Our Story
Owner Pilar Quintero moved from Colombia to the U.S. at age 2. At the age of 7 she moved to Georgia, and has always lived in Gwinnett County. She grew up as a city girl and saw no need for land to tend to for many years. It wasn’t until Christmas 2003, when she took a trip with her family to Colombia, that her mind and heart opened up to the idea of tending to an abundance of lush, green landscape. While in Colombia, she saw how the people there relied on the land for their personal benefit and for the benefit of the surrounding community. She was surprised by how much her children enjoyed riding horses and the more agrarian lifestyle.
Juan, Pilar’s husband, had always wanted to live on a greater expanse of property than suburban life allowed, so he was excited for his wife’s change of heart. Upon their return from their 2003 trip, they searched to an agricultural venue to host their sons 1st and 5th birthday and that’s when they stumbled upon the farm which hosted birthday parties but was also up for sale. The Quinteros saw productive potential in the property. Pilar’s mother stepped forward as partner in the venture, and the Quinteros purchased this facility – now called Rancho Alegre Farm.
Pilar’s excitement and passion only grew from then on, and she began to dream as well as educate herself about farm life. She learned about subjects such as therapeutic riding for the special needs, interscholastic equestrian activities, Paso Fino horse breeding, organic gardening, and her biggest passion now composting and vermiculture (worms) from seminars, government hosted activities (NRCS, extension, etc), Georgia Organics mentoring program and a Colombian TV show called La Finca de Hoy (Today’s Farm).
Pilar’s momentum is still building, and she sees a double blessing in the operations of the facilities on the property. She sees visitors’ experiences at Rancho Alegre Farm as a way of escaping city life and enjoying the outdoor, agricultural lifestyle seemingly lost among the sprawling metropolis. Church, school, family, and corporate groups are invited to host their events at Rancho Alegre. Dedicated to agricultural education, agritourism, and economic development, Rancho Alegre Farm aims to serve Gwinnett County and the surrounding areas.
The Quinteros concede that the materialization of their ambitious dreams requires immense patience coupled with arduous labor. They are thankful that these efforts are evolving into Rancho Alegre Farm becoming a Gwinnett County agricultural center with a new mission: to serve as an area hub for the purposes of agriculturally-based education, tourism, and economic development. This mission is beginning to truly take shape through Rancho Alegre Farm’s many services, such as the farm’s field trips, summer camps, online farmer’s market, naturally grown farm goods, and so much more. Rancho Alegre Farm welcomes and greatly appreciates any volunteers, experts, and other community members interested in contributing to the development of the vision as they are still learning and growing. Volunteer opportunities are available to help with the care of the livestock and the farm, organizing for upcoming community events, and more.
