A Living Landscape

Cresting a hill east of Escondido, it’s common to see large birds flying high above the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the distance. Stretching their wings, circling in the air, they are a metaphor for freedom in the beautiful San Pasqual Valley that lies south of the park. Six minutes from Escondido and 25 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, the valley is a gateway to the backcountry, a step back in time, and a living landscape that offers hope for the future of our region’s food system.

WHEN THE PAST IS PRESENT

Two tributary streams, the Santa Ysabel Creek with headwaters near Julian and the Santa Maria Creek with headwaters in Ramona, join together in San Pasqual Valley to form the San Dieguito River. Eons of rain and snow carved a path to the ocean, eroding through ancient rock to create this floodplain composed of rich alluvial soils. Today steep, rocky slopes surround the valley, where chaparral vegetation hosts an abundance of wildlife. After passing through the preserve, the San Dieguito River meanders further west to where an early-20th-century dam contained its flow to create Hodges Reservoir for drinking water and eventually hydroelectric power. Then, it flows into the Pacific Ocean atDel Mar where the San Dieguito Lagoon offers rare coastal estuary habitat and opportunities for people to learn about migratory birds and healthy oceans.

For more than 10,000 years, the Kumeyaay people lived—hunting, cultivating, and gathering—in kinship and harmony with the diverse and plentiful flora and fauna that characterized what we now know as San Diego County. When the Spanish established Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1769, many Kumeyaay left or were forced out of their ancestral homes in the San Pasqual Valley. After Mexico won its independence from Spain, the pueblo of San Pasqual was established in 1835 with Kumeyaay from the former San Diego mission. In 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico, and California and most of the American West became part of the United States in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Although some efforts were made to formalize Kumeyaay rights to the valley given by the Mexican government, American settlers wanted the land for farming and ranching, and in 1878, San Diego County authorities evicted the Kumeyaay from San Pasqual, again forcing them to leave and disperse throughout the region.

In 1892, the US government established a reservation for the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, but it was located several miles to the north in Valley Center, rather far from San Pasqual. Most of the San Pasqual band couldn’t relocate to the reservation because the land was not suitable to support them, and most had work elsewhere. Over time, more families established homes on the reservation, and a tribal hall was built. Today, governed by a democratically elected tribal council, the tribe owns and operates Valley View Casino & Hotel and restaurants within it, as well as Native Oaks Golf Club. The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians is currently working with the State of California to incorporate Kumeyaay history, culture, and traditional ecological knowledge into exhibits, trails, and programs at the San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park.

AGRICULTURAL RELEVANCE

The City of San Diego purchased a large portion of the San Pasqual Valley in the late 1950s for water supply purposes. The first city plan to establish the area as a preserve was adopted in 1964, designating the valley for agricultural and open space use. A 1995 plan updated the city’s vision for the approximately 14,000-acre space. This action marks a significant milestone in the region’s history, creating opportunities for farmers to cultivate the land, protecting water resources, securing habitat for wildlife, and encouraging recreation and learning about this valley’s original peoples and their ongoing relationship with this place.

Creating the preserve “was very, very farsighted,” says Frank J. Konyn. “There was really nothing like it at the time.” Konyn’s family has operated a dairy farm in the preserve on Old Milky Way for decades and now also owns related soil, trucking, and eucalyptus businesses that encompass a 700-acre operation, all under Frank Konyn Dairy, Inc. Konyn’s father, Frank N. Konyn, an emigrant from Holland, started the farm in 1962, which now provides compost for organic businesses and landscapers throughout the county. The dairy also brings in food waste, such as spent grains, to add to the herd’s feed. Diversifying into these other operations has helped them survive, according to Konyn. His may be one of the last remaining dairies in the county, where at least 100 existed years ago. Konyn says the longevity of the valley’s businesses is an asset for the city.

Including Konyn, some of the region’s most experienced and valued farmers grow food in the valley. Bill Brammer of Be Wise Ranch was an early adopter of organic farming and was later elected state president of the California Certified Organic Farmers and founded the Organic Farming Research Foundation to help increase organics research funding. Be Wise Ranch has been in operation for decades, selling tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, peppers, basil, chard, and more directly to consumers in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and at local grocers like Jimbo’s.

The late Bill Witman, owner of Witman Ranch, was named Farmer of the Year in 2009 by the San Diego County Farm Bureau for his “true stewardship.” Witman Ranch leases 800 acres within the preserve from the city to operate within their 1,100-acre farm. Matt Witman, Bill’s son who now runs the ranch, is proud of the contributions the preserve offers urban residents. “Our 40,000 trees sequester carbon all day, so we like to think we’re helping the city reach its goals in its Climate Action Plan. We’re also protecting the land,” Witman says. “It’s better to have us here than leave it vacant. It’s rare that this hasn’t gone into housing or greenhouses. During the Covid pandemic, people realized the value of local food. We have an educational platform. Thousands of people drive through here; many have no idea where their food comes from or how it’s grown, and they stop and take pictures of themselves by the citrus trees.”

Witman’s family has been farming in the valley since 1966. He says many farmers have moved out of San Diego County because of the high costs, and some have moved out of California because of what they see as an excessive regulatory environment. Konyn says, “Keeping farming alive and well is part of a nation’s food security. A lot of people take for granted that they’re always going to be able to go to the store and find what they want, but that’s not necessarily going to be the case. Shopping locally helps local businesses.”

According to Witman, San Pasqual Valley’s place in the watershed is what makes it sustainable for farmers. It also has a unique microclimate that supports a long growing season suitable for a wide variety of produce.

Native species in and around San Pasqual Valley

PLANTS

Wild buckwheat

Chaparral yucca

Laurel sumac

Oak trees

Nopal (prickly pear cactus)

Sagebrush

White sage

WILDLIFE

Arroyo toad

Belding’s savannah sparrow

Black-tailed jackrabbits

Bobcats

Cactus wren

California gnatcatcher

California quail

Coyotes

Least Bell’s vireo

Mule deer

Owls

Pollinators

Rabbits

Rattlesnakes

Red hawks

Western snowy plover

NEIGHBORS OF THE PRESERVE

The preserve is significant in its own right, but the history of this area, agricultural enterprises, hospitality destinations, hiking trails, and a global attraction like the San Diego Zoo Safari Park surrounding the preserve on every side make this extended area particularly important in San Diego County.

Visitors approaching the valley from San Diego can exit I-15 at Via Rancho Parkway and enter the preserve by first stopping at one of the county’s longest-standing wineries, Orfila Vineyards and Winery, established in 1994. Longtime former winemaker Leon Santoro is credited with promoting local terroir and its similarities to the Mediterranean region. Wine lovers can sample award-winning Italian and French varietals on Orfila’s patio overlooking rows of grapevines destined for their estate wines. Orfila offers multiple event venues, diverse monthly programs, a gift shop, a wine club, and a second tasting room in Oceanside.

To the north of the valley is Rancho Guejito, a sprawling 22,359-acre cattle ranch and vineyard. Including the 13,299 acres that were granted to José María Orozco in 1845 by Don Pío Pico, the last governor of Alta California under the Mexican government, it's the last of the California Ranchos established between 1769 and 1846 to remain intact and operating as a cattle ranch. It currently produces grass-fed beef, citrus, avocados, and grapes, while the winery is a popular wine-tasting destination and event venue with bucolic views in every direction.

South of the preserve is Bandy Canyon Ranch, a rural boutique hotel property with a history that reflects the valley’s changes through time. John D. Bandy staked a claim on an 80-acre homestead in 1870, and at one point the ranch grew to 4,500 acres. The Spanish-style main lodge is the first original Weir Brothers structure built in San Diego County. Constructed in the 1930s, it features original tile flooring, adobe bricks that were formed on the ranch, and wood beams salvaged from a historic San Diego pier. The ranch has become a popular destination wedding and events venue. With cozy cottages, glamping tents coming soon, poolside cabanas, hiking trails, and tours of Canyon Farm, the Ranch’s animal sanctuary, guests can enjoy a range of both overnight and single-day accommodations and activities.

This fertile swath of San Diego County embodies many stories of the land, weather, water, plants, animals, and people. When considered in combination with the preserve’s neighboring properties, the net effect is remarkable: an extensive landscape alive with many inhabitants and uses that protect, advance, and benefit from its purpose. Preserving the San Pasqual Valley for farming, water resources, open space, recreation, and education created a turning point and a ripple effect—an opportunity for diverse people and entities to share and steward this place. The valley’s beauty and abundance are our guides.

Enjoy San Pasqual Valley

FARM STANDS

Fran’s Original Farm Stand

1980 Summit Dr.

Open 10am to 5pm every day

Hernandez Family Produce

14191 San Pasqual Valley Rd.

Open 8am to 6pm every day

WINE TASTING

» sandiegowineries.org

» ramonavalleyvineyards.com

TRAIL INFO

For hiking, equestrian use, or mountain biking

» sdrp.org

SAN DIEGO ZOO SAFARI PARK

» sdzsafaripark.org

Follow @ediblesdmag on Instagram and tag us on your adventures.

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Resources

» sanpasqualbandofmissionindians.org

» parks.ca.gov/?page_id=655

» sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy//planning/community/profiles/pdf/sanpasqual/spvpfv.pdf

» dudek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SPVRMG-cityofSD-05-19-2022-updated.pdf

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