More Graze, Less Blaze!

With the loss of wild ruminant herds who is left to cycle the plant matter? Mostly, fire.

Cedar Fire 2003
San Diego, California

The Cedar Fire was a mega-wildfire that occurred in San Diego County from October 25 to November 4, 2003, burning approximately 273,246 acres and destroying over 2,800 structures, resulting in 15 fatalities. It was one of the largest and deadliest wildfires in California's history, driven by strong Santa Ana winds.

Witch Creek Fire 2007
San Diego, California

The Witch Creek Fire, occurred in October 2007 in San Diego County, California, burning approximately 197,990 acres and destroying over 1,265 structures. It was part of a series of wildfires that led to the largest evacuation in California's history, affecting around 500,000 people. In the video, San Diego local CBS news reporter Larry Himmel stands in front of his burning house in 4S Ranch, burning through some of the communities we now service.

Spread faster than wildfire

The cycle must go on, and with adding appropriate life into the environments you get positive impacts resulting in a healthier and resilient habitat and reduce the hazards that fuel high intensity fires.

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Carving A Forest  in Fletcher Hills , CA

While California wildfires are intensifying and becoming more of a hot policy issue we have a taken proactive approach. We join as part of nature to help the plants cycle, by grazing our ruminants, carving canopy and bringing dead to the floor we regenerate the land. We leave healthy conditions for plant and animal habitat and greatly reduce fire fuel loads.

Silviculture and Grazing after the Thomas Fire

Here is a longer video to showcase sheep and goats along with skilled forestry, our version of silviculture.  This property had been hit by the Thomas Fire in December 2017 into January 2018 that burned over 280,000 acres in the region, with devastating loss life, habitat and homes.  After fire is a great time to think about grazing to prevent conditions that will fuel more catastrophic wildfires, as things grow back and pioneer species come back to help regenerate the land. Grazing and silviculture can reset a savanna environment rather than lead to arid drier conditions.

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Silviculture Site Visits

Silviculture is a proactive approach to the wild/urban interface for wildfire risk reduction. Here are a few sites we've treated here in San Diego. Ironically, across from one the sites we witnessed a ten-acre fire.

Smashing Pumpkins w/ The Good Shepherds

Halloween might be over, but your pumpkins can live forever by joining the food and soil web! Donating your used pumpkins to the goats and sheep helps keep our planet healthy. Instead of sitting in a landfill, your pumpkin can fulfill its ultimate destiny in nature’s regenerative feedback loop. 

The Good Shepherds Come to Fletcher Hills, CA

Summer of 2021. The Good Shepherds graze 44 acres for the Fletcher Hills Housing Association over a period of several months. Thrilled by the presence of sheep and goats along the road, neighbors bring their kids, cameras, questions, and goodie bags!

First Spring Site Review

Turn the volume up! In this video, we return to Sulphur Mountain in Ojai, CA, where we performed targeted grazing and silviculture, or silvopasture, after a light rainy season. The area had been hit hard by the Thomas Fire in 2017.  When we first arrived, back in August 2020, brush had already piled back up and many surviving Oaks were scorched. We restored the Oak woodlands by tending the "wild" with humans and ruminants. Josh Lucas gives his perspective as a land steward.

I highly, highly recommend it. I couldn't recommend it enough." - Josh Lucas