Back in the day, I was an English teacher with a passion for reading and teaching the classics. This love for storytelling has only grown at Higuera Ranch, where we create love stories and add to the land’s rich history. A special man named Harold Lowe, a master storyteller and historian, brought our story to life.

Harold Lowe’s grandparents were the original owners of the land in the late 1800s. They owned thousands of acres used for grazing cattle, producing feed, and processing milk. You can still see barrel rings from storing milk in the Creamery in the early 1900s!

Before Harold passed away in 2021, he enjoyed visiting Higuera Ranch to share stories of his childhood. My favorite is the story of a little boy on the hunt for a sweet treat.

Harold’s grandparents lived near Reservoir Canyon Road in San Luis Obispo. Similar to today, the creek ran along their property, providing water and a place for children to explore. Harold would follow the creek north to sit under his favorite Higuera Tree and enjoy the sweetest ripe figs. He said he would gorge himself for hours and return home sticky from his adventure.

It is easy to imagine missionaries also enjoying crops of grapes, figs, and olives as they rested after a long week of work. We are blessed to continue enjoying the sweet fruit of a tree planted so many years ago…