“One thing about a gift from here is you won’t see it in your relative’s garage sale next year,” says one of the signs at Gursky Ranch Country Store. Located on a walnut orchard now surrounded by subdivisions, the store offers a glimpse of Brentwood heritage as well as tasty, local food products for wholesome, personalized holiday gifts.

“We’re the country store in the neighborhood,” said owner Lynn Gursky. She and her husband Roy bought their property when they moved to Brentwood with their two sons in 1979. The ranch included 11 acres of walnut trees, and so the family began selling the nuts out of their garage. As customers requested other products, they expanded their offerings.

Roy passed away from cancer in 2009, but his presence is still felt in the décor, including the humorous signs around the shop and fond memories of him she and her customers share.

Lynn said she likes the idea of helping agriculture remain part of Brentwood, both as an outlet for local farmers – “We buy as locally as we can,” she said – and provider of high-quality food gifts for her customers.

“People like to give food gifts because they know it’s something that people will use,” she said. The store offers pre-made gift baskets ranging from $35 to $75, but also allows customers to assemble their own custom-made baskets from items in the store. Smaller gifts, such as decorated cookies or individual boxes of nuts, sell for $5 to $10. Shoppers can also find gift trays of dried fruits and nuts, candies, sauces, jams, jellies and gourmet food items. The store proudly offers local honey and three varieties of local olive oil. Nut enthusiasts will find