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Molly's Vision and Commitment
When the Taylors took over Molly’s grandfather’s ranch in Amador County, California, with their ranch dog Ozzy in tow, the land was in rough shape. About 99% of California’s rangeland, it was depleted: dominated by low-quality annual grasses, compacted soils, and invasive weeds. “They are dominated by low-quality annual forages, highly compacted, and host to lots of invasive weeds,” Molly notes.
In the five years since, they’ve been steadily transforming the ranch into the healthy, thriving ecosystem it is today. “We immediately stopped the use of herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, and tillage, and started managing our grazing, integrating different types of livestock, and using cover crops,” Molly explains. And the impact has been profound. Just like with ocean ecosystems, when you work with nature and give it space to heal, the results can be nothing short of remarkable.
Their approach isn’t just guided by vision and passion, it’s backed by systems and data. Every step they take is measured so their progress can be tracked, validated, and eventually replicated on other ranches to help combat climate change.
Today, the Taylors are not only restoring the land—, they’re also raising pigs, sheep, vegetables, and producing small batches of olive oil, honey, and lavender, too..
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