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O J AI M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

PUBLISHED SINCE 1982 BY OJAI VALLEY NEWS

FALL 2026

M AG A Z I N E

ALSO:

Rail to Trail Mystical Expatriates

INSIDE:

Groundswell the movie Going global for the next generation

Terra Sculpture Love at 3,000 Feet Wines of Disorder Ojai's Hollywood History

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EDITOR’S NOTE - 24 COVER STORY Groundswell — The Movie Goes Global By Mimi Walker - 30 ART & CULTURE Wedding at 3,000 Feet - 40 By Kelsey Klein Tindall Ojai Sculptor Jennifer Asher - 50 By Kim Lamb Gregory Morgan Carriages - 68 By Tom Moore The Haunting of Moreno Manor - 90 By Grant Phillips

FALL 2026 VOLUME 44 NO. 3

HISTORY Mystical Expatriates - 60 By Kathryn Stelmach Artuso When Hollywood Rode Into Ojai - 78 By Elise Puydt, Craig Walker Rail to Trail: The Ojai-Ventura Special - 112 By Craig Walker

FOOD & WELLNESS Wines of Disorder: Side Street Wine - 98 By Rob Shepyer Charms of Chia - 108 By Sharon Palmer Ayurvedic Apothecary Sukha - 120

By Karen Lindell

We’re Going To Need a Bigger Camel - 128 By Johnny Fonteyn CALENDAR OF EVENTS - 86

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Editor’s Note: Fall 2026 In this fall issue, Ojai Magazine peeks into the belly of the vortex for the answers to life, the universe, and everything Ojai. We go back to our past future-thinkers to gain perspective and inspiration, and watch the layers of movers and shakers build upon each other, like sedimentary rock over eons. We invite you to consider these overlaps of minds and movements, leading us to today, as you read this issue.

MAGAZINE

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Laura Rearwin Ward ART DIRECTOR T Christian Gapen

The issue picks up in 1898 when Ojai let the world in. Tracks were laid and the Southern Paciﬁc railroad — now the Ojai bike trail — chugged in a new era of growth (“Rail to Trail,” pg. 112). In 1917 industrialist Edward Libbey of Ohio renamed the town of Nordhoff “Ojai.” Libbey ﬁnanced a transformation of Ojai, and led its City Beautiful movement as it blossomed into a prosperous and increasingly cosmopolitan city.

ASSISTANT EDITOR Karen Lindell WRITERS Mimi Walker Kim Lamb Gregory Karen Lindell Grant Phillips Rob Shepyer Johnny Fonteyn Kathryn Stelmach Artuso Craig Walker Elise Puydt Kelsey Klein Tindall Sharon Palmer Tom Moore

During the last few years of Libbey’s life, Jiddu Krishnamurti, a world spiritual teacher, was brought to Ojai from India by Annie Besant in the early ’20s for humanity’s evolution to enlightenment. He saw truth as “a pathless land,” preferring deep self inquiry and promoting an end to patriotism, war, attachment, and systems of authority, such as formal religion. Krishnamurti’s generational inﬂuence over the soul of the Ojai community gained traction in the ’30s and ’40s and onward to 1986 when he died, and remains strong today. Beginning in the 1940s — after he had published Brave New World — Aldous Huxley, from Los Angeles, and fellow writer Christopher Isherwood, of England, became a presence in Ojai and good friends of Krishnamurti. Ojai’s rebel writers Huxley and Isherwood were known as “Mystical Expatriates” (pg. 60); they too went on to inspire the world and shape the lens of California’s counterculture. Intermixed with the philosophers and intellectuals, Ojai’s Hollywood ties strengthened through the ’40s and ’50s with western cowboy star Rory Calhoun and his wife, actor/dancer Lita Baron. The outgoing pair brought entertainment and a vibrant nightlife to Ojai for decades, creating a legacy through culture and philanthropy (“When Hollywood Rode into Ojai,” pg. 78). Ojai’s lineage of sages and solution-seekers continues, inspired by the urgencies of our day. In this issue, we learn from our food and land visionaries. Farmer Johnny Fonteyn, a director at the Farmhand Foundation, illuminates the struggles of local growers navigating the bureaucratized world of organic growing (“We’re Going to Need a Bigger Camel,” pg. 128). Rebecca and Josh Tickell, of Ojai’s Big Picture Ranch ﬁlm fame, recently released the third movie in their regenerative agriculture trilogy, Groundswell (pg. 30). And so, many years after Ojai let the world in by railroad, here we are, questioning, incubating, and reaching back out, with a global movement to feed the world differently. With affection, Laura Rearwin Ward, editor & publisher

