Take a Trip to the Past with Simonian Farms

Known to Valley residents since 1901, Simonian Farms is a fourth generation family farm that grows over 150 varieties of fruits and vegetables. While most businesses change with the times, Simonian Farms has always embraced the past. So much so, in fact, that they have taken their love of ‘the way it used to be’ and put it all on stage in a new building they’ve named “Simonian Farms Old Town.”

Strolling through the building is like visiting a history museum focused on the years 1840 to 1950. Prominently displayed is the Old Town Saloon where you can taste and purchase wines made from a variety of local wineries. To the left of that, you will see an old school house, church, barber shop, livery (which I had to look up on my phone to know what it was), and if you can believe it… a post office without a line!

It was fun to hear my young daughter tell me what different tools and antiques were once used for; I guess her 3^rd grade history class paid off. As a reward, I let her enjoy some time in the electronic shooting gallery, though who am I kidding—we both enjoyed shooting targets and making the country critters on Route 66 dance and holler.

There is so much to see here, it must have taken months to set up, and obviously years to collect and restore. I’m sure you could visit multiple times without seeing everything. If it wasn’t for my daughter, I would have missed Smokey the Bear! I remember, as a child, seeing him at The Fresno Fair and waiting in line to push the button on his shovel: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

On your way out, be sure to try some of the fruit and nut samples and visit the old fashion candy and soda store, which is tucked into the southernmost corner of the barn. I, for one, never knew such wide variety of sodas ever existed.

Simonian Farms Old Town is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. and is located on the south east corner of Jensen and Clovis Avenue.

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Jason Farris

Head YES man at FresYes.com

I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.

I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.

I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.

Fresno? I say FresYES

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