Our Legacy

The story of Hobson Family Farms begins with William Dewey “W.D.” Hobson, an Illinois native who journeyed west during the California Gold Rush. While his travels first brought him to Northern California, it was the fertile lands and coastal beauty of Ventura County—what he fondly called “Lower California”—that captured his heart, along with the love of his life, Isabelle Winemiller.

W.D. Hobson laid the foundation for the family’s legacy in construction and cattle trading. His entrepreneurial spirit soon gave rise to a thriving beef packinghouse, butcher shops, and real estate ventures. As his operations grew, he began acquiring ranches of his own, and with them, the iconic Flying H Brand was born.

When his sons Abram and Will—known locally as the Hobson Brothers—took the reins, the business flourished. They became trusted providers of premium beef to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, building a reputation for quality that would endure for generations. The brothers expanded beyond cattle, cultivating orchards and row crops, further rooting the Hobson name in the agricultural fabric of the region.

Though the original beef packinghouse eventually closed, its legacy lived on in new ways: Patagonia transformed the site into their flagship retail store and corporate campus, a reminder of Ventura’s evolving but enduring connection to the land. Meanwhile, future generations of Hobsons carried the torch, continuing to raise top-quality beef, grapes, and citrus for the wholesale market.

Today, the fifth generation of Hobsons is proud to revive the historic Flying H brand. Once again, we are bringing the best of Ventura County and California’s Central Coast directly to consumers—premium beef, farm-fresh produce, artisanal vinegar, and award-winning wines. Through our partnership with Frinj Coffee, we also cultivate locally grown California coffee, and in the coming years we’ll introduce exotic fruits and other specialty products, carrying forward the pioneering spirit of W.D. Hobson into a new era.

For over 150 years, the Hobson family has worked these lands with care, vision, and resilience. Our legacy is not only written in history—it’s alive today in every glass, every harvest, and every meal we share with our community.