Go inside One Gun Ranch, a gorgeous Malibu oasis where alpacas roam free - Los Angeles Times
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Go inside One Gun Ranch, a gorgeous Malibu oasis where alpacas roam free

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Tucked in the hills of Malibu with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, One Gun Ranch in Malibu is a little slice of Instagram-ready heaven.

Sadly, Instagram is the best place to view the majestic ranch as visiting the 20-acre compound is one of the toughest tickets in town.

Don’t despair. One Gun Ranch is open to the public several times a year, when owners Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring host workshops on composting and practical farming. You just have to consult their Instagram feed to find out when.

While you patiently wait, the couple’s gorgeous new book, “One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living” (Regan Arts, $40), takes you behind the scenes of their working farm with tips on biodynamic farming, an ages-old approach that fuses agriculture with spirituality, exercise offerings and simple recipes.

Need more reasons to go?

Clementine

Rescued animals roam free on the property, including alpacas Eleanor, Louise, Clementine, pictured below, Roosevelt and Winston.

Clementine is camera ready at One Gun Ranch in Malibu. (Christina House / For The Times)
(Christina House / For The Times)

Blue

Horses also roam free at the ranch and on nearby trails. So free, in fact, that Blue walked up to a table and started noshing on some carne asada at a recent press lunch.

Blue cozies up to the camera at One Gun Ranch in Malibu. (Christina House / For The Times )

Othello

Animals play a big role in creating a closed loop, or self-sustaining ecosystem at One Gun Ranch. Manure from all of the animals — horses, chickens and goats — is used as fertilizer. And unsold produce is never an issue with pigs like Othello around, pictured below.

Look closely and you'll spot Othello the pig. (Christina House / For The Times)
(Christina House / For The Times)

Luna and Billy

Among the 14 dogs at One Gun Ranch: Billy, pictured below, Boo, Snoopy, Dr. Watson, Whiskey Bravo and Woodstock, to name a few.

Another reason to go:

Billy the labrador mix takes a break. (Christina House / For The Times)
(Christina House / For The Times)

Laird Hamilton is a neighbor

Interviews in the book cover chats with leaders in the biodynamic movement, including the authors’ Malibu neighbors Laird Hamilton and wife Gabby Reece.

Renowned surfer Laird Hamilton prepares his standup paddle board in Malibu in this 2014 file photo. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Farm to table recipes

The new book also includes simple farm-to-fork recipes spanning beetroot soup (we can confirm its excellence) to turmeric poached halibut. Superfoods like fennel and spinach, shown below, are highlighted to demonstrate the vitamin-rich foods that you can grow at home.

Biodynamic recipes highlight super foods like spinach. (Regan Arts )

Clean greens

Think you have a black thumb? This is the book for you.

“You learn from doing,” says Bamford, a film producer and the daughter of an English lord — JCB Chairman Paul Bamford. “It’s about the right approach. We describe how to grow something in a raised bed outside or in a box in your kitchen window sill.”

Many chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, purchase produce at One Gun Ranch. (Christina House / For The Times)
(Christina House / For The Times)

Kismet

Bamford confesses she never set out to write a book.

The book came about when famed book publisher Judith Regan visited One Gun Ranch.

“She loves good food and grew up on a farm,” Bamford says of Regan. “She came to visit us at the ranch and we ate in our campfire kitchen. She said. ‘I’m in love with what you’re doing and everything you stand for. There is a book here.’”

Alice Bamford goes for a trail ride at her Malibu ranch. (Martin Lof)

What’s up with the name?

In case you are wondering, the ranch gets its name One Gun from its original owner, Matt Sorum, formerly of Guns N’ Roses.

The ranch was originally owned by drummer Matt Sorum, formerly of Guns N' Roses. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

DIY supersoil

The book will help you learn how to make your own biodynamic compost at home using a wide range of scraps and biodynamic preparations such as nettle, yarrow, chamomile, oak bark and dandelion.

The book details how to make supersoil, or biodynamic compost. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Back to basics

The book’s emphasis on biodynamics is a back-to-basics approach to life.

But is it really possible to slow down enough to take a spiritual approach to life?

More specifically, plant, harvest and eat according to the cycles of the moon?

"One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living" (Regan Arts, $40)

Joyful living

That’s Bamford’s hope.

“I want people to take away the belief that there is joy in living with the rhythms of nature,” she says. “Just go outside and do something. It’s a good tonic.”

Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring, authors of “One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living,” harvest lettuces at their 20-acre compound in Malibu. (Martin Lof )

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