Like many ranches in Mason Valley, the Scatena Ranch straddles the main road, with residential buildings on one side and outbuildings, including a bunkhouse, potato cellar, and stable, on the other. Unlike larger, sprawling ranches in more remote parts of the state, Mason Valley ranches resemble farmsteads; they are relatively compact and located close together on square plots of land. This ranch initially produced hogs, potatoes, hay, and beef; today it raises only hay and beef. Many ranches are now owned and operated by descendants of Italian and Portuguese immigrants who arrived in the valley in the 1870s and 1880s. Though Italian and Portuguese Americans still play active roles in the community, they have left virtually no architectural legacy in the valley.