1 Gun Ranch — William Charleton

“If we do not believe within ourselves this deeply rooted feeling that there is something higher than ourselves, we shall never find the strength to evolve into something higher”

— Rudolf Steiner

This picture is a clickthrough to 1gunranch.com in a new window.

1 Gun Ranch is a farm in Malibu that practices many biodynamic methods. I’ll do a more comprehensive post on why I love biodynamic farming in the future, but for now I’ll give a quick run down. It was developed by Rudolf Steiner and laid out in a series of lectures. They were transcribed and are sold under “A Course in Agriculture” by Rudolf Steiner. Essentially, it’s farming as if the entire farm were an eco system, and taking into account astrological positions. This makes sense because a farm is an eco system. Biodynamically grown produce tastes better, is more nutritious and lasts longer. I love the broccoli from 1 Gun especially because it’s a little bit spicy. That’s a good thing! It means there’s more sulfur than the usual farmed broccoli.

This past Saturday(7/11), 1 Gun Ranch hosted an open house, which my friend LB and I attended. I think that’s pretty impressive on its own, how many farms do you know that invite you on to see how everything is done? There’s a law prohibiting undercover filming at farms for a reason, but not there! 1 Gun Ranch is located in beautiful Malibu, with a clear shot of the ocean. It’s tucked away on this long, windy, hilly road that I would love to take a 911 Turbo on. It’s like a hidden gem at the end of a gold necklace.

Let me be the first to admit, I’m terrible with names. I spent a good deal of time talking to guys about compost. One man was Jack, an extremely knowledgable and friendly gentleman. The other guy was the manager of the farm, whose name escapes me. His name was “Bal” something. When he told me his name, it made perfect sense to me to just call him “Baal,” after the Egyptian god of thunder, who rides the great white clouds. 1 Gun Baal rides a white stallion named Freddie through the hills of Malibu to the beach every morning, with all the other horses following behind. So picturesque! Baal and Jack get to do fun things, because they love what they do.

I feel even better supporting 1 Gun Ranch after talking to Baal and Jack. There is some real integrity there. They aren’t just employees of the farm, they are the farm. None of it would be possible without them. Baal and Jack took the time tell me how important the ecosystem of the farm is, how the soil is foundational and how much they enjoy the produce of their labors.

I went to this open house not knowing much about the specifics of the farm. From what I gather, Alice Bamford is the founder. Jack told me to look for her at the open house, and that she would be easy to spot because she’s a “walking blonde haired angel.” I did a quick google of her name, which autofilled “billionaire” at the end. Apparently, she’s also well known for an Instagram post photobombed by Kanye at Nobu. I love she has enough money that she could do virtually anything, and she chose to open an amazing ranch, using what I think are some of the best farming practices. I can’t wait to go back and help out with compost preparation!

Alice, if you’re reading this and thinking about opening a restaurant, email me!