shepards Harvest in Lake Elmo and Yarn Over in Hopkins. We provide tours of our farm by appointment, and we sell our products directly from the farm. I do have Facebook presence (E2's Emu Ranch) and our website is E2semuranch.com. We welcome mail order sales of our emu products, and all of our fiber products are custom orders made by hand." 3 / 5

Is there anything you would change about your farm? "If there was one thing that we could change about our farm it would be to upgrade and add onto the emu barns. We want bigger pens for the market birds and the breeder runs need upgrading too." What do you love about your farm? "We love the fact that we produce about 75% of our food right here on the farm. Our children have been raised with the best food that anyone could ask for. We love the farm to table philosophy and we take great pride selling our products and produce to our community. Our farm has been nick-named the "Happy Farm" by our neighbors because all of the animals are so friendly and fun to be around." What do you wish others knew about your farm? "I wish the the general population was less skeptical about our emu oil. My customers always come back to tell me how much they love the oil, but it takes a lot of effort to convince people to try it. Then the oil sells itself. " Do you have any favorite places in Minnesota you would like to share? "One of my favorite MN locations is in my own back yard, Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls MN. The hiking trails are and scenery are spectacular during all the seasons of the year. I also love Duluth and the North Shore especially Grand Marais. We love camping and being outdoors." 4 / 5