Ranch Roots Weekend

One of The Ranch’s very own fitness instructors also practices health and well-being through her connection with nature and art. You will be dazzled by succulent planter displays made from upcycled materials such as wine bottles and California coast driftwood, all looking for a lovely home—maybe yours!

Local Vendor

What’s all the clucking about? Join our local 4-H club in chicken coop fun, where they will teach you all the ins and outs of caring for poultry. You’ll get to feed our cheeky chicks tasty snacks! For more than 100 years, 4-H has welcomed young people of all beliefs and backgrounds, giving kids a voice to express who they are and how they make their lives and communities better.

Community Partner / Educational Activity

Discover the fascinating world of bees and pollinators in this unique educational activity for kids! Children will be delighted as they reenact the way of a pollinator while learning about the fascinating lives of these essential creatures.

Educational Activity

We proudly welcome future hospitality leaders to share what they have learned about how the industry incorporates planet, people, profit, ethics, and equity into business models. We are thrilled to have these students engage with our guests on how they can become sustainable travelers and lead with change each trip they take!

Community Partner / Educational Activity

Engage with pollinator professionals from Project Apis m., a nonprofit that funds research and efforts to improve bee health and vitality across the nation. Visit their booth to explore recent groundbreaking research and learn about the importance of our tiniest artisans at Carmel Valley Ranch!

Community Partner / Educational Activity

Come taste and delight with Jen Parsons, a Central Coast beekeeper whose mission is to maintain sustainable apiaries and share the bounty of a bee’s hard work. You’ll come away with more than just a tasty treat—you’ll learn how bees can repair your well-being and leave you feeling a greater connection to your own community. Honey and beeswax products will be available for purchase.

Local Vendor

Experience the magic of red wigglers, the hard-working decomposers who like to BREAK IT DOWN! Join our compost guru, Don Hoch, at this interactive display where you can touch and hold our decomposers—all while learning how you can reduce your own food waste at home through composting.

Educational Activity

• Seed Bomb Making: Have you ever heard of a seed bomb? Our team will show you how to make one, so you can take it home and watch it grow—fast!
• Seed Mosaics: Make your very own piece of abstract art, all with the varietal shapes and colors of seeds!
• Garden Scavenger Hunt: What better way to explore our beautiful garden than a self-guided scavenger hunt? Among the blooms, you can discover our bounty at your own pace and uncover the intricate web of life that brings your favorite meals to your plate.
• Ranch Steward Pledge: Visit all the booths to receive a stamped “passport” and become an honorary Ranch Steward.

Would your body benefit from a stronger connection with the Earth? Explore the science and meditative practice of nature grounding, where you will be led on a short walk from The Lodge to a scenic spot, then take off your shoes and enter bliss. You will leave feeling relaxed, inspired, and connected.

Join our birding expert on an informative hike in search of The Ranch’s flightiest residents—the seasonal and year-round birds flitting, soaring, singing, chirping, and strutting around the property. We’ll supply the binoculars; you bring your eagle eye and patience! Beginners are welcome—but please leave pets at home.

Send the kids up to the Hilltop to try out life as a Ranch Hand! They will enjoy a morning full of animals from around the world, lasso lessons, and even an introduction to ranch chores. Your Junior Rancher will team up with the real Ranch Hands of Carmel Valley for an entertaining and educational experience they’ll never forget.

Experience beekeeping at its fullest—from hive science to honey tasting and more. Each class will begin in the Organic Garden, where we’ll go bee-hind the scenes to examine the connections between plants and pollinators. Then we’ll suit up and head into the Apiary for a closer look at The Ranch’s tiniest artisans in action!

Meet our flock and take a walk on the wild side with Shepherd Joss Harris Hoch, her sheepdog Ben, and our sheep. In this unforgettable experience, you will learn how The Ranch utilizes livestock to meet sustainability goals and reduce wildfire risk. Then you’ll get to craft a hand-made loofah soap—wrapped in cozy wool from the sheep you became acquainted with during your time at the hilltop.

Join us as we create natural candles with locally sourced beeswax, products sourced from our own estate, and repurposed vessels. Infuse the candles with herbs and blossoms from our Organic Garden and essential oils—including oil made from lavender harvested right here!

Join Carmel Valley Ranch beekeeper Rachel Sutton and Jen Parsons of State Street Honey for a sensory exploration of honey and the amazing story behind it. Our beekeepers will guide you through a tasting featuring unique honey varietals both from our property and around the state. Discover the fascinating range of textures, colors, and forms honey takes as you get a chance to sip mead, savor chewy comb honey, and much more!

Join our naturalist on a leisurely, family-friendly walk to enjoy stunning views of The Ranch as you learn about our 500-acre playground and all the unique species that inhabit it. Furry friends welcome! Easy to moderate difficulty.

Discover the fascinating world of honey bees in this unique educational activity for kids! Children will be delighted as they buzz, run, sing, and dance their way through colony life, all while getting an introduction to the lives of these fascinating creatures. They’ll even get a chance to create their own bee habitat to take home!

Join our Ranch Hands at the Organic Garden for a native plant restoration! You will learn how to properly transplant these natives while exploring how they rejuvenate our native ecosystems and provide habitat for our pollinators.

Experience beekeeping at its fullest—from hive science to honey tasting and more. Each class will begin in the Organic Garden, where we’ll go bee-hind the scenes to examine the connections between plants and pollinators. Then we’ll suit up and head into the Apiary for a closer look at The Ranch’s tiniest artisans in action!