Saturday, September 28, 2013

Take a day trip to a Central Coast Pumpkin Farm

central coast pumpkin patch

Fun Central Coast pumpkin patch opens

Looking for the best pumpkin patch in San Luis Obispo County? This is the place!

With over three acres of pumpkins, a corn maze, the haunted Lost Dutchman’s Mine and critters galore, My Granny’s Gardens at San Marcos Ranch is a Central Coast pumpkin patch offering up fun for the entire family from Sept. 28 through Oct. 31. Farm-fresh produce, a huge corn maze, haunted Lost Dutchman's Mine, picnic grounds and farm animals mean fun for the whole family. Carolyn Davis, better known as “Granny,” and David Poer, aka “Granddad,” are entering their third year of offering visitors a unique tour of their picturesque ranch – with its scenic lake, walking paths and more than 135 varieties of squash and gourds ripe for the picking at their pumpkin farm in Paso Robles. They could not be more thrilled to welcome old and new friends this season. “When I hear the laughter of the kids coming from the lake down toward the barn, I know that we are open – it’s just the best,” Davis said. With a theme geared toward family fun, everyone is sure to have a grand time at My Granny’s Gardens, from the youngest tikes to the young at heart.

Fun farm animals

Kids ages 2-6 will delight in driving through the twists and turns of the Straw Maze in electric carts and kids of all ages will enjoy visiting the assortment of critters, from tiny horses to very big birds. “We have an emu and lots of miniature horses,” Davis said. “We have Jacob sheep, miniature donkeys and all sorts of fun animals for everyone to see.”

Farm fresh pumpkins and vegetables

The pumpkin patch offers up a massive assortment of – what else – pumpkins! Looking for a huge, itty bitty, tall and skinny, striped, blue, red, white, warty or a plain ole orange pumpkin? With over three acres of pumpkins, squashes and gourds to choose from, the Pumpkin Patch has an ample supply of delicious varieties for your cooking and decorating needs. “The crops are continually getting ripe throughout the season, so no matter when you come out to the ranch there is always something delightful to choose from,” Davis said. “We have a great assortment, including some very rare selections in our Epicurean Corner. We have it all – but I lean towards what is delicious and unique.”

Pumpkin toss and more

Don’t forget to take part in the Pumpkin Toss – prizes are handed out to anyone who participates. Every week the highest score in each age group wins a T-shirt. Find peppers, tomatoes, indian corn and more in the Vegetable Garden and walk across bridges, past waterfalls and a trickling brook leading to the secret home of the Gargoyles in the Herb Garden. The wacky, witchy, wonderful corn maze, with turns and surprises around every corner, is fun for all ages. Solve a puzzle and earn a prize from the Witch’s Cauldron.

Haunted mine

For the most daring visitors, the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, rumored to be haunted by the Old Dutchman that entered the mine 100 years ago seeking gold, delivers thrills, shrills and chills. “The mine is too scary for little guys, but it really is a lot of fun,” Davis said.

Skeleton George

Not to be missed – Skeleton George – a rascally sort of guy sporting a cowboy hat, boots and sunglasses who likes to jump around to different locations throughout the ranch every week. “He’s always doing something different, he might be driving a tractor or up in the tree house,” Davis said. “So we’ll ask, ‘where’s George?’ and if the kids can tell us they will get a prize.”

Family run pumpkin farm

Alongside Granny and Granddad, Davis’ son and daughter-in-law, Justin and Lisa Davis and their children, Skye and Sloane, lend a hand to ensure the success of Granny’s Gardens each year. Another son, Scott, as well as daughter, Summer Barnes and her husband Pat Barnes, and her children, Mace and Makenna, are residents of Southern California and assist with the website and occasional visits to the property as well. “This has been a lot of fun to do as a family,” Davis said.

Entrance is free

Fun corn maze at the pumpkin patch.[/caption] Entrance into this Central Coast pumpkin patch is free. Individual tickets for purchases or activities are just $3, or $65 for a book of 24 and $125 for two books (48 tickets). School group discounts available Monday – Friday. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch or snacks for their journey out to the ranch. Bottled water, juices and packaged snacks are available for purchase. For a sneak peek at Granny’s Gardens, including maps for the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch as well as personal notes from Granny on vegetable varietals, check out http://www.mygrannysgardens.com. Grab a flyer at the Paso Robles Rabobank location and various businesses throughout Paso Robles for a coupon good for a free pumpkin during the opening weekend. More photos, videos and updates will be featured in the Paso Robles Daily News after the pumpkin patch opens. Granny’s Gardens at San Marco Ranch is located 7 miles north of downtown Paso Robles and will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 28 through Oct. 31. Take Highway 101 north to the San Marcos Road exit, then drive 1 mile west to 775 San Marcos Road. For more information or to make a reservations for groups of 12 or larger, send an email to mygrannysgardens@gmail.com or leave a message at (805) 467-3315. Press release by San Luis Obispo web design and online marketing firm, Access Publishing, 806 9th St #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446. (805) 226-9890.