EDITORIAL SUPPORT Mimi Walker Georgia Schreiner ADVERTISING Dan Browne, director of sales Ally Mills, Kim Klester CONTACT magazine@ojaivalleynews.com advertising@ojaivalleynews.com ojaimag.com @ojaimag

Cover: Rebecca, Jedi, Athena Tickell at Big Picture Ranch Photo: Brandi Crockett

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Groundswell goes global

Big Picture Ranch’s regenerative reach grows By Mimi Walker

roundswell, documentary No. 3 in Ojai film studio Big Picture Ranch’s Kiss the Ground trilogy, is empowering farmers and citizens to think bigger about regenerative agriculture. Co-directors Josh and Rebecca Harrell Tickell, along with their daughter, Athena, and son Jedi, traveled across five continents to film Groundswell. As the film demonstrates, the United States — and even the Ojai Valley — can take a leaf from the books of Kenya, Uganda, Colombia, Brazil, India, and Australia about regenerative ag solutions. “Once we get to that 10% tipping point here in Ventura County, just like once we get to that 10% tipping point in the U.S., which would be 100 million acres (of regenerative agriculture) — we’re at about 86 million acres, up from 3 ½ million acres back in 2020,” Rebecca said. “Globally, that’s a billion acres we’re trying to reach with Groundswell, because that’s approximately 10% of global ag land. Then, it becomes an unstoppable force.” Looking back on Kiss the Ground (2020), “that was the first time people, for the most part, learned about drawdown biosequestration, so it was kind of an overview,” Rebecca said. Common Ground (2023) “is pulling back the curtain to see what’s holding us back. … My whole life is about helping farmers to heal, my own father included.” Groundswell, Rebecca added, is about “the global movement, this unstoppable momentum of people who are rising up in every area on Earth to lead the way to heal our soil, because they recognize that’s how we heal ourselves.” Woody Harrelson is back to lend his voice

to the cause as co-executive producer, alongside Demi Moore, the film’s primary narrator. “The difference with this film amongst the trilogy is that (it’s) about bringing you into the picture,” Moore said upon introducing the film at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in May. “It’s the consumer; it is you that will make the difference. And when you start asking for things to come from a regenerative farm … it will follow.”

At Cannes, Groundswell won the Golden Globe/Artemis Rising award for documentary feature. “To win an award of this level speaks so much to the power of this new genre of ﬁlmmaking and storytelling,” Josh said. “People love hopeful and true messages about the future. This is the time for us to show these messages as the global demand is surging globally for stories about solutions.”

Solutions from abroad

Josh explained. “That’s a great model for Ojai, because we have so many perennials, especially when we look at avocados and citrus. … A big part of regenerative agriculture is learning to co-plant and to integrate animals. A co-planting might look like an annual planted between rows of trees. An animal integration might look like a herd going through that co-planting after harvest once a year. Lots of different models that we saw overseas could be applied here, and (be) very proﬁtable.”

Josh’s favorite legs of the trip were in Brazil and Colombia, where agroforestry produces higher-quality, shade-grown coffee beans. Agroforestry is “using trees inside agriculture, or using agriculture inside trees,”

Another model is the integration of smileshaped berms that divert water and help prevent soil erosion, as seen in Uganda. “You cannot rely on the large water cycle to hydrate your landscape, which is what

“After 14 years of feeling the weight of the world … the feeling is relief,” Rebecca added. “It no longer feels like it’s on our shoulders to give people this information. Now people have these tools.”

