Alturas Ranches

The year was 1951 and Barry Swenson was 12 years old. It was his first hunting trip with his Grandfather and Barry fell in love with Modoc County. Right then and there, Barry made up his mind to someday own 26 acres of his own land, just like what he had grown up on.  

Barry's Grandfather, Carl N. Swenson discovered Modoc County following the Depression era, when there existed a vibrant logging industry in the region. Towns were growing, people were re-building their lives and Carl N. Swenson began to source lumber from Modoc County for the Bay Area construction boom... and utilized the opportunity for frequent hunting trips. 

Fast forward to 1996 when Barry received the lead of a lifetime on what was then Lyneta Farms, and now Alturas Ranches. A friend had just turned down the opportunity to buy the ranch from insurance conglomerate John Hancock and mentioned the property to Barry. The insurance firm had poured millions into infrastructure before realizing that the holding was far too disconnected from the rest of their concentrated portfolio. 

After already having acquired his 26 acres, the nostalgic memories of time with his Grandfather brought Barry back to Modoc County. After seeing the solid team in place and opportunity for growth and expansion, Barry quickly formed a partnership to be able to purchase this beautiful piece of ground.

The ranch is now solely owned by the Swenson Family. Since the original purchase, we've acquired an additional 20,000 acres which has allowed us to expand our scale and diversity in both crops and cattle.

Barry Swenson is a renowned innovator in the fields of construction, development, farming, and ranching. His knack for innovation and investment strategy has carried this ground into the longest period of stable ownership since cultivation. 

Today we farm and ranch on 55,000 acres of ground, are growing into new markets, and are proud to have a team that is equally committed to the care and stewardship of this land.

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