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Saturday, September 14, 2013

Why you might want to keep your life insurance in retirement

life insurance in retirement
Rick Goree - One of my trusted
insurance advisors in my home
town of Paso Robles, Ca
Most people think they don't need life insurance in their retirement, but there are some good reasons you may want to keep it.

Life insurance helps protect your spouse and children from poverty in the case of your untimely death. However, once your children become self-sufficient and you and your spouse accumulate significant assets, there's less of a need to keep paying the premiums for life insurance. Here's how to tell if you still need life insurance in retirement:

Are you still working? 


Many Americans continue to work during the traditional retirement years. Life insurance can protect your family from the loss of your income when you die. "Whether life insurance makes sense or not for retirees depends on how much earned income would be lost due to the death of the retiree," says Hanming Fang, an economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "If the retiree does not have any earned income, then there is no real need for life insurance. If the retiree's death may lead to significant loss of income, then there may still be a need for life insurance even in retirement."

Are your children and spouse self-sufficient? 


When you have a young family, life insurance can provide an incredible amount of security. But the needs of your family will change over time. "One thing you want to think about is what would happen if you were no longer here," says Joel Lange, investment director of Bell Wealth Management in Austin, Texas. "If you are not responsible for anyone else and you have sufficient assets to cover your bills, then there is very little need to continue to hold life insurance in retirement."

Will you need to pay estate taxes? 


Life insurance can sometimes be an estate planning tool. "If you have a farm that you want to keep in the family or if you are a business owner and you don't have enough liquid assets to take care of estate taxes, you can have a life insurance policy that is tied to your estate plan," Lange says. It's a good idea to talk to an estate planning expert before taking on a life insurance policy for tax purposes. "Instead of going to an agent who has a stake in your keeping the insurance, go to a fee-only planner or tax attorney who doesn't have a stake in it," says Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America.

Who should I talk to for advice?

Here is a list of my recommended insurance agents in San Luis Obispo County, whether you are looking for life, home, or auto insurance:

HFG Coastal Insurance Services, Inc.
Paso Robles Life Insurance Agency
1446 Spring Street, Suite 205
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 239-7443

Rick Goree – State Farm Insurance Agent
Paso Robles Insurance
1947 Spring Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 227-1560

Steve Weber – State Farm Insurance Agent
Auto Insurance Paso Robles
526 Spring Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 238-6200

Callie L Fisher Insurance Services, Inc
Health insurance specialist in Paso Robles
578 Spring Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 238-6593

Susan Polk Insurance Agency, Inc.
Health insurance specialist in San Luis Obispo
1443 Marsh Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 544-6454

Susan Rodriguez – State Farm Insurance Agent
Life home and auto insurance in San Luis Obispo
1317 Broad Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 783-7050

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Steve Meixner, left and Newlin Hastings. 

Have you ever dreamed of retiring and buying a winery?

Pacifica Wine Division launched to buy and sell wineries


Blending local commercial real estate expertise with wine industry resources to bring buying a winery from a lifestyle choice to a smart investment. Ah, the romantic notions of owning a winery: Wandering through vineyards in the early morning light; sipping the fruits of your labor as the gentle laughter of visiting wine lovers, mingled with a classical concerto, floats through the air.

 Passion? You may have plenty of that, but if you dream of owning a winery or vineyard, desire eventually takes a backseat to the reality that this is a very competitive business that requires large amounts of hard work, determination and capital. To be successful you need expert resources, good advice and a solid plan.

Enter Pacifica Commercial Realty, the Central Coast’s market leader in commercial real estate.  Pacifica has been in operation in the Paso Robles market for more than 30 years, and has additional offices in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara.  In response to growing demand for its advisory services and transactional experience, the Paso Robles office recently launched its Wine Properties Division to represent buyers and sellers of wineries and vineyards throughout the Central Coast region.

 Newlin Hastings, a Pacifica partner, Broker and owner of the long-successful Hastings Ranch Vineyard, summarized the new division’s charter: “It is our primary responsibility to bring together buyers and sellers of wine properties, and to facilitate successful transactions that accomplish the objectives of both parties.”. “We’re offering professional commercial services to buyers and sellers of wine properties using the same disciplines we have applied to commercial real estate over the last three decades,” said Steve Meixner, Managing Director of Pacifica’s new Wine Properties Division.

Working together, this duo brings decades of commercial real estate experience and vast wine industry resources to share “We’ve created an online guide designed specifically for those thinking about getting involved in the industry, but who aren’t familiar with the wine business here in Paso Robles, and who also need to understand the politics of San Luis Obispo County,” explained Newlin.

The Winery Buyer’s Guide, available on Pacifica’s Wine Properties Division website www.pasowinerealestate.com, is an extensive resource created by local industry specialists that covers everything from accounting and permits to winemaking and bottling. Pacifica’s unprecedented access to wine industry experts gives aspiring winery and vineyard owners a clear overview of the ins and outs of the wine business, preparing them for personal and commercial success.

 For more information on buying and selling wine properties in the Paso Robles area, visit Pacifica’s Wine Properties Division website, pasowinerealestate.com or call (805) 237-4040.