Articles by Rebecca Thistlethwaite
My husband Jim and I have been farming intently for about five years now, at TLC Ranch near Santa Cruz. Our business has grown by an astonishing 3,500% in 5 years—ridiculous, I know!—but somehow we have yet to see a net profit at the end of the year.
On this particular visit, my friend, in her labored English, told me about her father’s role in the local forest. From her description of his duties and responsibilities, I automatically imagined him to be a Forest Ranger. As she continued to explain, I then understood he was not a Forest Ranger, but rather, a “steward of the land.” He and other villagers cared for the forest. They cull the sick and injured animals. They keep stock of the predator/prey balance and act accordingly. They put out food when natural conditions did not provide enough. They raise pheasants and other fowl on communal land and release them into the forest when they are certain of the bird’s survival.
