Augie Aguilar is a man of few words and exceptional character. His smile, cheeky sense of humor, and positive attitude are endearing; his love of UC Elkus Ranch is infectious. Aguilar, the “jack-of-trades” ranch foreman has spent two decades caring for it. 

     Ranching runs through Aguilar family veins. Aguilar's father grew up on a farm in Guadalajara Mexico, and sought to pass the tradition onto his son, who, too, was raised on a farm in Half Moon Bay, and by the age of eight, he was driving tractors, and by thirteen, plowing the ground. Aguilar's father taught him how to vaccinate, wean, and castrate animals, and how to work and prepare the ground.  

     “We had cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats. We used to kill the animals and eat meat from our farm. Those days are over, now you have to go to [a grocery store] and buy meat. I miss those days! My dad used to do the whole thing,” commented Aguilar.  

     Before his father's passing 12 years ago, Aguilar used to bring his dad to the ranch. 

“He was actually telling me how to do things. He would say ‘you're not doing it right!' He would get so mad, he would say: ‘What's the matter with you?' But he was proud,” reflected Aguilar. 

     Gabriel Aguilar, Augie's cousin, worked for eight years in Aguilar's current position from 1987-1995 before Aguilar continued the lineage as a part-time worker. Fast forward 20 years, and Aguilar has not lost an ounce of passion for stewarding the land and imparting his wisdom on to his own children.   

     When Aguilar's three children were babies, he used to babysit them at the ranch. His two kids in high school are now interested in pursuing higher education and careers in environmental sciences as a result of “growing up” at UC Elkus Ranch; his 10-year-old, too, is inspired by the outdoors.  

     Aguilar's eyes lit up as he talked about his family: “My daughter wants an outdoor job like this. My middle guy goes: ‘Dad, when you retire, I want to take care of your job!' Even the little guy wants to be a cowboy. They aren't meant to be inside in an office. They are lucky, not too many kids have the opportunity to have this…” 

     Aguilar continued, “My wife told me, 'you can retire at your other job, but not Elkus.'  She likes it here... whenever I have a big cleaning on the weekend, I bring my whole family out and make a BBQ.”  

     UC Elkus Ranch really is a family affair; a second generation of Aguilar's may just call it home someday.  

     To narrow in a few words what Aguilar accomplishes in one day, is nearly impossible. From plumbing to veterinarian work, to cleaning, and construction, Aguilar's knowledge is unreplicable. Aguilar manages to find a solution to just about anything the ranch challenges him with; inclimate weather, water shortages, and oversized pipes are no match for Aguilar's work ethic.   

“Sometimes I do it right, sometimes I don't, but I always try,” laughed Aguilar.  

     Aguilar literally knows the ins and outs of the ranch from the ground up: he witnessed the main lines of the ranch going in when he first started out at the ranch. With the limited resources available, it is amazing what Aguilar can do.  

     Leslie Jensen, UC Elkus Ranch coordinator, spoke to Aguilar's role on the ranch: “I feel much better when he's on site, because I know if something goes wrong, someone is there to fix it. Augie knows the ranch better than anyone. Just knowing where the pipes are, is huge...he's been places where probably no one else has been around the ranch.”  

     Aguilar has great appreciation for the ranch family he has cultivated over the years and consequently, fails to see what he does as a “job”. For Aguilar, UC Elkus Ranch means serenity, family, and security.  

     With a giant grin on his face, Aguilar summed up his experience at the ranch: 

“It is the best place to be!”