The Shepard Family

Jack London believed: “If we redeem the land, the land will redeem us.” Since Jack London’s death in 1916, the Shepard family has continued to ‘redeem’ the land—in Jack London’s words, his Beauty Ranch. In 1905, Jack London, his sister Eliza Shepard, and wife Charmian began farming using organic and biodynamic methods, early examples of innovative techniques that included green manures, crop rotation, controlled animal grazing, and many more cutting-edge practices. Jack and Eliza were active in the community, working with Luther Burbank, educators, and universities to grow many crops including spineless cactus, eucalyptus, grapes, prunes, as well as raising White Leghorn chickens, Duroc Jersey hogs, and Jersey cows. In the over 100 years of Shepard family faithful and loving stewardship, the Beauty Ranch has transitioned to a state park, cattle ranch, an award-winning dairy, and finally—in 1973—Milo Shepard planted the first 30 acres of what would become 130 acres of Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Syrah grapes, coming full circle to a crop Jack London had experimented with years before. The great and great-great grandnephews Brian, Steve, Neil, Mike, Nicolas, and Josef continue to work directly with the land while the rest of the family enjoy, love, and support this wondrous and peerless ranch.