Hidden Canyon Ranch + Farms is Excited to Announce: Farm Tours Starting in June!

by May 29, 2020News

At long last, our farm tour dates are here!

The county of Santa Barbara is slowly opening up which means we can begin our tours!

 

First of all, we are so excited to have you here. It is such a joy to share our beautiful ranch and Farm with you.

Your safety is a top priority for us. In accordance with State and Local Guidelines, here is a quick rundown of how we will implement our farm tours:

  • Your tour will be limited to people in your household. This means our tour times are super limited, so book asap.
  • We must require that you wear a face covering.
  • Before your tour, we sanitize all surfaces that you may come into contact with, such as the gates and railings on animal yards.
  • Before your visit, we sanitize the restroom & hand-washing station according to CDC standards.
  • We supply you with hand sanitizing stations throughout the tour.
  • Your tour guide will always maintain a distance of 6’ or more from your group.
  • The entire tour is outdoors in the farm-fresh air!

Here is a little taste of what a tour includes!

The Animals

Yes, you will get to meet Luigi, our baby mini donkey with ears like a bunny.  He’s as soft and cuddly as he looks and you get to give him a hug or even brush him if you like (He likes!).  And don’t forget Joshua, Luigi’s “big brother”, one of the friendliest donkeys you’ll ever meet.

We will also have up-close experiences with our yearling Jersey cow, Trixie, our friendly goats, tortoise & bunny.  Often the horses & llama come down to the fence line as well looking for a handful of grass.

Busy on the Ranch is a large flock of chickens and sheep, each with a faithful guard dog in their midst. These are our working animals and we will introduce you to their habitats and tell you all about how we raise them without added hormones or antibiotics. Our nutritious, delicious eggs and our pasture-raised lamb, are offered for purchase at our Farm Stand, when available. 

And the occasional ranch dog will likely follow along as we walk through the ranch, especially if you give them a scratch behind the ears.

Compost

We are proud of our growing compost operation.  We use the “output” from all of our animals as well as grape pomace from the winery to create our special compost blend.  An important part of our compost operation is our vermiculture (a fancy word for worm farming) bin, which we would also love to share with you. 

Organic Gardens 

We have our backyard lettuce & herb garden going year-round, using our amazing compost. Additionally. our bigger gardens always have something popping up. We offer our fresh produce for purchase in our Farm Stand, which is also part of your tour!

Vineyard

Our pinot noir vineyard is farmed drawing from the basic tenets of biodynamics, sustainability, and regenerative agriculture. We will walk you through and explain how we do it and how we soon plan to plant our next vineyard even more directly in line with these farming principles. 

Farm Stand

As mentioned, we offer our fresh produce, our fresh free-range eggs,  exclusive Hidden Canyon Ranch + Farms swag, and other goodies at our Farm Stand at the conclusion of your tour.

Each tour is 90 minutes.  Wear your walking shoes. No open-toed shoes, please. And don’t forget your mask!

Summer 2020 Dates: 

Remember only one household per tour, so only one spot is available at each time.

June 13 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

June 27 @1 0 am and 1:30 pm

July 3 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

July 4 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

July 18 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

August 1 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

August 15 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

August 29 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

August 30 @ 10 am and 1:30 pm

 

With limited capacity for attendance, spots will fill up quickly!

 

Check availability and book your tour here!

See you at the Ranch!