Ranches
We are grateful for the opportunity to care for our beautiful land with the help of our herd in Northern California.
- Freestone Ranch – Our home ranch near Valley Ford, Sonoma County.
- Bay Hill Ranch – A rugged coastal ranch on a hill above Bodega Bay, Sonoma County.
- River Ranch – Rugged mountains on the bank of the Eel River, Mendocino County.
Restoration Ranching
We use ranching to restore our network of relationships with nature, land, and soil. We aim for a presence, care and daily work with the land where beneficial impacts exceed our negative impacts. It’s a flow of decisions, choices, and learning every day. We want the land, soils, native plants, and wild animals to be healthier and more productive because we are here.
- Restoration Ranching – Our vision for restoring the health of our relationship to land and nature.
- Native Planting – Notes on planting native trees and shrubs.
- Grazing Infrastructure – Water troughs, fencing and barns are important tools that help us care for the ranches.
- Upland Erosion Repair – Keeping soil on the ranch is an important focus for us.
- Pond Construction – Building a new stock pond.
- Sedimentation Ponds – Ponds for capturing sediment before it erodes downstream to silt in Bodega Bay.
- Estimating Erosion – How much soil has be lost from Bay Hill Ranch?
- Planned Grazing – This approach to grazing lets the grass take the lead in telling us how the herd can strengthen its roots and build the soil over time.
- Community Supported Grasslands – How your support allows us to care for this land.
People
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Jonathan Gay – Jonathan focuses on ranch infrastructure and restoration projects. He sees the land with its soils, plants, microbes, fungi and animals as a living entity that deserves care and tending. After a career writing software, he appreciates the chance to be working outside and seeing the growing physical results of his efforts.
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Misty West Gay – Misty is a gardener of all things, flora, fauna, soil microbes, pixels and words. She is a serious home cook and an herbalist, having come to ranching from a career in software and consulting. Her garden is as wild and untenable as this big beautiful life.
Cooking
Lots to do, lots to love, so much joy. Good food heals. It’s worth every minute.
And we can help!