Hedgerow Planting at Bella Vista Ranch - San Benito RCD
Published on March 14, 2025
On Tuesday, March 4th, San Benito County Resource Conservation District in collaboration with Point Blue Conservation Science hosted a planting day at Bella Vista Ranch located in Hollister. California Association of Resource Conservation District's Communications Manager, Taylor Stubblefield, attended this planting day and learned more about the efforts Point Blue and San Benito RCD were making to support wildlife and biodiversity at this ranch.
The Bella Vista Ranch is located in Hollister, California between the Diablo and Gavilan Mountain Ranges. This 40-acre ranch is owned and operated by 4th-generation farmers who produce their own Italian, pasture-blended olive oil. The ranch is home to donkeys, cows, goats, chickens, a bull, a horse, barn cats, and their livestock guardian dogs.
This field day was part of Point Blue's Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW) Program. STRAW is a collaborative network of students and teachers who lead their communities to restore local ecosystems. This program teaches participants what habitat restoration is and why it is important. Participants also learn about native plant species and their importance.
On this particular day, Bella Vista Ranch welcomed students, teachers, and chaperones from Tres Pinos Elementary School to assist with the planting of a hedgerow containing California buckwheat, blue elderberry, California lilac, hollyleaf cherry, California coffeeberry, and more. This project was in line with the farmers' goals of improving resources for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Prior to planting, Point Blue employees gave a demonstration to participants to show them how to properly prepare each space for planting. They reviewed each tool and step in detail educating participants about the process. Taylor worked with Karminder Brown, the Executive Director of San Benito RCD, to plant some California buckwheat.
The photos above show some of the plants that were ready to be planted in the hedgerow, a planting demonstration, and a progress photo of some California buckwheat being planted.
By lunch, participants had made a great amount of progress. The photo below was taken at the enterance of the hedgerow.
