126 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM environment, Chris was hired. He started with 40 cows to prioritize restoring balance to the land. It’s a process Chris has been honing for the past 11 years, always learning and adapting. He describes what he is trying to do plainly: “All we're trying to do here is mimic Mother Nature. That's it.” Chris grew up raising animals just up the coast. “Where the golf course is in Half Moon Bay used to be a ranch,” he says. “I was in the FFA (Future Farmers of America). I was heavily involved in that. I didn't play sports or anything. That's what I did.” He raised and showed pigs. He earned his American FFA degree, the mark of achievement growing up in agriculture. Then after high school, he naturally gravitated to working outdoors rather than sitting in a classroom. His approach to ranching developed over time. “I was raised by some super old-school guys,” he says. “They probably wouldn't try what I try here, but they gave me the basis.” From there, Chris learned by doing, and by listening to others, including conversations with his brother, who was Back to the Land
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