14,750 Acres in Santa Margarita, CA - $43,000,000
La Panza Ranch
OVERVIEW: The expansive, 14,750-acre La Panza Ranch with historical significance is a superb, diverse holding east of Santa Margarita on State Highway 58. Encompassing lush valleys and rolling hills with plentiful wildlife, picturesque views abound in every direction. Water is abundant with over 50 wells, 3 reservoirs, 6 springs, and numerous creeks. A turn-key operation comprised of 51 certificated parcels under Williamson Act Contract, La Panza Ranch produces a variety of crops101 acres of grapes, 200 acres of oat hay, 135 acres alfalfa, 300 acres forage hay, and 280 acres olive trees.
The complex improvements include an elegant, 5,500 square foot hacienda-style main home, guest cottage, bunk house, putting green, helicopter pad, 100 miles of ranch roads, horse barns, hay barns, equipment sheds, extensive fencing, and state of the art olive mill complete with nearby office and ranch ...
The complex improvements include an elegant, 5,500 square foot hacienda-style main home, guest cottage, bunk house, putting green, helicopter pad, 100 miles of ranch roads, horse barns, hay barns, equipment sheds, extensive fencing, and state of the art olive mill complete with nearby office and ranch managers home. Further, La Panza Ranch currently runs 230 head of cow/calf pairs and offers all necessary infrastructure for a cattle operation including a lease on the adjoining 3,000 acre BLM land.
HISTORY: The La Panza Ranch history is rich and fascinating. The Ranch is well known for being owned in the 1860s by Drury James, uncle of the infamous outlaws Jesse & Frank James. The brothers visited and worked on the Ranch in 1868 when Jesse was recovering from bullet wounds inflicted during a bank robbery. He came to bathe in the sulfur springs at Uncle Drurys Hot Springs Hotel in nearby Paso Robles. Drury James is also credited as one of the three founders of Paso Robles. The brothers stay was without incident and they left a year later. The great California bandido, Tibercio Vasquez also holed up frequently near the ranch before he was hung in 1875 for killing three innocent bystanders during a holdup. Today, La Panza Ranch produces award winning olive oil under the Outlaw brand. The Ranch was also involved in the La Panza Gold Rush of 1877. Miners successfully worked along San Juan creek below a 20-foot waterfall in Haystruck Canyon on the ranch. La Panza is quiet now but was once one of the most heavily traveled stagecoach roads between the Coast and the San Joaquin Valley.
WILDLIFE: La Panza- means the paunch, which was a portion of slaughtered beef the vaqueros used as bait to trap or poison the California Grizzly bear, common to the area back then. Today the area has prolific wildlife including the black bear, mountain lion, Tule Elk, deer, wild pigs, bobcat, coyote, turkey, golden eagle, hawks, quail, and dove.
DEVELOPMENT/CONSERVATION POTENTIAL: The ranch has 51 certified legal parcels offering options for development, family/friend compound or a conservation easement; which could provide significant tax saving benefits.
ACREAGE, ZONING & TAXES: La Panza Ranch spans 14,750 acres zoned Agriculture, comprised of 42 Assessors Parcel Numbers and 51 Certificated parcels. La Panza Ranch is under Williamson Act Contract. Also known as the Ag Preserve, the Williamson Act Contract generally limits the land usage to agriculture or related open space uses in exchange for reduced property taxes. The 2017/2018 taxes were approximately $120,000. Further, La Panza Ranch holds a BLM grazing lease on an adjoining tract of 3,000 acres of BLM land.
Directions
Highway 58 East to Pozo Road; Turn Right. First entrance on right. Gate will be locked.
