Chileno Valley Ranch

So disappointed. You are required to make a reservation to pick apples which is already odd. Upon arriving there were slim pickings. They only open a section of the orchard at a time, (if you can call it an orchard because there are few trees) then they cone certain rows for picking within that section. They also encourage you to pick up apples to purchase from the ground. I have visited many apple farms, and all said to avoid fallen apples for fear of bugs living in them. The last straw was when we tasted the apples at home. They were unripe, with tough skin. Now were stuck with unripe apples. They ask you not to eat apples while you’re picking for fear of yellow jackets, but now we know the real reason.

Don’t bother trying to visit this location. I was trying to be a localvore by purchasing my produce straight from the farm. The woman who lives in the house is rude and unwilling to help anyone but herself. SHE OFFERED TO OUT ME TO WORK. Fine, you don’t have any apples because they’re not in season but you advertise that you sell eggs and grass fed beef, but all you have is frozen beef patties? There is absolutely no reason for your condescending tone or behavior. If you don’t want people to visit your farm then delete this Unilocal page and post a NO TRESPASSING sign. You make a poor representation of the people of Petaluma. Sour Sally.

Well. it was quite a journey to get here today with the traffic, and the 37 being closed. Found the ranch looking on the internet for a place to come pick apples. Instead of the usual Apple Hill, we decided to venture here.
If your primary reason to come here is to get a couple months worth of farm fresh apples… don’t. We got crab apples and the very last bit of what was left on these small trees. It was hardly the supply we like to get on our fall trips for apples. Perhaps the rest of what was left should have been given to the deer? It seemed a lot of folks wanted some apples only to arrive to nothing.
We did not get any ground beef at $ 8.00 a pound. I would not have minded getting a bit to try, but hubby was against the price. Oh well… we need apples… this ranch could not fulfill our need. We did head off to Tomales Bay and Dillons Beach down the road a bit which was a nice way to finish off our day.

We went last Fall 2013 and had a great time picking apples and meeting the animals on the farm. They offer a variety of organic apples and asian pears, as well as a few vegetables, eggs and grass-​fed beef. We had so much fun that we decided to return this year. We checked their website for announcements and trekked all way there, only to find the door closed with a sign that read: «No apple picking today»! We were so frustrated and the kids so disappointed after a 2h drive. Please update your website!

My husband and I got married here last year. It was perfect, absolutely beautiful, and we loved getting to know Sally, Mike, and their family (both two– and four-​legged). They only do a few weddings per year, and their primary business is cattle farming, so they really made us feel special and went out of their way to help. We visited a few times before the event, and went a day or two early to set up and the day after to clean up, so we spent a lot of time there, and loved every minute of it. The place changes so much throughout the day and throughout the year, it just feels magical!
One thing we really appreciated was that there were no hidden fees, no upselling. This is almost unheard of for wedding venues in this area: usually they quote you a fee and then almost immediately insist that you rent their chairs and decorations and book their accommodation and buy their food… and it ends up adding up REALLY fast; you feel like you’re getting suckered, because you are. With the Chileno Valley Ranch, it’s a flat fee to have access to the full property; no more, no less.
That does not mean that it is cheap. Our wedding went over budget, in part because of the indulgence of having it here. Could we have found someplace less striking for a lot cheaper? Definitely. But if you want a place that is stunning, with a lot of heart and soul to lend to your special day, this is definitely, without competition, the best value you can get in this region. It may be possible to save a LOT money if you can convince Sally & Mike to let you do something less formal for food – they have «almost required» caterers that are people they really trust and who do a great job, but they are EXPENSIVE. We are from out of town so couldn’t really shop around, anyway, but you can probably find a cheaper option if you have a favorite taco truck or just don’t particularly care about food (honestly, your guests don’t – they just care about booze! order pizza!). The catering was far and away our biggest wedding expense, and it really doesn’t have to be that way. We did save a lot by bringing our own bottles, though, which both Sally and the caterer allowed at no fee.
One other thing to keep in mind: that gorgeous barn where everyone wants to have the reception? You can’t heat it. And that’s OK. If you dance and drink, you heat up pretty fast. (I am always cold, so really, if I’m OK, it’s fine.) But, with that in mind, you may want to schedule the eating portion before sundown and/​or tell your guests to bring layers. (This is NorCal! When in Rome…)
I’m just putting that out there for full disclosure. If I could go back and do it all again, I would do it at the Chileno Valley Ranch, without hesitation. I can’t really describe it, the combination of physical beauty of the place, the wonderful time we had with Sally and Mike, the great energy of the space, it just felt like home; now, we feel tied to it, too.

Oh, and cash or check only, no credit cards.

