How we got Here 
&

Why we are Here​​​​​

The seed for the idea of Rancho de la Questa was planted over thirty-five years ago when Richard helped Elizabeth edit her thesis for a Master's degree in Landscape Architecture entitled “Designing Sustainable Agriculture Systems”. Both Richard and Elizabeth were raised in Southern California at a time when bean fields, citrus groves and chaparral covered the landscape and they missed this quickly disappearing rural life. Although they now lived in a beach town, they started planting seeds, composting and caring for the soil on their property. They were rewarded with an abundance of lettuce, beans, squash, peas, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Richard began cooking, preparing extravagant meals using the produce they grew. They shared the bounty with friends, family and food kitchens and their passion for working with the land grew. 

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This passion was transformed into a vision when, in the 1990's, Richard and Elizabeth had the opportunity to design and present a prototype of a sustainable farm to the Board of Directors of a company that operated six (6) natural food stores in Orange County and were interested in reconnecting people to the source of their food. The idea was to create a farm close to a population center which would give people the opportunity to visit and interact with the plants and animals that produced their food. It would provide the experience of milking livestock, picking berries, and harvesting vegetables. It would show bees working their hives, chickens foraging, sheep and goats in the pasture. While not implemented at the time, the vision continued to grow.

Richard and Elizabeth remained reliant on the city for their careers and continued to farm their property, applying principles learned from friends, parents, grandparents, research and observation, growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers.  Their ultimate goal was to create a sustainable homestead which provided the family with most of its meat, dairy products, fruit, nuts and vegetables and was not dependent on the industrial food supply and factory farming. When the opportunity arose, they began their search for the land that was to become Rancho de la Questa. Richard recognized it when he saw it, could visualize where the barn would go, the greenhouse, the orchard, the vineyard, and the fenced garden.