With a rich history going back to the days when ranching was more popular in the reagion, the Pequena Colina is an old ranch southwest of Prospect. With years of drought off and on in the region, the prior owners couldn't keep up with the business or bigger ranches. The Ranch has fallen into the hands of the Torreyana Trust, a group dedicated to the preservation of the Torrey Pine. Not the pines limited natural habitat north of Prospect, it can grow hearty out here, continuing to preserve seeds. This allows researchers of the Trust to focus agriculture studies here on hearty specimens now growing on the property to hopefully assist with a rebound of the Torrey Pine.
RP Hooks
Tourist Attraction
The Ranch operates as an historical and varietal preserve. Aimed at preserving the Torrey Pine in part as well as Southern California's history in citrus agriculture. While the information is contained at the Visitors Center in a museum, there are several acres off the main compound for hiking in the natural terrain of Southern California as well as a Tractor Trailer Ride through that country to showcase the trees they are growing in preservation as well as their unique varietals and heirloom orange orchard.
Torreyana Trust
The Torreyana Trust works mostly with the protection and preservation of indigenous plant life of Southern California with a focus on the Torrey Pine. If one is charitable and likes to offer work or, more so, direction by joining the board even, there is availability to contribute to this work.
Pine Arbor Corp
When cared for, the Torrey Pine is robust and produces seed and sapling alike. Along with a few other natural specimens. The excess of these have been used as a private sector entity with a special focus on landscaping and gardening for the well to do of Prospect and surrounding areas. With a wealth of knowledgeable staff that includes renowned experts in the care of these species available to help with home landscape and gardening needs, this start up landscape service is growing rapidly.
Enjoy Working Outdoors
Plenty of job opportunity either way. From Ranch Hand work, helping with the horses, the gardens, the kitchen, maintenance, coordinating events, information desk, the stewardship of the land and trees, the orchards, the various stores and attractions. If its not there, but would work well with a historical preservation type attraction, we can make it work.
OOC Note
The full intention for the main operator of the Ranch, Joseph, is completely plot driven fun in the vein of any modern drama. There will be plots to be had, and fun all around, which will in no way affect any meta or grid type plots. Honestly just a little mortal fun for something to do. Feel free to contact with interest and inquiries.
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| The main compound of the Ranch serves as an information and advocacy center focused on the preservation of indigenous plants and trees, mostly the Torrey Pine, as well as a preservation for Orange varietals not often seen in super markets as tribute to the citrus plantations of old in the region as well. The main ranch house serves as an agricultural museum, focused on the history of agriculture in Southern California with images and old farm implements for view by visitors to the Ranch. From this compound, one may purchase tour admission for a tractor trailer ride that moves through 10 or so acres of land to talk about the work, the heirloom trees on the preserve, shows the Torrey Pines on the ranch as well as the greenhouses being used to cultivate endangered species of plants. It completes with an offer to take a Torrey Pine home, with the warning of space and water requirements to grow one.
The land reserves some 20 acres all told for preservation of native trees and plants, with a focus on those quickly becoming endangered either through over agricultural use of the lands or other environmental dangers such as climate change. Another 20 acres serve to preserve various heirloom orange trees in the orchards on the Ranch, including a number of rare heirloom plants from Sicily that show true variety in the orange such as near purple blood oranges. Of the remaining acres, they have been left in their natural state from the time it was a Ranch and serves as trails for Horse Camping as part of the attraction. This is complete with glamping style tents near the far ends the preserve and orchards, beyond the trails used by the tractors.
While the main house of the Ranch serves as a museum, there is a nearby semi-modern red barn that has been restored and serves as an orchard like eatery. Inside is offered all many of rustic wares and goods for sale, including T-Shirts and flannels and John Deere style hats with the Pequena Colina emblem on them. More so, orange and local citrus preserves are sold off the shelf along side take home bakery items such as orange glazed bundt cakes and orange marmalade cinnamon rolls. Near the small recesses of the barn is a kitchen that serves samplings alongside lunch foods such as hamburgers and hot dogs. The kitchen does offer seasonal meats, such as orange glazed turkey legs near November, orange glazed ham for the holidays, orange glazed halibut and salmon come spring, and everyone's favorite, orange chicken with rice throughout the summer.
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| Pequena Colina, the Venue.
Between the ranch house and side wing that was formerly rooms for ranch hands is an extravagant courtyard and fountain, complete with local varietal gardens perfect for the chaparral biome of the region. It may be rented for events and Southern California rustic style weddings are popular; specially coupled with the horse trails and horse camping.
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| Location:
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Near Lemon Grove, Southeast of Prospect
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| Age
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Over a Century and a Half it has been a ranch
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| Heritage:
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Surprisingly, the name is Portuguese in origin, unlike the typical Spanish settlers that arrived first.
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| Utilization:
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Historic Preserve, Tourist Attraction, Rustic Venue
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| =The Old Barn=
Converted into an orchard style store front that sales pies, preserves, jams, and sweets with orange marmalade and glazes, the store venture includes rustic ware such as iron utensils, pots and pans as well as kitchen ware from aprons that include some with jokes about oranges, along with towels, oven mitts, and virtually any sort of kitchen implement that could go towards baking with a twist of the overall orange theme of the varietal preservation work on the Ranch itself.
A side wing of the Ranch, perhaps at one point stables, under a low lying roof, there is a kitchen serving up burgers and dogs along with a few orange themed concoctions.
Main
Burger - $3.00
Double Burger - $5.00
Dog - $2.50
Chili for burger or dog - $1.00
Chili Bowl - $4.00
Sides
Classic Fries - $1.50
Spicy Orange Fries - $2.00
Onion Rings - $2.00
Orange Glaze Baked Potato - $3.00
Drinks
Orange Slushie - $2.00
Soda (Orange Crush tops the list) - $1.50
Water (Bottled) - $2.50
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| There are 15 to 20 acres set aside for horse trails and camping. The camps are secluded and luxurious in a glamping style fashion. The old cattle trails to move between pastures are preserved for the horses. Stables near the main compound includes space for personal trailers to be parked while visitors access the trails. Reservations for horse camping and the glamping house tents are available in the Visitors Center.
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