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How We Are Becoming More Sustainable
Organic Agriculture All agricultural production is CCOF-certified (Certified California Organic Farm), which means no pesticides or chemical fertilizers can be used on the property. Integrated pest management replicates natural ecological systems to manage the local populations of beneficial and not-so-beneficial insects and rodents.
Restoration of Native Grassland and Use of Goats
We use goats for weed suppression and fire prevention. As an added benefit, they produce manure which is organic fertilizer. Also, by over-seeding the pasture land with native perennial grasses, we are gradually improving the quality of the pasture with plants which hold the soil better against the winter rains. MORE
INFOIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) Owl boxes with raptor perches are installed to provide attractive habitats for barn owls (and perches for hawks) who prey on gophers, voles and mice. These little guys love to knaw on grapevines and olive tree trunks, which kills the plants. Since small mammals also attract rattlesnakes, controlling their numbers makes sense both for the health of the agricultural operation and for the health of residents.
Bat boxes are installed to control the mosquito population. Mosquitos like to breed in damp pockets of native oak trees (we are blessed with many) and a single bat can eat 1000-3000 mosquitoes per night.
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INFOSolar Production of Electricity
A 5,000 watt photovoltaic array produces all of the electricity needed for the main house, workshop, and the well pump which provides all of water used on the ranch.
Efficient Water Use
All agriculture and landscaping are irrigated using drip irrigation systems. In the future, we plan on implementing a rainwater catchment system to capture winter rainwater to be used instead of groundwater.
Hybrids and Electric Vehicles to Reduce Carbon Emissions
We are currently seeking electric utility vehicles for the ranch which will be recharged using the solar generated electricity instead of fossil fuels.
Adaptive Reuse of Existing Buildings
By reusing and adapting existing buildings instead of tearing them down and building new ones, we are saving the resources and energy which would be needed to produce the required building materials.
Green Building Techniques for New Construction & Remodeling
In all of our new projects, we are using FSC lumber which is sustainably produced, reusing salvaged material when possible, and have switched to non-VOC paints. Experimentation We continually test new methods and materials at the Ranch to see what actually works.