Category: Blog

Landscape photo of the Hanson Ranch showing mountains and range.

Hanson Ranch: Planning for the Future​

The question of succession weighs heavily on the mind of nearly every rancher: “Who will take over my ranch once I am gone?” According to the USDA, within the next two decades, approximately 70 percent of U.S. farming and ranching operations will confront this issue. While the next generation often assumes responsibility, this isn’t always the case, necessitating careful planning and arrangements to safeguard the operation into the future. For the late Louise Hanson, the original proprietor of the Hanson Ranch, a conservation easement emerged as a cornerstone of her estate planning.

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Reunir 2024: Reuniting with our friends on the Central Coast​

On February 8th, nearly 150 guests came together at The Maker’s Son in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara County, for the annual Reunir with the Rangeland Trust. For the last five years, this event has served to connect new and old friends over the appreciation of the western lifestyle and preserving it in the region. The many hugs and share conversations that were had truly captured the spirit of this beloved gathering!

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Getting our Boots on the Ground at the Lone Oak Springs Ranch

To demonstrate our boots on the ground conservation efforts, the Rangeland Trust and local prospective ranching partner, Rick Taggard, welcomed 60 guests on February 10th to the Lone Oak Springs Ranch in Santa Maria, Calif. The event followed our annual “in-town” event, Reunir, which took place on February 8th at The Maker’s Son in Los Alamos.

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A Round of Applause for 2023

After 25 years of conserving rangeland, this year stands out for so many reasons. With the support of our ranching partners, donors, and friends, we’ve hit a lot of milestones. But don’t just take our word for it… Look at all you’ve helped us accomplish in 2023!

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Nakagawa Ranch: An Unwavering Spirit of Resilience

In the face of war, internment, and personal tragedy, the Nakagawa family has persevered. Their ranch, remaining as one of the last Japanese American-owned agricultural enterprises in the United States, stands as a symbol of their unwavering resilience. And though Yokichi, the family patriarch, has passed on, his indomitable spirit will continue to live on through the land and his family’s hearts forever.

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25 Years of Fighting for the Future by Keeping Ranchers Ranching

25 years ago, the California Rangeland Trust was born out of need— a need to keep ranchers on the land and a need to keep working lands productive in California.

The year was 1997— land prices were rising, taxes were becoming more burdensome, and the threat of development loomed over California’s rangelands. Feeling the pressures, some ranchers got out of the business altogether, while others moved across state lines to continue their operations. It seemed like the sustainability of California’s ranching industry was in jeopardy.

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California Rangeland Trust Celebrates the Fruits of its Labor at A Western Affair 2023

The California Rangeland Trust recently commemorated 25 years of keeping ranchers ranching and conserving the Golden State’s working lands at A Western Affair 2023. While celebrating the fruits of its labor, the weekend was spent honoring the achievements of the past, celebrating the bounty of agricultural goods and services provided by the land, enjoying good company and pasture-to-plate flavors, and looking ahead to all that is possible for the future.

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Rancho San Lorenzo: Blazing and Grazing Their Own Trail

Richard and Sharon Kline, current owners of Rancho San Lorenzo, were “city folk” by circumstance, but they are ranchers by choice.

Despite their urban upbringings, each held an appreciation for agriculture and the western way of life, and it was this shared appreciation that brought them together over 38 years ago.

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