An East County ranch is home to more than 150 large birds and their oils just may hold the key to the fountain of youth. Larry Himmel investigates the amazing healing powers of emus.
In 1992, Willi Seeger purchased a parcel of property on the cusp of Spring Valley to raise emus.
"We are raising the birds here. We usually keep about 100 breeders," said Willi.
And along the way, Willi discovered oil:
"After a year and a half, two years a fat pack built up on their back and that fat is where the oil comes from."
It is oil that he and his customers around the world swear by.
"The healing process, the healing properties of this emu oil is phenomenal," Willi continued.
But the emu may have gotten a bad rap, because people confuse them with ostriches. And, emus are very friendly.
The curious emus spend their days pacing in their pens, growing up to 140 pounds and laying huge green eggs.
"The female will lay the eggs. The male will go sit on the eggs, and he'll sit there for 50 days," Willi explained.
At Rancho San Diego Emus, they use the entire bird.
"Hides make excellent boots, purses or belts or wallets. The meat is a red meat, less than three percent fat content and it tastes like a nice steak," said Willi.
But it's the seemingly magical properties of the emu oil that turns Willi Seger into a self-professed pitchman:
"I'm 67. I use it on my face, my arms, my hands daily. It softens the skin. It makes it more elastic. The oil is also excellent for sunburn."
And for those everyday aches and pains:
"We have the sports rub. It comes in a jar," Willi noted.
There are jell caps and sprays, creams and rubs, all part of the Rancho San Diego Emus line. In the hills of Spring Valley, on a rancho that is strictly for the birds, Willi Seeger has discovered oil and defied aging.
