About
Smith & Smith Ranch
Our Story
A Legacy of Cattle Ranching
Our legacy of cattle ranching has been passed down from generation to generation. We take pride in our history, and our commitment to providing the highest quality beef has remained unchanged for over a century.
The Ranch is run by family and friends who love the Ranch for its beauty and rich heritage. It's a land completely unplugged from modern distractions, a source of respite, beauty, and a connection to working land. We all take pride in raising cattle responsibly with care and connection to the land. We believe in providing our families, friends and customers with the highest quality natural pasture raised beef while also being good stewards of the land and our legacy.
Our History
Family Owned Ranch Since 1854
Smith & Smith Ranch is a Nevada County Historical Ranch founded by pioneer Dawson Nichols in1854, and has been in the family ever since, with one short exception. In 1942 the land our ranch sits on and much of the neighboring land (87,000 acres) in the region was claimed in by the United States Government in an effort to prepare our soldiers for WWII combat in Europe and in the Pacific theaters. After the war, Scott, Beverly, and Elizabeth Smith purchased back half of the original acreage at public auction. These 500+ acers continue to be the whole of our working ranch today.
Family oral history indicates that many of the pioneers traveling over the Sierra traveled through our ranch on their way to various destinations in the Great Sacramento Valley and Sierra Foothills. This includes families that traveled over Donner Summit including the families involved in the historic Donner party. You can still see the wagon trails today meander through the ranch landscape.
