Las Cumbres Ranch is a holistically managed cattle ranch on the Central Coast of California. We breed pedigree Bonsmara cattle which are highly adaptable and can thrive in dry, brittle environments while producing exceptional quality beef. Because Bonsmaras are browsers and grazers they are effective at fire mitigation. Our environmentally-appropriate livestock build soil fertility, restore biodiversity and sequester carbon.
OUR TEAM
meet our land stewards
On a daily basis our skills come together to manage and maintain our land.
OUR GOAL IS TO RESTORE OUR NATURAL CALIFORNIA GRASSLANDS, NOT JUST SUSTAIN THEM
Las Cumbres Ranch is a holistically-operated, family-owned ranch located in the Purisima Hills on California’s Central Coast. The Ranch is conserved through The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to insure it will remain a productive part of the Central Coast rangeland landscape forever.
Jim’s and my dream was to move back to living on a ranch after raising our two sons. We purchased Las Cumbres Ranch and were looking forward to sitting on the porch drinking ice tea and hiking the beautiful central California hills. But soon after the purchase, a friend of ours told us that we needed to graze the land in order to keep it healthy, and that we should look into regenerative rangeland management.
Researching Best Practices
We consulted with experts around the globe to come up with best practices for rangeland management in the midst of the current climate crisis. Rodger Savory stood out in his depth of knowledge and his international experience in holistic rangeland and cattle management. A key component of Rodger’s recommended management strategy is the Bonsmara breed of cattle. It became clear to us that Bonsmara are uniquely suited to help regenerate the dry, brittle Mediterranean environment of our ranch which had been exacerbated by climate change. When we told our sons about our new project, they were delighted and wanted in on the new adventure. They have both become essential to the project.
The plan Rodger designed is based on the principles of the holistic management of rangeland, cropland, cattle, wildlife and watersheds; all elements that support a sustainable future for the next generation.
