Rancho de la Questa &
Questa Farms

Welcome to Rancho de la Questa!

Situated on forty acres adjacent to the Cleveland National Forest and "Big" Black Mountain, the Ranch is a peaceful and quiet oasis set among Pacific Live and Engelmann Oak trees. While seemingly far from the congestion and hassle of the city, we are an hour and a half, or less, from anywhere in San Diego county. We are also an easy getaway for those living in Orange or Los Angeles counties.

HiveMedia_25208_Black_Canyon_Rd_&_Barn-20[1]_edited.jpg

Rancho del la Questa Overlooking
Black Canyon

Rancho de la Questa is located at an altitude of 3,200 feet in historic Mesa Grande in the back country of San Diego County, California. This unique and little known area has been a cattle ranching community for over 150 years and is the ancestral home of the Mesa Grande and Santa Ysabel tribes. Night skies here are dark and clear and at evening rush hour we slow for flocks of wild turkeys and cattle in the roadway.

Old Mesa Grande Store and Barn

Questa Farms is the working, sustainable farm at Rancho de la Questa.

We strive to create a delightful eco-agricultural experience and operate primarily on solar power and heat from our wood burning stove. We depend exclusively on precious well water and reduce, reuse or recycle trash and garbage as much as possible. We generate most of our organic fertilizers on site, utilizing stall manure and bedding, hugelkultur, cover cropping, vermiculture and heavy mulch applications. Maintenance of native grasses, cover cropping and terracing are employed to minimize erosion and runoff.

Our small vineyard and young orchards of over 100 fruit trees and berry bushes produce wine and table grapes, apples, pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, mulberries, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. Our flock of hens and our large fenced garden supply eggs and produce for our family and the local farmers' market. A small herd of Katahdin sheep and Golden Guernsey goats are raised for milk and meat and a rabbitry is currently in development.

At Questa Farms, we provide sanctuary for rescued city bees which pollinate our fruit trees and supply us with honey in the early summer months. We use no toxic chemicals, provide access to summer water and maintain native and introduced food sources to help sustain these valuable members of our team. In addition, we respect wildlife corridors and preserve native vegetation and water sources throughout the ranch and stable/kennel our livestock, poultry and dogs at night to promote and facilitate the health and movement of resident foxes, bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, skunks and other denizens of of this majestic place.

A stay at Questa Farms enables easy visits to the apple orchards, old mines, museums and quaint village of Julian, the restaurants and antique shops of Ramona, the wineries of Warner Springs and Temecula, the Pacific Coast Trail through the San Felipe Valley and Ranchita, bird watching and wild life spotting in the Anza Borrego Desert, the telescopes and State Park on Palomar Mountain, the off road trails of Corral Mountain and the fishing and boating at Lakes Henshaw and Cuyamaca. Closer still are the historic Santa Ysabel Mission Assistencia, founded in 1818, the large Santa Ysabel Land Preserves (West and East) and Volcan Mountain which offer extensive hiking and horseback riding trails.

We enjoy all four seasons on The Ranch and each season brings unique challenges and rewards.

With the arrival of Spring, activity increases at Questa Farms. Daytime temperatures begin to warm and rains can continue into May. Pastures are green with native grasses and abundant wild flowers brighten the landscape. We are hard at work planting spring crops of vegetables and the fruit trees begin to bud. While temperatures can still be cool, particularly early in the spring, migrant birds and butterflies begin to make their appearance and the lambs and kids come into the world.

Resized_20220925_173509_1719972253188_ed

As summer approaches, the temperatures begin to rise, the rains taper off and the gardens and orchards are growing fast. Average daytime summer highs usually range from the mid 80's to mid 90's, cooling at night, but the mercury can top 100 degrees for a few days in some summers. The pastures go dormant and the animals seek shade during the midday hours. Harvesting and outdoor work is done in the cooler morning and late afternoon hours

When fall arrives in late September, we are grateful for the relief from the heat. Summer crops of tomatoes, peppers and squashes taper off and we continue to harvest the brassicas and other late season crops. In October or November we get our first rains and the native and annual grass for forage for the sheep and goats begins to grow. In a good year, we will have free range forage for the livestock from December until July.

In winter, things slow down. The chickens, gardens and orchards stop producing, the bees go into hibernation and our local farmers' market closes for the season. Daytime temperatures range from the 40s to the 60's with occasional spells of warmer weather. Nighttime temperatures are generally in the 40's but can drop into the 20s and 30's. We average 20-25 inches of rain during our rainy season which begins in October, and we may get an inch or two of snow which quickly melts. We use this time to prepare for the arrival of the spring lambs, kids and chicks, cleaning stalls and runs and reinforcing pasture fences. We work on the rainwater catchment and trenches to retain as much water on the property as possible. New bareroot trees and shrubs are planted and old hay and manure is spread in the orchards and gardens. We're readyfor Spring.

HiveMedia_25208_Black_Canyon_Rd_&_Barn-18[1]_edited_edited.jpg

It has been said that, "time spent in solitude is the price of greatness". It feeds body, mind, and soul, reduces stress and helps to calm restless minds. It can increase creativity, self exploration and awareness, reflection, and autonomy. Solitude can be found at Rancho de la Questa.

Come and create for yourself an experience of a lifetime.