Left, Rubén Darío holds green and red coffee cherries in Jardín, Colombia. Above, in a shot from Groundswell, Manvendra Singh Shekhawat rests on his manmade oasis in Jaipur, India. Photos courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

California is currently doing, and it’s catastrophic,” Rebecca said. “If we want a regenerative, balanced, stable ecosystem, you have to work with your small water cycles. … That’s what we learned in Africa, with the smile (berms), how they’re able to move the water to where it needs to be. … This is our moment to prevent the next drought from happening, because we have hydration right now, and we can use that and get smart and create our own version of smile berms to store that water.”

baby elephants. Women established bank accounts by selling milk from their goats to feed baby elephants, which “are the megafauna in that environment, and that’s what’s helping to restore the grasslands and bring back the rain.”

Rebecca also spoke fondly of witnessing how the Samburu people in Kenya resuscitated the grasslands by rescuing

Rebecca also witnessed the darker side of chemical company exploitation in Kenya through seed colonization. A 2012

Their trip was not without challenges. The family caught typhoid that lingered for two months, and they subsisted on tonic water to stay hydrated. Still, as Athena said during the Tickells’ Golden Globes award speech, “We all got typhoid, but it was worth it.”

amendment to Kenya’s 1972 Seed and Plant Varieties Act had rendered indigenous seed-sharing illegal. Anyone in Kenya who sold indigenous seeds not approved by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service could be punished “with jail time and a ﬁne they can never pay,” Rebecca said. This, she said, forced Kenyan farmers to use “genetically modiﬁed seeds, along with the chemical inputs they could transition to.” She said some families had to put up everything they own as collateral if they couldn’t repay the bank loan to receive more GMO corn and soy seeds, which don’t regrow on their own.

Above, the production crew shooting at the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. At far right, Rebecca working on a shot in Kenya, and at right, a barren agricultural ﬁeld in Queensland, Australia. Photos courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

O J AI M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

Some people, however, fought back, like members of the Seed Savers Network outside of Nairobi. As a result, a high court in Kenya ruled the banning of indigenous seed-sharing unconstitutional on Nov. 27, 2025, and farmers and advocates now “have this beautiful vault of seeds,” Rebecca said. Advocates hope seed-sharing continues not only as a regenerative practice, but also as a deep family and cultural tradition. “What most people don’t know is the United States Department of Agriculture actually keeps heirloom seeds, so you can write to the USDA or call your ag extension ofﬁce in Ventura County and request different seed varieties,” Josh added. “They have catalogs; some of those seed varieties go back almost 100 years … so that’s how people create their own varieties or varietals without the technology of genetic modiﬁcation or even hybridizing. People can get seeds that will grow well in their climate … that you can propagate year after year. It’s beautiful because everybody, from kids to grown-ups, can participate.”

Future projects Big Picture Ranch is now developing a sixepisode kids’ docuseries starring Athena, 12, and Jedi, 9. The network where Athena and Jedi Learn to Fix the Planet will stream hasn’t yet been announced, but Rebecca said they are aiming for a release date near Christmas. The series features Athena and Jedi “traveling around the world with us to make Groundswell, but through their lens,” Rebecca said. “They had cameras and they filmed where we went. It tackles really hard climate issues, but through a regenerative lens that’s inspirational for kids, and it’s a great way for adults and teachers to talk with kids about climate and agriculture and health.” Athena’s favorite place during their travels was Kenya. “I loved going to meet with the Samburu tribe,” she said. “I loved learning about all the different things they do and all the ways they can help, and how they just use their resources,” including subsisting on a diet of milk, blood, and meat. “I thought that was really cool … they were just kind of out in the wild, they’re one with nature, and I learned that was really powerful.” Athena also bonded with the Samburu people through beading — and lending them her GoPro camera. “They were so curious, and they got to see themselves for the very first time ever with that GoPro,” Athena said. “It was such a cool experience, watching them see themselves for the first time.”

