Join Us for Stemple Creek & Big Bluff Ranch Chicken “Meet the Farmer” Events

Our vendor partners at Stemple Creek & Big Bluff Ranch are incredibly excited about what’s ahead, and grateful to have customers who care deeply about these things with them. We hope you will join us to learn more about their farming and breeding practices at these upcoming events:

Sunday, November 1^st:

• 9 AM -12 PM – Oliver’s Market Windsor
• 1-3 PM – Oliver’s Market Montecito
• 4-7 PM – Oliver’s Market Stony Point

Monday, November 2^nd:

• 10 AM -1 PM – Oliver’s Market Cotati

Note: All featured pricing in effect through November 3, 2026 at all Sonoma County Oliver’s Market locations.

Stemple Creek Ranch & Big Bluff Ranch: A Different Kind Of Chicken

>>Stemple Creek & Big Bluff Ranch Whole Chicken $8.99/Lb.

A few years ago, Stemple Creek Ranch partnered with Big Bluff Ranch to begin offering pasture-raised chicken alongside their grass-fed beef, lamb, and pork. At the time, they saw it as a natural extension of the kind of food system they believe in, one rooted in animal welfare, land stewardship, and exceptional flavor. But now the program is launching into something much bigger.

Together with Tyler Dawley and the team at Big Bluff Ranch located near Red Bluff, Loren Poncia and the team at Stemple Creek Ranch have been working to build a more thoughtful model for pasture-raised poultry in Northern California, one focused not only on product quality, but on regenerative farming systems, stronger regional supply chains, and meaningful producer partnerships.

Pasture Raised Chicken Farmed Responsibly

From the beginning, one thing became clear: Not all pasture-raised chicken is the same.

Over the last year, they have been working with a slower-growing chicken selected specifically for exceptional flavor, stronger pasture performance, and improved resilience in outdoor farming systems. These birds are fundamentally different from conventional commercial poultry genetics, which are bred almost exclusively for rapid growth and confinement production.

The result is a chicken with:

• Richer, more complex flavor
• Firmer texture and better mouthfeel
• More balanced fat distribution
• Superior performance in pasture-based systems
• A slower, more natural growth curve

The resulting eating quality has been “remarkable”. In many ways, they think about this chicken the same way they consider truly exceptional grass-fed beef, a product where genetics, environment, nutrition, and slower growth all meaningfully shape flavor and eating experience.

“Most consumers have experienced commodity versions of chicken for so long that they’ve forgotten how flavorful and distinctive it can actually be when genetics, nutrition, environment, and slower growth are all aligned,” Loren Poncia explains. “This program is built around restoring that quality.”

Built Around Regenerative Principles

The Big Bluff-Stemple Creek chicken program reflects many of the same principles that guide Stemple Creek Ranch:

• Certified Organic
• Certified Regenerative
• Managed pasture systems that contribute to soil health
• Slower-growing genetics selected for quality and resilience
• No corn or soy feed formulations
• Air-chilled processing for superior texture and flavor
• A focus on long-term stewardship of both animals and land
• Importantly, Big Bluff Ranch remains the ranch raising these birds. That transparency matters deeply.

As Stemple Creek continues growing and evolving, one thing will always remain core to their philosophy: customers deserve clarity around where their food comes from and who raised it.

“I am excited about this new collaboration with Stemple Creek and Big Bluff Ranch on their chickens,” said Hayley Daniels, Oliver’s Market Meat & Seafood Coordinator. “Growing up on a small family farm, one of my favorite chickens to raise was Naked Neck chicken. Tyler from Big Bluff Ranch has used this breed in a 4-way cross to make a unique breed that will be hardy enough to withstand the open elements and be truly free range. It’s not your typical meat bird that will gain weight fast — it is a slow growing chicken that gives you a more complex and fuller taste. Being able to talk with Tyler and the people at Stemple Creek Ranch about this chicken has been inspiring. These birds are a great product and  you can taste the difference. I truly hope you give the chicken a try. I have taken home a whole bird and cooked it in the air fryer. It turned out amazing! It was very flavorful and juicy, with just the right amount of crispy skin.”

Looking Ahead

This partnership reflects the Poncia Family’s broader vision of building a truly multi-species regenerative food system, one rooted in long-term producer partnerships, land stewardship, transparency, and exceptional eating quality across everything they produce.

As they continue to build out new products and programs, their goal is not simply to offer more options, but to help build a more resilient regional food system built around regenerative agriculture, thoughtful partnerships, and truly differentiated food. “Our goal is

food that tastes better, food that is raised better, and food that is connected to real farms, real people, and real stewardship,” Poncia explains.

Recipe Inspiration

The Stemple Creek & Big Bluff Ranch team has shared their own great recipe for this chicken, Stemple Creek Whole Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic. It’s a great place to start in learning how to fully enhance the distinctive characteristics of these birds.

We hope you will give Stemple Creek Ranch Chicken a try and taste the difference in both style and quality from this exciting new collaboration.