Much of Rock Front Ranch, long known for its organic jujubes and raw honey, lies in ruin after the Gifford fire burned through the Cuyama corridor last weekend.

But amid the charred remains, a small team is already laying the groundwork for recovery.

“We were one of the first places to burn,” said Alisha Taff, chief farming officer and owner of the ranch. “There’s no pasture left for livestock, and no forage for the bees. Not just here, but across the surrounding national forest lands.”

Taff and her family have stewarded the land since 2003, when they first moved to the ranch. At the time, their focus was livestock and horses. It wasn’t until several years later, after Taff took a beekeeping course at Allan Hancock College, that the ranch began shifting toward bees and fruit trees.

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