“Connor’s buffalo wandered down here. They had gotten out one day, and they just showed up on our property. We corralled ’em and put ’em in the arena. That’s how we became better friends.”
A few months later, Coultas and I reconnect to walk through the pasture she is starting to populate with regionally adapted cattle. The short, dry grass crunches under our feet; it’s the tail end of the area’s dry season. Beyond adding mulch, the growing herd is part of her rotational grazing plan to help turn the farm organic and rejuvenate the soil as the bovines move from one area to the next, dropping nutrient-rich dung as
I
fertilizer. Coultas’ neighbor and friend Connor Jones and consultant Loren Luyendyk join us, each sharing stories of their roles on the property. “Connor’s buffalo wandered down here,” Coultas says. “They had gotten out one day, and they just showed up on our property. We corralled ’em and put ’em in the arena. That’s how we became better friends. And the buffaloes pretty much stayed forever.” Jones, who has a degree in permaculture, and Luyendyk, whose career is steeped in organic agriculture, have joined Coultas in transforming the ranch, embracing all the help they can get to restore the land’s 80-year legacy.
UST A FEW MILES inland from the California coast is an idealist’s enclave, the tiny town of Ojai. With your back to the ocean, a two-lane highway meanders through sturdy oak forests, pungent eucalyptus, and groves that boast sun- kissed citrus, avocados, oranges, and award-winning tangerines you can find for sale at cute roadside farm stands. For a few bucks and your honor that you won’t grab more than the often hand-painted signs say, you can indulge in fruit as sweet as the memories you make during your visit. As you take in the 360-degree view, the Ojai Valley delivers on the promise of rural charm you can expect from California. It’s here that I met Kali Coultas on her ranch last summer, at a soil workshop hosted by Understanding Ag, an entity committed to helping farmers and ranchers build soil and dig deep into the benefits of regenerative agriculture. Coultas’ enthusiasm is infectious, and within minutes it felt like we were old friends, especially as the small team of farmers and the workshop attendees walked the recently mulched orange orchards, testing soil temperatures and grabbing handfuls of decaying matter containing everything the trees need — just add water.
At the time, orchards were scattered along the hillsides, irrigated by ditches carrying water from San Antonio Creek. James expanded the ranch, planting citrus groves and establishing hay fields to support the ranch’s horses
N 1945, Dr. Ralph Homer purchased the Rocky H Ranch from the Stetson Estate for $50,000, envisioning it as a future business for his son, Bill. After tragedy struck — Bill was killed in an auto accident — Dr. Homer turned to his son-in-law, James Coultas, a member of the well-known Coultas farming family of Ventura’s Oxnard Plain. James left his teaching career and moved to the ranch with his wife, Margaret, and their young family. Dr. Homer and his wife, Mable, built a weekend cabin on the property, relying on a small well tucked into the mountain for water.
and cattle. He drilled an irrigation well but continued using traditional ditch irrigation for some of the orchards. Oil-burning heaters called smudge pots lined the groves, protecting trees from frost (the method wasn’t updated until 1989, when mini sprinklers were installed). Ojai had its own fruit packing house then, with crates of citrus loaded onto trains bound for Ventura; James played an active role, even serving on the board of directors.
OPPOSITE: THE ORIGINAL ROCKY H RANCH SIGN. ABOVE: JONES AND COULTAS LEAN ON A NUMBER OF FRIENDS TO AID IN THE LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT. PREVIOUS SPREAD: THE RANCH WILL SPRING BACK TO LIFE AFTER ROTATIONAL GRAZING FERTILIZES THE FIELDS (LEFT). CONNOR JONES DEMONSTRATES THE RICH SOIL BEING BUILT BY REGULAR MULCHING IN THE ORCHARDS (RIGHT).
112
113
ISSUE 02
A NEW HOPE
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease