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Farm and ranch stays are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and gain a better understanding of where our food comes from. Agritourism is now present in nearly every county in California, according to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (USANR). Currently there are over 2,000 farms and ranches offering agritourism statewide. With nearly 900 thousand acres of crop- but mostly rangeland- San Benito County has a growing number of its own agritourism opportunities.
At the center of this movement in San Benito are four distinctive destinations: Paicines Ranch, Oils of Paicines, Morris Grassfed and Rancho Quien Sabe. Each is a unique case study of land stewardship and sustainability, and each gives visitors a chance to soak in the quiet and build a connection. Guests can sleep among the olive groves, tour regenerative vineyards, camp beneath star-filled skies, or wake to cattle moving through dew-damp pastures.
Paicines Ranch: regenerative agriculture in practice
Just 12 miles south of Hollister down Hwy 25, turn right at Cienega Road and there lies one of the most innovative agricultural properties in the county. Paicines Ranch spans thousands of acres of rangeland, vineyards and cropland.
Owners, Sallie Calhoun and Matt Christiano purchased the 7,500-acre property in 2000. Both came out of technical Silicon Valley careers—she as an engineer and operations executive in high-tech firms, he as a long-time software CEO and founder with multiple companies. Their shared tech background culminated in co-owning Globetrotter Software before selling it in 2000 and shifting their focus from tech to caring for the land through regenerative agriculture.
The property became a Mexican land grant called Rancho Cienega de los Paicines in 1842, according to venue manager Mary Rowan. It once served as a dairy and later as part of Mirassou Winery’s vineyard holdings before being consolidated into the modern ranch it is today. Rowan said Calhoun and Christiano’s philosophies center on improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and integrating livestock into land restoration practices.
The ranch comprises multiple enterprises, including a vineyard team that runs its 25-acre raised trellis vineyard; a livestock team that raises cattle, sheep, pigs, turkeys and chickens. The Overlook restaurant, which sources from local organic farms, is open for guests and on Thursdays open to the public. There is a learning center; a nightclub featuring a bar and live music with an arcade of 400 pinball machines. For overnight stays, Paicines Ranch offers cottages, full-kitchen guest houses, historic homes suitable for families and small groups. In addition, 27 available rooms in the event center, which includes all houses, are available to rent through Airbnb.
Rowan added that the owners recently purchased property on the east side of Hwy 25, across from the entrance. It includes two homes surrounded by a scenic vineyard that are planned to be an Airbnb offering.
“Visitors are able to travel around the ranch and taste our regenerative wines,” she said, adding that the most recent event they are planning is a major birdwatching and biodiversity event called the Faultline Birding Festival (on the website, click on Learning Center then Events) set for April 20-25, 2027.
“We have had 238 species of birds identified here,” she continued. “We’re working with Debi Shearwater. She’s led pelagic trips and birding expeditions for 40 years. She’s a bit of a legend in the birding community, and we’re really lucky to have her. And we just recently got our Audubon certification for our grass-fed beef because we do conservation ranching that promotes healthy habitat for birds and all wildlife.”
Paicines Ranch actively invites the public to learn. Workshops, guided tours, farm dinners and seasonal events make the ranch a hub for food enthusiasts, educators and sustainability advocates. Guests can also stay overnight in historic cottages and ranch houses overlooking the valley, combining education with hospitality.
Oils of Paicines: craft, flavor, and cabin stays
Just nine miles north of Pinnacles National Park, some 1,300 silver-green olive trees shimmer in the evening breeze at Oils of Paicines and the Pinnacle Country Inn.
Husband-and-wife Jerry Hugh Ginsburg and Barbara Lois Rever are both practicing medical doctors. Ginsburg is a cardiologist and Rever a nephrologist, have owned the ranch since the 1990s, according to business manager Shelley Hartman, who has worked at the ranch for 25 years. They have operated the ranch that produces organic extra virgin olive oil, olive leaf tea, llama fiber, gourmet mustards, White Peacock Bath & Body Products and embraced agritourism through its on-site cabin accommodations.
Oils of Paicines captures a quieter side of agritourism, nestled in the foothills that visitors can explore through two hiking trails. They will hear the shrill calls of peacocks now enclosed to protect them from coyotes.