O J A I M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

Clockwise from top: Demi Moore, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, Jedi, Athena and Josh Tickell at the Groundswell premiere at the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 13; Woody Harrelson back on set; an Indian farmer plants rice in a rice paddy ﬁeld, Tamil Nadu; and Jedi’s hands-on experience milking goats in Kenya. Photos courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios and Big Picture Ranch

Another show, Women in Regeneration, is in the works, Rebecca said, highlighting women in regenerative leadership roles, with plenty of additional A-list support. And for eight years she’s been developing a documentary about the agricultural history of Ventura County starring the late Oscar-nominated actress and activist Diane Ladd of Ojai. Rebecca said the ﬁlm will describe “what this land used to look like and Indigenous practices that happened here” before the shift to heavy industrialization, “to the point that Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez called Ventura County ‘the last plantation’ and quit on Ventura County because it was so stuck in that model.” That model is ﬁnally starting to change because of local leaders who are “rising up to save our county,” Rebecca said.

Those leading local individuals and enterprises, in Rebecca’s view, include Poco Farm, Ojai Roots, Reynolds Fleming of Totem Ranch, Natalie Buckley-Medrano of Mama Tree, Steve Sprinkel of Farmer and the Cook, John Fonteyn of the Farmhand Foundation, B.D. and Liz Dautch of Earthtrine Farm, Kali Coultas of Coultas Ranch, and Connor Jones of East End Eden. Despite the many challenges of making Groundswell, the process was worth it, Rebecca said, due to meeting people who “transformed and healed their soil through adopting regenerative practices. That’s my hope for what we can do here in Ventura County.” ■ Groundswell is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. For more information, visit bigpictureranch.com.

O J AI M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

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Love story

Kelsey’s cathedral length, silk-tulle veil waves on a breezy hilltop.

O J AI M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

at 3,000 feet Story by KELSEY KLEIN TINDALL AND GORDON TINDALL Photography by ALI BECK PHOTOGRAPHY

was 14, wearing Gap Kids from several seasons ago. Curly red hair I hadn’t learned how to tame, freckled face, acutely aware of my uncool factor. I tried to disappear into the corner of the Nordhoff High School band room, but the giant, colorful patches on my jeans weren’t exactly camouﬂage. I didn’t see him, but he saw me.

The music department performed at Carnegie Hall just months earlier, and I had missed out. I was homeschooled and already attending Ventura College, but the prospect of traveling and performing made Nordhoff intriguing. The bell rang. I slipped out the side door as he packed up his alto sax, wondering who I was. Then, on the first day of the fall 2003 semester, I reappeared in the percussion section. He listened intently as Mr. Wagner took attendance. “Kelsey?” “Here.” We passed each other every morning because our lockers were in the same block. Me: mid-sprint from zero-period PE, fighting frizz, two bags. Him: Abercrombie-fresh, Nokia in one hand, leisurely strolling to class. The music department’s spring 2004 tour was in Vancouver. One rainy day, I sat next to Gordon on the bus and asked what he was listening to. It was something that had been forbidden during my sheltered upbringing — probably Metallica or Nine Inch Nails. We struck up a friendship, talking on the hotel room landline every evening after students were segregated on their respective floors. The conversation turned to the topic of passions — my abundance, and Gordon’s apparent lack. “Isn’t there anything you like to do, just a little bit?” I nudged. “I used to like cooking when I was a kid,” he offered. When Gordon returned from a summer trip to South Africa, he signed up for Nancy Schectman’s cooking class at HELP of Ojai, a program pairing senior citizens with teens to build skills and self-confidence through food. This earned him an internship at the Ojai Valley Inn and a job as a line cook for the next two years. That same fall, we went to see Napoleon Dynamite. Was it a date? In my mind, definitely not. We remained “just

Gordon and Kelsey savor the sunset after the wedding ceremony.

