Grace Heritage Ranch

Grace Heritage Ranch Owned by Brian and Mary Schalk, Grace Heritage Ranch (GHR) is a family-worked adventure. We give sea Howdy! Ask us how we work our land with simple hand tools.
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We are the Schalks - a Christian homeschooling family who would like to introduce you to homesteading ranch life. At GHR, we offer unique educational tours of our 160-acre homestead in Santa Monica, TX. We have an ever-increasing passion for sharing the wonderful things we are learning, doing, growing, and enjoying out here, so come on out to experience it with us! See how we raise and naturally p

asture our heritage breeds of animals. Learn how to organically grow heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables. Milk a goat. Spin some cotton into yarn. You will get a glimpse of life on a homesteading ranch and have the opportunity to learn some new skills gleaned from the past. Remember to bring your camera! You'll make some unforgettable memories as you begin to write a history of your own. We hope to see you out here real soon! Plan on staying for about 2 ½ hours on our guided tour. Santa Monica, TX is located just 30 minutes N.E. of Harlingen, TX. See www.GraceHeritageRanch.com for more tour information, admission prices, and directions. Call 1-844-Visit-GHR for a recorded message. Brian Schalk
Mary Schalk

Hello dear friends and followers! 💕It feels like a lifetime ago, but it's been about four years since we shared the news...
07/03/2025

Hello dear friends and followers! 💕

It feels like a lifetime ago, but it's been about four years since we shared the news of closing Grace Heritage Ranch and embarking on our retirement adventure in East Texas 🌲🌳 back in 2021. Oh, how we've missed the business, and even more, we've missed seeing all of your wonderful faces 😃 and being a part of that incredible community. Those were truly special times, and the memories we made with all of you mean the world to us. 🙏

While we've been settling into our new chapter, our hearts often wander back to the beauty of South Texas and the importance of connecting with nature 🦉🐦🦋🕷 and our shared heritage. And on that note, we're absolutely thrilled to share something new and exciting that's happening down in that familiar neck of the woods!

❓ Have you heard about the South Texas Ecotourism Center (STEC) near Laguna Vista? It's a fantastic new initiative, though with a different model than our beloved Grace Heritage Ranch. This center is a true gem, 💯 dedicated to connecting people with the natural wonders of the region.

They are currently open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, ⌚️ offering a wonderful opportunity to explore the local ecosystem. You can find more information on their website: https://cameroncountytx.gov/southtexasecotourism/ , page https://www.facebook.com/STECLV , or give them a call at (956) 772-0210.

But wait, there's more! ❗️ For a unique experience, they're hosting "After Dark" 🌘🪐🌙⭐️🌠events where they stay open until 10:00 PM on select Wednesdays this summer:

July 16th

July 30th

August 13th

August 27th

After these special dates, they'll be focusing on field trips, 🚌 which is an amazing opportunity for local schools to get kids 👧🧒 outdoors for some invaluable learning.

We are so incredibly excited about what the South Texas Ecotourism Center is doing! 💪 We truly encourage all of you, whether you're still in the area or planning a visit, to check them out. 👀 (BTW - They've even hosted private birthday parties 🎉 in their multipurpose room!) Talk to their dedicated workers and volunteers – they are passionate 💛 about what they do! And if you know any educators or parents, please spread the word about their field trip opportunities. Imagine the incredible outdoor learning experiences for the next generation!

It warms our hearts to see such a wonderful place emerge, continuing the spirit of appreciation for our natural world. 🌎 We're sending all our best from East Texas 🌲🌲 and hope you get a chance to experience the magic of the South Texas Ecotourism Center!

Warmly,
Brian and Mary Schalk

The next chapter...On August 1st, 2021 we posted our ranch for sale as we prepared for a move to East Texas. Three mont...
12/19/2021

The next chapter...

On August 1st, 2021 we posted our ranch for sale as we prepared for a move to East Texas. Three months later it was sold, and we were on our way! 🙂 Here is our update.

We will be leaving the RGV at the end of January 2022. We've thoroughly enjoyed our 25 years here, especially the time hosting the public to Grace Heritage Ranch. Pumpkin patches 🎃, the corn maze 🌽, springtime campfires , barn movies, S'mores , and of course field trips 🚌 from all over the RGV have made our lives more complete and taught us many lessons. The community, culture, and camaraderie of the RGV will forever be in our hearts. Thank you! ❤️ We are so grateful to all who supported us in attendance, work , and prayer 🙏.

Our new home will be 50 acres of pine trees 🌲🌲 in the middle of the Davy Crockett National Forest near Crockett, TX. Yes, real trees! Over the next year we will be building a log home and enjoying slightly cooler summers and a little colder winters 🌬 ⛄️.

Our children and grandchildren in south Texas and other parts of the US will, for the time being, keep us busy travelling and visiting. However, retirement to us does not mean "doing nothing", but rather staying occupied with other opportunities that might present themselves ... so on to whatever God has next! 🏃

Merry Christmas 🎅 👶 and Happy New Year 🎉 to all y'all!! You've been a great BLESSING to us.

