When a dairy ranch only a few minutes from his award-winning organic farm came to market for the first time in almost 150 years, Blake Alexandre knew exactly who to call: his Cal Poly college roommate.

Alexandre’s description of the property definitely intrigued John Gilliland. Once he saw the property, intrigue became ­infatuation. It’s a good thing it did, because it took an almost-absurd three years to close the $12.95 million sale.

“That is the longest escrow I’ve ever had,” says Doren ­Morgan of California Outdoor Properties, which represented both the buyers and the sellers. “There were many times when the buyers could have said they wanted out. But John was the ideal buyer. He not only understood the challenge but also the importance of the property.”

California’s Last Wild River

Smith River Ranch sits on the California coast less than 10 miles from the Oregon state line. Thanks to annual rainfall in excess of 75 inches, its lush pastures offer ideal forage for hundreds of dairy cows, herds of deer and elk, and waterfowl. And as the longest undammed river in California, the Smith offers primo steelhead trout and salmon fishing.

Alexandre and his wife, Stephanie, will operate a dairy farm as an extension of their award-winning Alexandre ­Family Farm. Gilliland and his investors plan to utilize the three miles of Smith River ­frontage and the abundant wildlife for ­hunting and fishing.

“I like the fact that it was bought by somebody who is using the ground for agriculture and, in addition, is taking advantage of the recreation,” says Todd Renfrew of ­California Outdoor Properties. “To me, that’s a win-win.”

Steven Westbrook feels the same way. “No one in our ­family was interested in ­continuing the dairy business. But in deciding to sell it, we wanted someone who would keep it as a farm,” he says. “We wanted someone who would preserve the land but also use it.”

Natural Gem

“It’s an unbelievable natural gem,” Morgan says. “The river estuary, with all the various sloughs and ponds, makes it a wildlife mecca. I haven’t seen a better ecosystem than that one.”

Gilliland says that he and ­Alexandre plan to keep it that way. “That land needs to be ­legacy real estate for generations to come like it was for the Westbrook family.”

Published in The Land Report Spring 2025.