T In 1969, a devastating flood tore through the region, causing San Antonio Creek to overflow and destroy the family’s orchards. James’ son, Jim Coultas, received an honorable discharge from the Army to come back and help rebuild the ranch. Jim took over the farm’s operations (where his degree in accounting came in handy) and moved onto the property. Eventually he married Linda, and in 1982 the couple adopted a young Kali.
HAT VISION WOULD take years to materialize. The ranch faced drought, rising costs, and county pressures to use chemical sprays. In her 20s, Kali discovered her Hawaiian heritage — a revelation that explained her instinctive connection to the land. It affirmed everything she had felt growing up, strengthening her commitment to working in harmony with nature. That meant having to make some tough choices though. For example, in the past
FROM TOP: FAMILY PHOTOS HELP CAPTURE THE LEGACY OF THIS LAND. COULTAS TALKS ABOUT THE RANCH’S TRANSFORMATION WITH HOPE AND ENTHUSIASM. FOREMAN JAVIER GOMEZ HAS WORKED THE LAND FOR 50 YEARS. LOREN LUYENDYK AMONG THE AVOCADO ORCHARDS. OPPOSITE: IT ALL STARTED WHEN JONES’ WATER BUFFALO WANDERED ONTO THE LAND.
In 1984, James’ daughter Terry Coultas Wilson returned to Ojai with her daughter, Tracy, and an equestrian business, expanding the family’s presence. Employees became a vital element of the farm as well — foreman Javier Gomez, integral to the business since 1974, has worked the land and raised his family there for 50 years. Over the decades, the ranch changed — in the mid-’80s, Ventura County claimed 13 acres through eminent domain, constructing a debris basin that permanently split the property in two — and aged, requiring extensive work, yet its spirit endured. Kali’s adoption into the Coultas family profoundly shaped the course of her life. As a child without much knowledge of her biological ancestry, Kali found a sense of belonging in the land itself, spending countless hours immersed in nature. Her father took her on annual camping trips, deep in the wilderness, where they disconnected from modern distractions. It was there Kali developed a reverence for the Earth, often telling her father she would one day make the ranch organic — even if she didn’t yet know how.
five years, much of the farm’s dead citrus was cut down, a painful but necessary decision. In its place, something remarkable happened. As the orchards faded, nature began to heal itself: Tall grasses created natural mulch, deer pressed decaying leaves into the soil, and butterflies, bees, frogs, and worms slowly returned. The land came back to life. Watching the ranch regenerate has been
a humbling, life-changing experience, Kali says, proving that with time, resilience, and the right stewardship, the land doesn’t just survive — it thrives. After meeting Jones through his buffalo, Kali Coultas was introduced to Luyendyk, and soon after, Elevated Foods began to support the ranch’s
regenerative transformation. Jones and his team now manage rotational grazing of cattle and sheep. This spring, his new land management business, Ducks in a Row, will introduce ducks into the system to control pests. “The reason we’re using ducks is multifold,” he explains. “But the main reason is that citrus typically is plagued by snails. Ducks love to eat snails. Citrus also needs a lot of fertilizer, and [duck] manure is largely liquid and it integrates into the soil really fast.”
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ISSUE 02
A NEW HOPE
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