The Brughelli family has transferred ownership of its 390‑acre ranch in San Luis Obispo County to Cal Poly, marking the end of a 150‑year farming legacy.
The ranch boasts 100 acres of irrigated Class I soil, four interconnected wells and a seven‑acre reservoir, as well as dry‑farming acreage and additional plantable land.
A conservation easement and enrollment in California’s Williamson Act already protect the land’s agricultural identity, ensuring the property will remain a working farm.
The tract’s ownership traces back to a 1875 land patent, passing through John Anderson, William Buckley, and Dave McKeen before Aurelio Brughelli acquired it in the early 1930s, establishing a legacy that spanned three generations.
Ercole Charles Brughelli, born on the ranch in 1928, served in the Army during the Korean War, returned to manage the farm with his wife Naomie, and continued until his death in 2023.
Mark Amos, a Brughelli trustee, said the family saw Cal Poly as the institution best suited to preserve the ranch’s purpose, hoping students would learn on the fields and carry that knowledge forward.
Cal Poly will use the ranch as a living classroom where students study agriculture, conservation, water management and natural‑resource stewardship, integrating the land into its curriculum and research programs.