Historic and Charming 32 acer Ranch

This charming restored ranch is the family home of proprietors, and husband and wife team, Julie and Rusty Areias in the county they both were born and raised. Their love of the land comes from their grandparents. Julie’s grandparents were tomato and grape farmers and Rusty’s family were in the dairy business. In fact, Rusty’s grandparents use to buy eggs at the Bird Ranch when he was a child.

All good stories begin with a love story. And so it is with The Bird Ranch—the lovechild of Julie and Rusty when they purchased the property in 1997.

The ranch was in disrepair (see the before and after pictures under history) when they purchased and everyone said it was a teardown, but they saw the vision of what it could be once again. Over many years, they restored the ranch to its original state. Julie and Rusty loved the history of the ranch, the vintage style, and ultimately enjoy sharing their love with other people…in a place they call home—in the heart of Central California.

History of the Ranch:
The Fahey Family were one of the first families to settle along the San Luis Creek. Families that settled in along the creek were know as the The San Luis Colony. Henry Miller “the Cattle King of California” of Miller & Lux fame and known for developing much of the cattle and farming businesses in the San Joaquin Valley in the late 1800s and early 1900s frequented the San Luis Colony on horseback.

In early 1900’s, a Danish family named the Peterson’s purchased the property and built the existing buildings on the ranch. The Areias family are the third family to own the property since the 1800’s and in 1997 purchased the property. They slowly began the restoration of the dilapidated buildings to their authentic state including the original beams and the rustic wooden floors on the property.

The San Luis Reservoir was once occupied by Native Americans, including the Yokut and Matsun Tribes which settled along the San Luis Creek. When Gabriel Moraga and his troops came to scout potential mission sites in 1805, they brought with them the demise of the local native community. Come visit the historic authentic grinding stones found in the area that are on display. Along with 109 large cotton wood trees that canopied the riparian area just as it did over a century ago and now is home to one of Central California’s largest Blue Heron Rookery.

Largest Blue Herron Rookery in Central California- Bird watching