Today we’d like to introduce you to Gil Riegler.
Hi Gil, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My wife, Nancy and I met twenty-seven years ago when I was part of a program in Aptos California that connected physically handicapped kids and adults with domesticated animals. I had the amazing fortune to meet Sahib, a sixteen-hundred-pound camel that was so communicative, sensitive and intelligent, he worked directly with students in wheelchairs and became one of my greatest teachers. It was at that time that a little voice in my head said, “if you have camels in your life, everything will be amazing.”
A year later I moved to Ramona in San Diego county. I had four rambunctious yearling camels and a deep desire to do something unique and worthwhile with them.
Oasis Camel Dairy started with a simple fascination for one of the world’s most remarkable animals. What began as a dream to care for these gentle creatures, has grown into a family destination where people can experience camels up close, learn about sustainable farming, discover the unique benefits of camel milk and connect with nature.
Over the years we have expanded from simply raising camels to creating hands-on educational experiences that reach thousands of families where visitors can learn about biology, history and agriculture in the most fun and memorable way.
It’s the kind of learning that sticks for a lifetime.
Our goal has never been just to raise camels. its to inspire curiosity, compassion for animals and the love of life-long learning.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of our biggest challenges was just finding the right spot. We needed a place where our camels could truly thrive and close enough for families to visit. When we finally found our thirty-four acre property it was well, mostly bare land. We couldn’t afford a built out farm. So we built it ourselves a little at a time: pastures, corrals, milking facilities. All of it with the camels’ wellbeing first.
Looking back, those early struggles made us appreciate every little step forward. When we first moved in, we couldn’t afford to do things like running permanent water lines throughout the property to water the animals. We had one spigot next to the barn/apartment building. So that one spigot led to a spaghetti tangle of hoses and little shut-off/diversion valves just to get water to all the places we needed it. We made that work for over five years!
We finally saved enough to trench and lay permanent water lines. I remember the day we coiled up those hundreds of feet of hose and removed all those little valves and put them away. It felt amazing. I can still feel it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our work is hard to describe because in a small family business, everyone does everything. On any given day we feed the camels, clean their enclosures, fix a fence, repair the tractor, paint a barn, work on a trailer. Whatever needs to be done, we do it. That’s just life on the farm.
We specialize in creating intimate hands on encounters where the guests connect with the animals and feel apart of the farm.
What sets us apart is how personal the experience feels. People leave feeling surprised by how deeply they connect.
We are proud that we don’t chase trends. We stick to the simple, genuine camel experience and people feel that authenticity.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
First, learn about camel care and handling. Find a mentor who has gentle, friendly, confident camels that are comfortable and willing around people. That doesn’t happen by accident.
Then build your business around what you are passionate about. Not what’s trendy. Authenticity lasts longer than trends. People want true and real. So do camels. And they have that in common: they both can tell the difference.
What we wish we knew when we were starting out? A bucket brigade straight from the goldfish pond during a wildfire – yeah -that’s survival mode. A generator seems boring until it is suddenly heroic. Get one! It’s a very unglamorous insurance policy. In fact get a generator no matter what! Power goes out. Think of all the things you need to keep cold or keep hot or keep running.
Pricing:
- Public Events – $15.00
- FREE – kids 3 and under
- Private Tour – starting at $200 for up to 10 guests
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cameldairy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasiscameldairy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cameldairysandiego/
