A working ranch in the rolling hills of coastal Santa Barbara County is doubling as a classroom, research site and testing ground for a different approach to agriculture, one focused on long-term ecological health rather than short-term production.
The nonprofit White Buffalo Land Trust manages roughly 1,000 acres at Jalama Canyon Ranch, southwest of Lompoc near Point Conception, as a demonstration site for regenerative agriculture, a land stewardship approach aimed at improving soil health, strengthening water systems and increasing biodiversity while still producing food.
Staff say the organization’s mission centers on reconnecting people to the land systems that support everyday life…