About the Ranch - Swanton Pacific Ranch - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo * Skip to Content * ? * Current Students * Prospective Students * Parents * Business Community * Faculty & Staff * Alumni my CalPoly login * Quick Links * Contact Us * Operations * SP Railroad * Events * Forms * Fuels Training * Contact * Maps * * Swanton Pacific Ranch A living and learning laboratory fostering Learn by Doing. * About * Fire Recovery * News * Giving Back to the Ranch * Fuels Management Training Program Home : About Ranch Resources * About the Ranch * Mission & History * Natural Resources * Ranch Maps * Contact Us * Ranch Operations * Swanton Pacific Railroad * News To provide Cal Poly students, faculty, staff and the public with a unique interdisciplinary environment in which to foster the Learn by Doing philosophy by providing educational experiences on a working ranch, supporting diversified agriculture and forest resources while maintaining the integrity of ranch operations.   —Our Mission About the Ranch Swanton Pacific Ranch is located in Santa Cruz County at the northern reaches of California's Central Coast and the Monterey Bay. The 3,200 acre property is a landscape composed of grandiose redwood forests, lush riparian ecosystems, and expansive coastal grasslands overlooking the Pacific Ocean. If you wish to visit Swanton, please fill out the Facilities Use Request Form !  Cal Poly Swanton Pacific Ranch's Organic U-Pick Apple Orchard - Swanton Pacific Ranch - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo The Student Experience * Living and learning on a working ranch * Development of career skills * Exposure to current technologies * Working on diverse research projects Ranch Overview Recognized for its expansive biodiversity and abundant resources, this area provides a valuable opportunity to study the methods of resource conservation applied through sustainable management techniques. The ranch was donated to the College in 1993 by the late Al Smith. A Cal Poly graduate and founder of Orchard Supply Hardware, Al had specific goals, "...that Swanton Pacific Ranch be maintained as a working ranch and used exclusively for agriculture, recreational, educational purposes". This educational and research facility is owned by Cal Poly Partners and managed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). Faculty, graduate students and undergraduates actively pursue research opportunities, utilizing the forest, rangeland, and watershed resources within the ranch. The ranch hosts a variety of functions some of which include the production of "U-pick" certified organic apples, hosting professional meetings and workshops, and courses offered by CAFES. Mission & History Natural Resources Ranch Maps   Related Content Support SPR How You Can Help News * Inaugural San Luis Obispo Prescribed Fire Training Event Brings Cal Poly, Diverse Partners Together to Burn and Learn * Goats are the Latest Land Management Tool in Preventing Wildfires * Intro to Field Research and Conservation  * Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch Receives $4.7 million Grant to Assist with Post-Fire Recovery Efforts, Increase Fire Resilience Strategies See All News Swanton Research Resources on Digital Commons * Explore the research resources available Cal Poly's library Digital Commons   CONNECT WITH CAL POLY * CP Home * Directory * Campus Maps & Directions * University Store * Calendar * Employment * Campus Policies * Contact Us * Privacy Notice * Web Accessibility Statement * Title IX © 2026 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California 93407 Phone: 805-756-1111