Rancho Santa Clara del Norte
Since 1837
Rancho Santa Clara del Norte’s long history and its ecological diversity combine to make it one of the most unique ranches remaining in Southern California.
It was incorporated as a Mexican land grant in the mid 1830s and its ownership by the Lloyd-Butler family dates to the 1860s, when the ranch was acquired by the ancestors of Ida Ross Lloyd-Butler in 1864. Its environmental history dates back thousands of years when it was adjacent the site of a flourishing Chumash settlement of Saticoy Springs.
The ranch’s long history continues to evolve with the descendants of the Lloyd-Butler family. We operate a thriving family farming business, primarily focused on citrus and avocados as well as a number of smaller-scale, and experimental crops. We are actively involved in land and soil conservation, by employing regenerative farming practices and habitat restoration in our riparian land. Finally, we lovingly maintain our ancestral home and grounds and gardens, where we live, work, and entertain and support charities that reflect our values.
History
The Ranch’s history, cultural legacy and commitment to the environment spans from the Chumash Period, to the Colonial era, and into modern times,
Operations
We practice regenerative farming in our orchards and fields, in an effort to grow more nutritional food with fewer chemical inputs, encourage biodiversity and help the planet by sequestering carbon in our soils.
The Main Post, Grounds & Gardens
Our family’s historic adobe, still a family home, dates to 1837 with additional structures added in 1860, including a cottage, chapel, barns and outbuildings. Six acres of grounds and gardens have evolved from early Victorian plantings to include a collection of 6000 trees and plants representing a diversity of over 800 taxa.
Conservation
Initiating and supporting programs to restore habitat and expand biodiversity.
Community Outreach
We support organizations that care for our farm-workers’ wellbeing and the health of our soils.
Visit Us
We invite you to visit our historic ranch. Please consider our grounds for an upcoming special event. For more information, please email us below.