We came out in the early fall for some apple picking, and called ahead to see if we needed any kind of reservation. The lady on the phone was nice and said we could just show up, so we did. The grounds At Chileno Valley Ranch are beautiful! What a lovely place. Unfortunately, the apple orchard was overrun with yellow jackets. I’m not talking a few, I’m talking swarms. Part of the orchard was completely cordoned off, and the other part was still a little dicey. We grabbed some apples and ran. It wasn’t exactly the leisurely, fun-​filled apple picking experience I had imagined. Upside: the apples were delicious. I made a very nice pie from them.
My young son really wanted to see the cows, goats and chickens, so we wandered around doing that for a while. There was some sort of tour in progress, and I wish we’d been told about the possibility of a tour on the phone because my kiddo would have loved actually going in the animal enclosures, as the people on the tour were getting to do. I asked someone if we might be able to join the tour, and was told maybe, not sure, perhaps later, but then there didn’t seem to be another tour later. We finally just left, because my son was getting upset that other kids were getting to collect chicken eggs and pet goats right in front of him, but he couldn’t join in. I don’t think there was any malice here, just disorganization. It was disappointing, and I wish we’d been given even the slightest bit of information about what was going on at the ranch when I called them on the phone. They could have mentioned the yellow jackets and the timing of tours.
I would give this place another shot, because it’s so pretty, and clearly family-​owned and operated, but I would want to be very sure that the yellow jacket problem had been resolved before visiting again.

Overall, the place is all right. The u-​pick apple setup is pretty fun as they have lots of varieties to choose from — all for $ 2/​lb. However, the orchards are infested with yellow jackets so I don’t think this would be a good choice for children. Hell, I’m not sure it’s a good choice for adults as I can easily imagine a scenario where someone’s apple picking session goes south in a hurry.
We also bought a «split quarter» cow from them as well. The reviews here talked about how it was the best beef ever and well… it was ok. The ground beef made for some pretty tasty hamburgers, but the steak cuts weren’t all that marbled and thus were not particularly tender. The split quarter pricing is $ 3/​lb but after all is said and done, you’re looking at closer to $ 6/​lb for the meat across all cuts. I do like what they’re doing in theory, but I may or may not do split quarter again. Still, I admit that I’m eyeing one of their lambs for this upcoming season so maybe I just never learn.

My husband and I just returned from a day trip to Chileno Valley Ranch for apple picking. We went later in the day (around 2:45pm so it wasn’t crowded. It seems like they charge $ 6 for parking in their lot, but we just parked on the street.
The apple varieties were all very yummy and organic so not bad for $ 2 per pound. You can also taste the apples as you pick to make sure you like the taste and make sure they are ripe enough.
They also grow tomatoes so we also picked a ton of those, so delicious picked right from the plant. We also got a chance to say hello to the animals, Sally let us in the pen with the pigs and ram and told us all about their ranch history and the animals they have there.
we also bought some of their grass fed beef (ground), we figured we HAD to try it. Review to follow after we make our burgers for dinner!
Overall, we had a wonderful day at the ranch and will be visiting again next fall!

Very relaxed atmosphere and lots of animals to meet, although they aren’t a petting zoo, they are working farm animals. The apples were yummy and we made a great pie that night. The only minor concern was the yellow jackets that you have to watch out for but they provide insect repellant and give good instructions to avoid them. Our two year old had lots of fun. Parking was $ 6, apples were $ 2/​lb and eggs and other farm foods including meat were available too. Our eggs were amazing!

really really good beef, I regret I didn’t get more.
U-​pick fruits, watch out for their yellow jacket gangs, they rob your fruit.

My wife and I have been buying a quarter of grass-​fed beef from Mike and Sally Gale for a few years now. Every year we drive up north, pick apples in their orchard in the fall, and give our deposit in person. The quality of meat is amazing and the price is incredibly fair. I’m so spoiled by the quality that I can’t stand to eat meat from the grocery store or most restaurants anymore (certain high quality steakhouses and high-​end establishments excluded but then you are definitely paying big money). Thank you, Mike and Sally! We appreciate you very much.

What a great place to stop or go for a day trip. The apples are delicious. We bought some of their beef and wow, it is some of the best we’ve ever had (and we butcher our own cow each year). Really good. The animal tours are cute and they let the kids feed the animals apples. They had baby chicks which my kids loved. Go early in the morning to get some farm fresh eggs. It can get crowded later in the day.