Brian and Mary Schalk 💕

As you might recall, Grace Heritage Ranch closed in 2019 (See our pinned post).as we retired and planned to move out of ...
10/26/2021

As you might recall, Grace Heritage Ranch closed in 2019 (See our pinned post).as we retired and planned to move out of the area. An update on that soon.

However... If you are looking for fun activities on Sunday, October 31st, check out the Cross Church Harvest Family Fest in Laguna Vista. Cross Church has been a great supporter and sponsor of us in the past. See the flyer below.

FOR SALEGREAT Opportunity! The chance to own large tracts of land in deep South Texas is diminishing! As we retire and...
08/01/2021

FOR SALE

GREAT Opportunity! The chance to own large tracts of land in deep South Texas is diminishing! As we retire and move to another part of this wonderful state, we are selling 97 acres with home situated adjacent to a wildlife refuge! Attract white-tail deer to your property! Quiet setting. Nearest neighbor is ½ mile away! Yet, school bus route picks up children.

• Fully fenced
• Cross fenced to produce 7 separate pastures
• Corral
• 36’ x 36’ wooden barn with electrical pole service
• 40’ x 50’ three-sided metal barn with electricity
• 12’ x 30’ two-story tool barn
• 8’ x 28’ metal storage building with electricity
• Other small shelters/buildings
• Seasonal pond
• Electrical service and 200 amp service to two locations in 20-acre area

HOME
• 1,360 square foot wood-built home with metal roof
• 2 bedroom
• 3 full baths
• Office
• Central A/C and heat
• New Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring
• 10’ x 75’ covered back porch
• Quiet - Set back 700 feet from county road
• City water
• High-speed fiber optics for internet access

Income producing property!
• Currently leasing ½ of the property to a cattle owner
• Perfect place for an agritourism business. We’ve hosted THOUSANDS visitors over a 7 year period.
• See us at Facebook.com/VisitGHR and www.GraceHeritageRanch.com
• See our location on Google Maps by searching for “Grace Heritage Ranch”

Yet only 30 minutes from city conveniences Harlingen (population 65,000)
Farm land all around. No city encroaching.
Just 1 hour to South Padre Island for BEACH fun!
2 ½ hours to Corpus Christi. 4 hours to San Antonio.

ALL THIS for only $735,000!

08/05/2020

CHECK OUT THIS SHORT VIDEO. One of the highlights from our fall 2019 Autumn Adventure was to help this gentleman set up a surprise proposal setting for his fiance-to-be. The Yellow Brick Road proved to be a PERFECT setting! The answer was "yes"!

Thank you to Rupert at McAllen Digital Media for a GREAT video!!

That trailer jack is supposed to be perpendicular to the tongue, not at a 45 degree angle! 😂🤣 Argh...one of those days!...
07/25/2020

That trailer jack is supposed to be perpendicular to the tongue, not at a 45 degree angle! 😂🤣 Argh...one of those days! 🤠

One of our original chicken coops from 10 years ago, called "The Tank", gets a cleaning before it's moved on to a new ho...
07/24/2020

One of our original chicken coops from 10 years ago, called "The Tank", gets a cleaning before it's moved on to a new home! Made out of pallets, plywood, and metal, it lasted a LONG time!

Longhorns...2️⃣ bulls, 2️⃣ cows, and 1️⃣ baby enjoying some shade in this South Texas HEAT! 🥵🔥
07/22/2020

Longhorns...2️⃣ bulls, 2️⃣ cows, and 1️⃣ baby enjoying some shade in this South Texas HEAT! 🥵🔥

Although Grace Heritage Ranch is a peaceful 160 acres of beautiful Willacy County, things can get difficult at times. A...
07/21/2020

Although Grace Heritage Ranch is a peaceful 160 acres of beautiful Willacy County, things can get difficult at times.

A backhoe in the trees is not always there for clearing. In this case, one of our cows 🐂 died while trying to give birth. 🙁Unfortunately, the baby did not make it either. 😢

Thankful for friends (Mike) for helping us out in difficult times.❤️

The donkey "Grace" of Grace Heritage Ranch was a great momma! Although missing one eye and mostly blind in the other wi...
07/20/2020

The donkey "Grace" of Grace Heritage Ranch was a great momma! Although missing one eye and mostly blind in the other with cancer, she faithfully raised her little girl, Mercy. Grace died several years back on a Valentine's Day.

Mercy, taking after her mom, has also been a great mom! Here she takes a liking to our new baby longhorn calf! 😊 If she had milk, she'd even let her nurse. ❤️

HAPPY SUNDAY from Grace Heritage Ranch!! 🤠
06/21/2020

HAPPY SUNDAY from Grace Heritage Ranch!! 🤠

Address

27539 Old Alice Road
Santa Monica, TX
78569

Telephone

+19562306902

Website

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