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In the last 10 years a new trend has emerged in which we find thousands of urban dwellers searching for California ranches for sale. A Texan might find it humorous when they read about a ranch for sale in California that is only 5 acres, and on occasion the term "ranchette" is used. But by and large, Californians have liberal definition for what can qualify as a ranch. California ranches typically range anywhere from 20 acres to 2000 acres.
California ranches carry a great sense of history that dates back to the time of the Spanish Land Grants. Most of California ranches for sale at this present time were at one time part of a much larger parcel, often 50,000 to 100,000 acres and more. Cattle ranches today still carry some of the old traditions.
One of the most well known cattle ranchingpractices is the spring roundup. In the days of the old ranchos, the cattle wandered far and wide, often onto neighboring ranches. Every spring, each rancho held a roundup. Here the vaqueros were able to display their great skills, and often neighboring ranchers would join in. The day's work was long, seeking out strays for distances that could be a much as 50 miles. The young calfs were brought in for branding.
Evenings brought the rewards of campfire cooking, songs and story telling, and often competitions that later became memorialized as " rodeos."
Today, most California cattle ranches carry on the tradition of the spring roundup. Today's California cattle ranches have fencing and catch pens, and very few of them are the size of the old ranchos. But the practices of calf roping, the branding fire, and campfire cook-out s(bar-b-que) -- these traditions still prevail throughout California.
Apart from the tradition of cattle ranching, some California ranches for sale offer recreational activities such as hunting and fishing. Other ranches are horse ranches set up for horse breeding, or other types of livestock including exotics such as alpacas and ostriches. Others include farming -- row crops, vineyards, orchards, avocados, citrus, flowers, hay, forage and so on. And more often than not, California ranches for sale simply offer the opportunity for privacy, relaxation,  and respite from the mad pace of urban living.
The demand for California ranches, land, farms, horse property, vineyards, orchards, groves, and simply homes with some acreage, large or small, has never been greater than it is now. California offers a wonderful climate with moderate seasonal changes. California is known as the golden state, and gold not only applies to the grasses on the hillsides but to real estate prices as well!