The Guynup family settled on the Southern Oregon Coast in 1976. They came to raise sheep on 1,200 acres of bare pasture and brush. Since then the ranch has grown to over twice the size and includes a real estate brokerage, gift shop, farm store and storage facility.

The family diversified into varied enterprises to provide career opportunities for the children and to give some protection from erratic livestock prices. The sheep ranch is the heart of the operation as well as the training ground for the Guynup children and numerous employees.

Farmers understand the land and what grows on it and how to deal with the various topography. This lead to the real estate business. John Guynup had been involved in several farm sales in his farming career and real estate sales seemed a natural outgrowth of this experience.

The gift shop was a little different. The building that was remodeled to house the real estate office was larger than needed so a sheep specialty shop was created to fill the empty space. So why a sheep shop?

"We came to Langlois Oregon to raise sheep. That is why we were here. The Langlois area has substantial standing in the sheep indstry and we thought it should be promoted", said John Guynup.

The Farm Store and Self-Storage business grew from a parcel of land John and his mother bought. It was zoned industrial and thus restricted what could be done on the land. So the gorse was controlled, roads built and the storage business started because John always thougt it would be a good business. The Farm Store followed when a renter defaulted on a lease building. Not wanting a wrong renter in a key location the building was used to house a farm store to supply many of the items not available locally. A farm store was about the only logical use that the Guynups had any background in. They had spent considerable time and money as customers in other folks' stores over the years and decided to give it a go.

Nellie, the oldest of John and Mary's four children, manages the farm store and storage business.

John is the ranch manager and real estate broker as well as Mary's husband. Mary is the mother of four children and actively works on the ranch, home schools the children and does a great deal of the bookwork.

Luke is the second child and has left home to work on a welding crew that works all over the U.S.

Emy and Jake are still homeschooled and help on the ranch and in the farm store.

The whole family is involved in 4-H, with Mary leading two clubs, John superintending several livestock departments at the Curry County Fair in addition to being a prominent part of the Junior Livestock Auction. All of the children have participated in 4-H at the County Fair and have been quite successful in the different competitions.

Along with the family members are several loyal employees who are more friends and family than employees.

This core of family and friends is Currydale Farms. As the business grows, so is the hope that the Currydale Family will expand.

This is a sketch of a windswept sheep ranch sitting above the pacific ocean that is trying to blend the values of yesterday with the technology of tomorrow.

As time goes forward The Ranch Pages will be linked to descriptions of production techniques and access to products and services that Currydale Farms hopes to offer.

Click on the "next" button to view the Ranch and Family Photos album. Continue clicking on the >ARROWS> on each page to take the complete tour. More pics will be added from time to time.