Guests can stay in cabins, with names like the Love Nest for two people; the La Casa Rosa for up to three guests; Tumbleweed Hotel for six guests, and the Lazy Hog Inn that accommodates up to eight guests. They also own an Airbnb private home in Carmel for six guests. Visitors wake up among the olive groves, sip coffee on shaded porches and experience harvest season when olives move from tree to press. Tastings introduce visitors to different olive varietals and the subtle flavor notes influenced by soil and climate.
“Since we’re only nine miles from Pinnacles National Park, some stay here, then go to the park and back here afterward,” Hartman said.
Morris Grassfed: Rancho Tranquillo and transparent ranching
Just southeast of the San Juan Bautista, within the rolling rangelands, the Morris family manages cattle through holistic management practices. Morris Grassfed is not a single contiguous ranch. The family manages cattle across multiple leased and partner ranches throughout San Benito County and the Central Coast. Co-owners Joe and Julie Morris specialize in pasture-raised, grass-finished beef.
Joe’s great-great grandfather, Richard O’Neill, owned a butcher shop in San Francisco during the Gold Rush, according to the ranch website. In 1881, he formed a partnership with James Flood to buy the Mexican land grant Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores which resulted in the formation of the T.O. Cattle Company. It was located along the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Juan Capistrano. Joe’s grandfather, J.J. Baumgartner, grew up on the family ranch. In 1942, under eminent domain, the government took possession of the family’s ranch to establish Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton during World War II.
Morris Grassfed has expanded its agricultural mission into hospitality through Rancho Tranquillo, a rustic glamping-style Airbnb experience situated directly on working pastureland.
“We originally built it as a guest room for friends and family,” Julie Morris said. “People would sleep there, and they kept saying, ‘you really should do this as an Airbnb because it’s so unique.’”
Their website invites visitors to: “Come and stay on the ranch at our eco-friendly glamping site: Rancho Tranquillo! The solar-powered tent features an open layout, a kitchenette, outdoor shower, an old-fashioned private outhouse, a covered front porch, and a fire pit”
Morris said their open season is April through October. Described as private and rustic, Morris said, “There’s also an outdoor shower for the unique experience of showering under the stars.”
She said it was on a whim that they decided to add the “glamping” site on the ranch through Airbnb.
“This was right at the beginning of the pandemic,” she said. “We hit the sweet spot because we were booked every weekend throughout the pandemic. In 2022, things leveled off and it’s been a steady, extra source of income for our ranching operation, which is really nice because agritourism is another way for farms and ranches to be viable.”
The defining feature of Rancho Tranquillo is a willingness to talk about ranching and a way of life the Morrises enjoy sharing. Guests can observe rotational grazing systems; how cattle are moved strategically to promote soil health and pasture regeneration. Conversations about dry-aging, animal welfare, and grass-finishing practices are part of the experience.
Rancho Quién Sabe: A Legacy in the Hills
We recently introduced Rancho Quién Sabe in a BenitoLink story. The Spanish name means “Who Knows Ranch.”
Originally established as a working cattle ranch, Rancho Quién Sabe today blends traditional livestock management with an openness to visitors who want to experience ranch life firsthand. Its website invites visitors to “Connect with Your Inner Cowboy,” and welcomes them with “Guests can walk pastures, observe cattle grazing, and learn how rotational grazing helps maintain soil health and native grasses.”
Advance reservations are required. There are 39 rooms in historic ranch houses plus 12 unique wagons available with nearby trails, tennis courts, a heated pool, and more.
“Our most popular activities are the UTV ride, clay shooting, hunting, yoga and hiking,” said Jessica Brem, president of Rancho Quién Sabe. “We have a minimum requirement of a two-night, 20-room rental to open the venue,” she said. “As a complete buyout location, we host only one event at a time. Potential clients can reach us by phone or email,” said Jessica Brem, president of Ranch Quién Sabe.
County rooted in stewardship
What unites these destinations is a willingness to share the natural world and a setting to exchange ideas about land stewardship. Each one operates differently—from regenerative education to olive oil production, from top level hotel suites to glamping in comfort—yet all share a commitment to caring for land.
San Benito County, according to the county website, consists of 893,440 acres, of which there are 126,400 city, county, state and federal acres. Total acres under the Land Conservation Act in 2024 was 569,420.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriter, San Benito County Farm Bureau , for helping expand the agriculture coverage around San Benito County. San Benito County Farm Bureau is state and national network of farmers. They are the largest agricultural organization dedicated to providing support to farmers and ranchers. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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