Meet ranch owner, “Phil!”

Phil was born and raised in Pana, Illinois, population 6,000.  As a young boy, he worked on his Uncle Virgil’s farm, managing the chickens, bailing hay, and mowing.  With his small-town farming roots, Phil is right at home on this ranch.  These days Phil spends a lot of time managing the business operations at Jelich Ranch, overseeing new projects, and often rolls up his sleeves to offer Skip a hand (or two) in the orchard.

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Meet ranch owner, “Cindie!”

Cindie was raised in Portola Valley, where her parents Manuel and Linda Lozano, still reside.  As a young girl, she remembers buying fruit from Walter Jelich at Jelich Ranch, and attending Portola Valley School (currently the Town Center) located next door to the ranch.  Cindie is a nature enthusiast who enjoys sharing her on-going discoveries with children and adults.  At the ranch she develops curriculum and hosts camps, tours, and field trips.

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Meet long-time resident, “Billy!”

Billy has been living at Jelich Ranch since 1991, when he moved into the original tractor barn.  He tells us the wood from his house was felled in La Honda, milled in Redwood City, and delivered to the ranch in 1908 by draft horse.   In 1940, the Jelich family converted the tractor barn into housing for immigrant workers.  Billy has a great reverence for days gone by, and the simple life.  This is evident by the old relics that adorn his house.

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Meet orchard guru, “Terence!”

Terence is a legend in the organic farming industry, dating back to the days when he worked with the renowned John Jeavons, founder of Grow Biointesive and Ecology Action.  He currently runs the operations of a large organic farm in Watsonville and consults for Jelich Ranch part time.  We are greatly indebted to him for sharing his enthusiasm for organic farming and fascinating wisdom.

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Meet beekeeper, “Mark!”

Mark is owner of Ace Hardware Store in Portola Valley.  On the side, he is Beekeeper Extraordinaire!  Lucky for us, some of his bees live at Jelich Ranch and help us pollinate the fruit trees.  Be sure to buy some of his sweet honey at the hardware store.

Portola Valley Hardware 112 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94023 650.851.0116

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Meet Skip’s dog, “Gretchen!”

Gretchen is a teenage German Short Hair Pointer.  You’ll see her at the ranch whenever Skip’s around.  Kids LOVE Gretchen!  She is very mellow and sweet.  On their days off, Gretchen and Skip hunt together.

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Meet Cindie’s dog, “Marga!”

Marga is a blue eyed, blue merle, Australian Shepard – beautiful in body, mind and spirit.  She was born in July of 2002.  The name Marga is an Indian word that means, “To follow the path of the animal spirit to your inward most heart.”   And that we do, thanks to her








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Meet Skip’s new dog, “Cody!”

Cody is a German Wire Hair Pointer, born in November of 2003.  She loves coming to the ranch with Skip everyday and exploring the terrain.   What kid could resist such a cute pup?  Soon she’ll be fully trained, and hunting with Skip on his days off.

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Jelich barn cat, “Louie!”

In October of 2006, six years after we inherited him from the Jelich Family. Louie died of old age in the arms of Billy who lives on the property.  We miss Louie!  He did a great job of keeping the mouse and gopher population down, and was always ready for affection when the kids came around.  He had a sister who looked just like him named “Rubber Legs,” because she loved to rub against people’s legs.  Louie was one tough cookie who survived the harsh weather and wildlife for 15+ years. 

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Meet the wildlife at Jelich Ranch!

Jelich Ranch is adjacent to Windy Hill Open Space Preserve.  The 1,308 acre preserve features open grassland ridges and forests of redwood, fir, and oak.  Lucky for us, many of the neighboring wild creatures visit the ranch.  Some even choose to build homes here!  We often see the following spontaneous visitors and co-habitants at Jelich Ranch: