Ask Brian White
In 1972 Jack & Adrienne Campbell bought their first 40-acre forested foothold in the Coastal Mountain Range west of the town of Laytonville with the idea of building a sustainable family compound. This was the period of the “Back to Landers” a movement took that inspired people to turn their backs on the chaos of modern civilization and instead revert to simpler times where you took care the land and the land took care of you. No one, however, would mistake the Campbells as washed-out hippies. The Campbell Family had roots in the area stretching back to the 1850’s and a long history of working in the woods. After many years of personal sweat and toil and living in tents and tarps, the Campbells with their four kids in tow completed their homestead while simultaneously adding another 360 acres, parcel by parcel, until the Ranch grew to more than 400 total acres of some of Mendocino’s most lush forest. There are currently 7 separate parcels
The Ranch sits at about 2000 feet elevation in the mountains between Laytonville and the coast. With the ocean only 12 miles due west and commanding a spot near the top of the mountain range, the Ranch sits in the epicenter of spectacular redwood production land - far enough east to get some warmth for growth but not too far where you don’t also get the moisturizing effect of the Pacific. Understanding the unique environment of the land, the Campbells went about becoming the stewards of the same. Undergrowth was controlled, trees were limbed to promote uniform growth, firewood gathered only from dead trees and timber harvests limited to what sustainability dictated. The plan was for the next 100 years down the line and not instant gratification. This stewardship is evident in how the Campbell Ranch shows - like a manicured park. There is currently an estimated 2 million board feet (MBF) of timber split at 70% Douglas Fir and 30% Redwood and growing at around a rate of 3 % to 4 % per year compounded. A continuation of this responsible stewardship will guarantee the new owner and their Family a dependable and renewable source of income for many generations to come. There is also the possibility of banking to carbon credits from the forests.
The Ranch House is 1800 sq ft with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths though there is a need for updating the bones of the House are solid and of a quality of carpentry seldom seen today. There is covered veranda/deck around 3 sides of the House allowing for outdoor living. On one side of the House is a 2-car garage with adequate storage space for ranch equipment, while the other side has a glass enclosed green house for an early start to spring planting. A path through the woods takes you to a professional wood shop while further down the path and up the hill is a 2-stall barn. Water for the house comes from one of the many springs on the Ranch, while water for irrigation comes from a will.
Property Highlights:
