Owner Pilar Quintero moved from Colombia to the U.S. at age 2.  She grew up as a city girl in Peachtree City and saw no need for extra land to tend to for many years.  It wasn’t until she and her family took a trip to Colombia over Christmas 2003 that her mind and heart opened up to the idea of having and tending to an abundance of lush, green landscape.  While in Colombia, she saw how much the people there relied on and used 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 enjoyed the more agrarian lifestyle.

Juan, Pilar’s husband, had always wanted to live on a greater expanse of property than suburban life allows so he was excited for his wife’s change of heart after their visit to Colombia.  An event facility at 2225 Givens Road was up for sale and the Quinteros saw productive potential in the property.  Pilar’s mother stepped forward as partner in the venture, and the Quinteros purchased the facility on Givens Road 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 equine therapy, Paso Fino horse breeding, organic gardening, methane gas production, and worm composting from seminars, friends, 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 21-acre property.  She sees visitors’ experiences here at Rancho Alegre 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, tourism, and economic development, Rancho Alegre aims to serve Gwinnett County.

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 becoming an agricultural hub with a new mission.  Rancho Alegre’s mission is to serve as a regional hub for the purposes of agriculturally-based education, tourism, and economic development.  This mission is beginning to truly take shape through Rancho Alegre’s many services, such as the farm’s field trips, summer camps, farmer’s market, natural buyer’s club, and so much more.  Rancho Alegre 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 horses and the farm, organizing for upcoming community events, and more.

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