Located in Paso Robles, Ranch Azul y Oro began in 2015 after a long and tedious journey of driving from Los Angeles to Paso Robles for 10 years to locate and work on the farm. Their diligent work has paid off when they are now able to be “overlooking our hills with a glass of our own wine and a meal prepared with our own olive oil and the joy that is brought by growing and nurturing our grapes and olives throughout the year….”
Rancho Azul y Oro produces a diverse selection of
Extra virgin olive oil,
Gifts,
Seasoning and spices,
And jams.
Their olive oil comes in many flavors including their mission blend, smoked olive oil, and infusion of lemon, and orange. Their seasoning ranges from a bread dipping spice to a BBQ rub, and a smoked sea salt. Their jams come in a tequila, jalapeno, and grape jelly, fig balsamic and black pepper, strawberry and fig, and strawberry jam. Their gifts contain a variety of their products and some even include dipping dishes. When we spoke with Kathryn, the owner, she revealed that they love to research new ways to create delicious recipes with their products, one of which includes air popped popcorn drizzled with olive oil.
As has occurred with many farms and vineyards, 2020 has brought many changes. Since large group gatherings are not currently permitted, most of the tastings they would have offered have been cancelled, and since they do not sell at farmer's markets, one might think that 2020 has been a very bad year for them. However, they are happy to report that, so far, 2020 has been a very good year for their farm. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted their sales so they are equivalent to their holiday sales.
From the beginning, their goal was to be able to bring their Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the public via an online platform. Since 2012, they have been laying the foundation for that via social media, blogs, networking and thru their website and other sales platforms. During the stay-at-home order, Ranch Azul y Oro is taking the time to transition their farm to online-based shopping as well as improve shipping and marketing, making the whole process a better experience for the customer. The farm is offering deliveries as long as you are within 30 miles and also pick-ups. If you order at least $75 as an online purchase, you will receive free shipping.
The owner tell us they always begin their farm year with a list of goals they hope to achieve, so once the pandemic hit, they began to work through their goals, which included streamlining their customers' experiences on their website, improving their ability to offer low-cost shipping, increasing their presence on various online platforms, and adding items to their product line. Around September 2020, they plan to update their website with many new products for autumn and holiday shopping. All the foundational work, as well as having time to work on their goals has resulted in doubling their sales since last year!
Their bounty from last year's harvest also provided them the opportunity to help many who are in need in our community. They were able to donate 20 gallons of oil to the food bank for use in local area soup kitchens. The owner passionately stated that alleviating hunger locally is an important cause to them, so they saw this pandemic as a great opportunity to help when it was needed most.
Rancho Azul y Oro takes pride in the fact that since the 1900’s, they have been a California family. This is one of the reasons why they named their ranch "Azul y Oro". Azul y Oro translates to blue and gold, the state's colors and a symbol of the golden hills and blue skies. In addition, they represent the colors of the University of California, which has been attended by two generations of the family.
Emily and I are so glad we are able to represent farms like this on our website. They love what they do and it benefits all of us when we eat their delicious food. If you would like to purchase some of this farms products, you can visit their website
https://www.ranchoazulyoro.com/index.html#/, call (805) 467.4970, or if you have questions, email info@ranchoazulyoro.com. In addition to this, we recommend you visit their Facebook page, Instagram, and Pinterest @ranchoazulyoro.
Thank you again for supporting our project,
Talia & Emily