Sunflower Heritage Farm in Japton, Ark., is located on 120 acres and home to a wide variety of mostly heritage animals. Patty Stith and her mother, Roberta, and brother, Kenny, began the heritage, conservation-conscious animal farm in 2012. One of their conservation methods includes refurbishing and using old and existing buildings whenever possible. Another is using their animals to clear land naturally by first allowing pasture hogs into unimproved areas to forage and then admitting goats for browsing. Patty said, “That simple process gives you a park.”
One of the highly prized heritage species on the farm is the Baylis Spanish Goat, a meat goat from Mississippi. According to Patty, goats were originally left by the Spaniards in the 1600s and roamed wild. In the early 20th century Bob Baylis trapped and bred the goats with other meat goats, developing his own breed and keeping a mostly closed herd. Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Bob died in the 1990s with only 50 of his 400 head herd remaining. Patty was able to obtain 18 of those 50 – two bucks and 16 does. The goats recently had kids, raising the species number from 50 to 70, significant progress in rescuing the species. One doe even had quadruplets. Baylis goats are hardy, naturally parasite resistant and suitable for hot, humid and rough terrain. Patty said, “They need little care and breed year-round. All we really need to do is deworm them occasionally and trim their hooves, but I like to confine them when they’re having babies for my own peace of mind.” Kevin, Patty’s husband, laughed and said, “That’s all on her. The goats don’t seem to care.” The farm now sells Baylis kids, mainly for breeding purposes.
Another heritage animal of probable Spanish descent is the Ozarks Mulefoot hog, one of the rarest and most endangered hog species with only 200 purebred animals remaining in 2006 according to the Livestock Conservancy. These black hogs have a distinctive solid, non-cloven hoof which looks like a mule hoof and gives the breed its name. While other breeds may have an occasional solid hoofed animal due to a gene mutation, the Mulefoot breed is true to the trait. It is a hardy pasture hog with the sows known for being calm and excellent mothers. The breed is making a comeback and prized for fattening ease and high-quality meat, although the breed is also slow growing. On Sunflower Heritage Farm the hogs mostly forage and help clear land but receive corn and sow pellet supplements as well.
The farm raises Katahdin sheep even though they are not a heritage animal. At this point the Stiths only have nine animals because needed pasture space is still under the development process used on the farm. Katahdins are easy to care for with twins being common. Katahdin lambs are sold on the hoof.
An important source of income for the farm is the sale of eggs. Though they have many breeds, all eggs sold are from Buff Orpington chickens. The flock lays six dozen eggs a day and sell out the same day. Even though the Stiths will occasionally sell chicks, all other breeds are still in the building stage with no eggs being marketed at this time. Three breeds, the Standard White Leghorn, Red Sex Link and the Black Australorp, are known for prodigious egg production. Other breeds include the very rare Blue Sumatra and the Cuckoo Maran, which lays rich, chocolate colored eggs and produces good table meat. Their Cherry Eggers and Ameraucana produce highly desirable colored eggs. When more than the Buff Orpington fertilized eggs for chicks are sold, a price structure will be developed for the different species depending on the breed and rarity. The farm also has Golden Laced Sebright chickens, beautiful but small tawny and brown ornamental chickens, which the Stiths use for parasite control in grazing areas.
Additionally the farm raises rabbits specializing in Giant Chinchilla and Silver Fox whose litters consistently sell out.
Time is a critical factor requiring that breeding, feeding and caring has to be scheduled and staggered. Guarding such a diverse accumulation of animals is also not a simple process. The farm now relies on two dogs that roam all night and sleep most of the day and a mammoth donkey that has completely bonded to the different species.
Patty said, “We’re just getting started but enjoy the process tremendously. A demand exists for our products and we look forward to a bright future.” Most sales take place from Craigslist listings but being on the member lists of numerous species specific organizations is another important marketing tool as is selling chicks at the Huntsville Farmers Market.
