Acerg Quail Farm in Los Osos is a hidden backyard gem that supplies eggs and meat on demand 

Palisades Avenue looks like most other suburban neighborhoods in San Luis Obispo County's Baywood-Los Osos area. A quiet street flanked by single-family homes, with the bird chirps and car zooms occasionally punctuating the silence.

But a white signboard at the entrance of the road blares something curious in blue lettering: "Chicken, Quail, Duck Eggs."

Following that sign will bring you to 2250 Palisades Ave. and its owner Steve Lenoir, who'll lead you to his backyard that's like no other—at least, on this cul-de-sac. A third of an acre, Lenoir's yard is a quail, duck, and chicken farm that churns out eggs and meat for the Acerg Quail Farm.

"It's an acronym of [the names] of all the kids I took in. Adrian, Cerina, Esmeralda, Ricky, and Glenn," Lenoir said.

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• Photo By Jayson Mellom
• 'TENDER HEART' An animal lover, Acerg Quail Farm manager Jeff said he grows attached to the birds and tames them while being involved in their growth process.

Ages 8 to 18, the five kids are family members who started living with Lenoir a few years ago. They used to collect eggs, clean the coops, and feed and water the birds until they naturally got interested in other extracurricular activities. Now, Lenoir and his relative Jeff manage the property and handle the business.

"In December 2019, I moved up this way, and Steve had a few quails already," said Jeff, who declined to give his last name. "I thought it was really neat. We decided to get an incubator and start making our own birds."

Which came first, the quail or the egg? For Acerg, it was the latter, and straight from the internet, too.

"I ordered them on Amazon. They sold me 50 hatching eggs; we got about 20 and kept building up from there," Lenoir said. "The quail are quick growers. Six weeks, they're fully grown," Lenoir said.

A retired California Men's Colony maintenance supervisor, Lenoir started Acerg to welcome a new chapter in his life.

"I worked there 20 years, and I couldn't take it anymore. That place changes you," he said.

His backyard is eclectic. There's a small fenced enclosure with chickens and ducks that came from Farm Supply. A nearby shed houses a five-story quail coop lined with gutters for feed. Tiny quail eggs roll down to wired trays where some wait to be incubated for 16 to 25 days, and others are packaged and refrigerated by the dozen. Each pack of quail eggs costs $4.

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• Photo By Jayson Mellom
• SALTY KICK Acerg pickles and cans some of its quail eggs in a spicy Cajun-style brine that's available for purchase.

Beside the coop, a bench holds an incubator and a large steel tub canopied with a heating lamp emitting an orange glow. There's movement inside the tub—it holds a dozen newly hatched quail chicks that need the warmth before they're transferred to the coop with the adult birds.

Acerg's quails are the Coturnix variety, meaning they're for eggs and meat. For $10 a bird, Lenoir will slaughter, clean, and dress the quails for customers. If people want them alive or want to pluck the slaughtered bird themselves, Acerg charges $5 per quail. Lenoir said that visitors usually buy the quails in sets of five given their small size.

"We haven't slaughtered the ducks or chickens yet, but we're getting ready to do that for the ducks because none of them are laying," Lenoir said.

But not everyone at Acerg is on board with the butchering. Lenoir said that Jeff has a "tender heart" and chooses to stay away from the process.

"I'm not really hip on the butchering part of it," Jeff said. "Once they're butchered and ready to be cleaned, then I can walk into it because I, unfortunately, do name some of them and I grow really attached to them."

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• Photo By Jayson Mellom
• READY TO CRACK At $4 a dozen, quail eggs peel easily once boiled and make the perfect ramen topping.

However, Acerg sells more eggs than meat, and preparations for quail eggs vary. Lenoir and Jeff pickle and can some of them for sale. They're suspended in a spicy Cajun-style brine that's packed with Old Bay seasoning. These pickled eggs are a salty delicacy and can be ordered in advance.

My favorite way to prepare quail eggs is to boil some for three to five minutes, and top my ramen with them (de-shelled, of course). They're a quick and delicious way to upgrade a cheap last-minute meal. Feeling particularly fancy? Add furikake seasoning and scallions to your quail egg-garnished noodles.

Unlike chicken eggs, quail eggs have a firmer membrane under the shell, so they're harder to crack. Lenoir said they're higher in protein and fat than chicken eggs, though more quail eggs have to be eaten to gain significant benefits.

"They're good for your eyes. If you're allergic to chicken eggs, you can eat a quail egg," he said.

Acerg Quail Farm is registered with the state as an egg handler. That registration cost $75 at the start, and Lenoir pays $50 each year to retain it. But with inflation causing a surge in bird feed prices and inconsistencies in sales, Lenoir wishes he could make a steady income from the farm. Currently, their sole advertising strategy is the two signboards that beckon passersby to Palisades Avenue.

During a good week, they sell 25 dozen eggs. Families come in and buy quails to start their own brood of birds in their backyards. Tourists from Fresno and Los Angeles stop at Acerg on their way to Montaña de Oro. Some Palisades Avenue residents are regular customers.

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• Photo By Jayson Mellom
• DUAL PURPOSE Acerg houses roughly 120 Coturnix quails, which are prized for both their eggs and meat.

"Sometimes you can't keep the doors closed and other times, nothing," Lenoir said.

Now, Lenoir and Jeff are planning to reach out to restaurants and cafes across SLO County with hopes of being their quail egg and meat supplier. Until then, the duo continues to enjoy welcoming visitors into the backyard.

"We get a lot of people to come in the back here," Jeff said with a smile. "I just really enjoy seeing their faces and have them try quail eggs for the first time." Δ

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal hopes to stumble upon more backyard farms. Guide her at [email protected].