A Shangri-La for Food
La Puma Farms
Established in 2011, this regenerative farm's roots are in an abandoned shade flower nursery with a few avocado trees which had thrived until just five years before. Designed by John La Puma, the Santa Barbara farm features 14 different “rooms”, reclaimed redwood pathways and a fanciful and artistic approach to gardening and landscape. The farm's unique positioning both within a mile of the ocean and in a hidden wooded valley allows for maritime sea smoke to filter through, for lichen to cling to heritage oaks and an old apricot tree, and for late day sunshine to settle and linger.
Why We Farm
John La Puma, the farm’s designer and farmer, believes in enhancing food security, building resilience and creating beauty wherever he can. He also believes that home grown produce tastes better, is more nutrient-rich and is better and more delicious ``culinary medicine`` than any other produce. He’s fortunate to have contributed to that body of medical knowledge (see below). Lastly, he believes that regenerative farms which build drought-resistant healthy soil can help fight drought, improve fertility, encourage biodiversity, develop fungal ecosystems and boost productivity. Those are all goals of the farm.
John La Puma
John La Puma MD is a wellness and nutrition expert and a leading voice for nature based solutions as part of one's personal medical health. He is a New York Times best-selling author, a board-certified specialist in internal medicine, a professionally trained chef and co-founder of ChefMD. He is credited with pioneering culinary medicine, a discipline taught in 66% (2002) of U.S. medical schools. Dr. La Puma taught the first cooking and nutrition course in a U.S. Medical school, at SUNY-Upstate, with Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center founding director Michael Roizen, M.D.
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