Pequena Colina/The Preservation
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.