We had our June 4^th wedding here (they host 4 a year). Exceptional in every way. We knew as soon as we stepped on the site that this was it. The grounds are breathtaking, there are a number of different places to hold various parts of the ceremony, a few lovely rooms in the farmhouse which my parents and I used, lots of well cared for animals around including two adorable spaniels, and Mike and Sally are absolute gems. In Sally I felt like I had a local Mom helping me in the planning and keeping me grounded. It ended up raining the morning of the wedding, Mike and Sally again stepped up in the last minute scramble to try and control the mud and rework the wedding plan. Though the sun ended up coming out an hour or so before the ceremony, and it could not have been more beautiful! During the wedding itself Mike and Sally hung out to help things run smoothly, and were a huge hit with the guests. They are both really interesting people, I wish I had had more time to get to know them better during the craziness of that weekend.
On top of all that, they were flexible about our caterers, band, alcohol, all the sorts of things that can really bust a wedding budget if a site uses these as a mechanism for making more money. Our wedding day was exactly as we wanted it. The cost of the site rental itself is also an exceptional value for the Bay Area.
I can not recommend more highly! Sally has lots of pictures of weddings at the site that you can see when visiting. I am also happy to share some of ours, I cannot post publicly right now as our photographer is trying to get them published, he was so happy with how they turned out. =)

My husband made hamburgers from the ground beef we purchased here. I swear to God there really is a difference. YUMMY. Happy cows make for good eats.

THIS IS THE BEST BEEF YOU WILL EVER PUT IN YOUR MOUTH!
Mike (owner) was great throughout the process and delivered a HIGH quality product as promised.
When I picked up the beef from the butcher, he comment that he sees alot of beef come through and this was the BEST he’s seen in a long time!
If you’ve never had fresh, local, grass-​fed beef… oh my… and for $ 4/​lb ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
*Warning* You will be ruined for life, and not able to eat lesser meats the same way…

In my search for a ranch with grass-​fed beef, I stumbled upon Chileno Valley Ranch off of the
website (mind you, this was all before reading this article in SF Gate… www​.sfgate​.com/​c​g​i​-​b​i​n​/​a​r​t​i​c​l​e​.​c​g​i​?​f​=​/​c​/​a​/​2​0​0​6​/​0​9​/​2​0​/​F​D​G​7​L​L​5​N​2​2​1.DTL) At first I was a little skeptical, $ 250 for a split-​quarter, when everyone else seems to be charging $ 400 – 550. Well, there was a slight discrepancy… the website hadn’t been updated since 2002. I decided to call them up, basically to see if they were still in business. At those prices, how could they?
Mike Gale, the owner, answered the phone, and confirmed that their ranch was still in business… the bed and breakfast, not so. I asked about the website, and he confirmed that it hadn’t been updated in a long while. The prices had increased, but I was not expecting what he told me. Grass-​fed beef for $ 350 a split-​quarter, plus about $ 90 for 14-​day aging and butchering. I was shocked. it’s true, you can have great tasting, vitamin rich Angus beef, raised humanely and the natural way without any hormones, and all without the added mark-​ups at local markets. It’s not CSA style, but at this price, you could form your own.
Mike said he’d get me out some info to me by snail mail, which I received a couple of days later. In it, was a brochure on the ranch and their goals in maintaining a sustainable ranch, as well as articles and recipes on grass-​fed beef.
While I haven’t tried their beef yet, I’m looking forward to visiting the ranch up close to get a better feel. For now, I’ve just been impressed with the info and Mike’s candor.
UPDATE 4÷20÷08
Despite the initial weather forecast warnings earlier in the week, Sunday turned out to be the perfect day to head up to Petaluma with my GF, to view the ranch. I’d made plans to meet Mike and take a tour of the farm. The weather was clear and sunny, with not so much of a breeze, the perfect day for a Sunday drive. After disagreeing with my technologically advanced GPS system on the exact location, I relied on the Google printout to get us to the ranch. Unless you’re looking for it, you might pass the ranch, as it doesn’t have the look of a modern farm with windmills, storage tanks, giant barns, or giant feed lots. Off the road, once past the steel gate, it looks like a simple 2-​story country farm house, with a blossoming apple orchard in the front, and some old barn-​like structures.
Mike, along with his entourage of cocker spaniels, greeted us and proceeded to show us around. The ranch pretty much provides all the necessities one could need for sustainable living. Water is piped from the natural springs in the surrounding hills to supply the house and 600+ acres of grasslands. The vegetable garden provides what they need for themselves or for bartering. Thanks to their free-​range way of life, several chicken varieties provide enough farm fresh eggs daily to feed several families. The apple orchard is usually ripe for the picking in the summertime, when they open up the ranch to visitors who want to spend a day picking apples. Their one Jersey cow, Lucy, provides all the milk they need for drinking or making fine cheese. As for the Angus cows, they seem to have the cush life, as they’re basically allowed to roam just about anywhere between the valley ridges within the ranch property. No cowboys are required to lead them back in the evening; a simple truck honking tells them where to go. Without the stress associated with overcrowded grain feedlots, these cows are able to graze freely on grass and alfalfa, which leads to excellent tasting Select (Prime or Choice is not possible due to the leanness of grass-​fed) beef.
From our tour, we could see that Mike and his wife take pride in what they’re doing. Hard to imagine that a guy who spent 21 years of his life in Hawaii, could convert to being a rancher and do it so well. I’m looking forward to my 1^st order, if the samples I’ve had are a good indicator.
Can’t wait for the lambs to grow either…

On to the freezer.