Establishing Healthy, Biodiverse Land at C&R Ranch
Blue Oaks reproducing in a cow pasture subject to rotational grazing
Mature Blue Oak woodlot
Blue Oak Woodland and Savanna at C&R Ranch
Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) exists in only one ecosystem in the world: the foothills of California’s Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada. Blue Oak is California's most drought-tolerant deciduous oak. While not yet an endangered species, Blue Oak woodlands face increasing pressure from human encroachment and the conversion of traditional rangeland to the production of almonds, walnuts and other monoculture crops. C & R Ranch actively promotes the regeneration of Blue Oak woodlands. Our experience with managed grazing clearly demonstrates that our cattle production is compatible with the preservation and regeneration of this vital ecosystem.
Savanna is a naturally occurring grassland.
Natural Blue Oak "nursery"
Grassland at C&R Ranch
Grasslands co-evolved with ruminants and other herbivores. In a healthy mutualism, grasslands sustain their vitality and diversity through repeated grazing by herbivore species. The disruptive forms of mono-culture found in crop production in the United States and Western Europe drastically reduce bio-diversity.
Native grasses and forbs are considered “weeds” which are subject to suppression and removal. Viable grassland ecosystems preserve a rich bio-diversity of native and domesticated grasses, forbs, bushes and trees. Such ecosystems on C & R Ranch support vibrant populations of insects, birds and mammals, not least of which are the grass-fed/grass-finished cattle that produce the healthiest beef available to our customers.
Grassland at C&R Ranch, with oak woodland rising onto the hills