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Currently, the Rominger family is working to rehabilitate seven miles of riparian corridors on the ranch by seeking to reestablish native species, including California oaks. As the restoration work continues, cattle grazing remains an important part of the equation for how the family cares for the ranch. Well-managed grazing plays an important role in maintaining healthy rangelands by managing vegetation and reducing the buildup of wildfire fuels, while also supporting soil health, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and the overall resilience of the landscape.

In the mid-1970s when Louise Moulton sold the last remaining parcels of Rancho Niguel in Orange County, she took the proceeds and purchased 14,000 acres near Lompoc in Santa Barbara County. She wasn’t ready to give up the pastoral, ranching lifestyle she had grown up with. In the early 2000s, she conserved her ranch with the California Rangeland Trust and began a partnership that continues to thrive today.

There’s a particular quality to the morning autumn light, low, gold, slanting through the oaks, sycamores, and cottonwoods
that run along the fence lines and creek banks. As the days shorten, I find myself on these brisk mornings with the
ranchers and landowners, walking property lines and talking through the season ahead. It’s in these conversations that I can feel my excitement growing for the coming pursuits.

Mary Vail’s story begins in the hills of West Hollywood, where her upbringing was shaped by both education and ranching traditions. Her mother, Christine, was a schoolteacher, and her father, Granville, worked for Vail & Vickers Cattle Company—what Mary simply remembers as “the family company.” She can still picture walking into his office as a young girl and seeing the mounted animals decorating the room.

For Starr Reimer, life has always moved at a joyful, full pace. From training horses to caring for rescue dogs, all while staying deeply connected to her church, it’s no wonder she laughs and says, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day.”