friends” until something shifted in spring 2005. In April, Gordon asked me to the prom. The plot setup for a classic high school rom-com evolved into a beautifully complex saga spanning two decades, across different colleges, careers, and countries. Tech took Gordon to San Francisco, and I moved to L.A. for music. The transition to remote work allowed us to travel across the U.S. and Europe, eventually settling in Amsterdam for three years. And in August 2025, beneath a canopy of grapevines at Casa Maria Luigia, Gordon proposed. Days later, he suggested we wed on our 21st anniversary, April 11, 2026. Now the question was, where? Some of our most cherished memories made France and Italy top contenders. Lavender season in Bonnieux. Summer in Monterosso. Our betrothal in Modena. At the same time, Ojai was our origin story. Gordon and his mother, Joyce, moved to the valley when he was a child; a design class at Nordhoff and years at the Ojai Valley

Inn shaped his career. My grandparents, Rene and Mary Diets, emigrated from Holland in 1957 with their three daughters, Suza, Maria, and Paula. Rene built stone walls in Ojai’s East End, became Thacher School’s accountant, and painted landscapes en plein air. If only we could bring the two worlds together. My sister, photographer Olivia Klein, had recently shot for Ojai Mountain Estate, an emerging high-altitude winery owned by Olga Chernova. The trek up Sulphur Mountain was familiar because my stepfather, Bill Kee, resides minutes away. Past the gate, a narrow fire road hugs the hillside and unfolds into an expanse where the sky meets the sea. A final incline reveals The Ridge, a Mediterranean villa flanked by canyons, confronting the Pacific. It was otherworldly, yet familiar, like something out of a Studio Ghibli film. If any property embodied Ojai’s reputation of Shangri-la, this was it. As the Estate’s first wedding, we were enthusiastic test pilots, thriving at the intersection of creativity and execution. We committed to honoring our history and collaborating with local talent. The “why” of every choice was our North Star; if it didn’t connect to a shared, real-life experience, it didn’t belong. The week after our engagement, we visited the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris and concluded that “Water Lilies” would be the perfect color story. It was Monet’s back yard, admired by the world. A parallel to Ojai and a poignant throughline to my opa, Rene. We turned to Jack Crow Buckley, a floral sculptor known for whimsical, organic shapes, and foraged blooms. Jack adorned the day with lavender delphinium, indigo-centered anemones, ivory tulips, and periwinkle irises generously harvested from his garden that morning. My bouquet sprang with sweet peas and dripped in pink jasmine — sentimental flowers honoring my father, Ted Klein, who passed in 2023. We sourced decor from Ventura Rentals and Theoni Collection, drawing from the palette of “Water Lilies,” the unfussy elegance of Italy, and the grounding spirit of Ojai. Dining tables curved with the landscape, and lights threaded through the fruit and jacaranda trees. Place settings paired “Amalfi”-pattern dishes with pewter flatware and tumblers in tonal blues and greens.

O J AI M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

FACING PAGE: Gordon and groomsman stroll on the grounds of The Ridge before the wedding ceremony; the elegant setting for the reception among craggy oaks; a new take on bubble bath. THIS PAGE: The ceremony situated at The Ridge with spectacular mountain views.

Clockwise from top: the newlyweds turn to a shower of rose petals; the hilltop site just after the ceremony; the Tindalls acsend the stairs after the ceremony; a pillard terrace offered striking views of the Topatopa Mountains.

Gordon designed the menus and invitations, letterpressed by Ojai’s Norman Clayton on the iconic Heidelberg. Food carried distinct culinary memories, beginning the day before with aperitifs and charcuterie at Ojai Roots and Indonesian street food at Little Sama. On the wedding day, our friend Jasper Lynn, founder of Rosalynn, ﬁred up an Italian-inspired feast of spring roasted veggies, bucatini aglio e limone, and grass-fed wagyu carved for each guest. A highlight of “replanting” in our

hometown was the Ojai Playhouse, where we discovered Bake Ojai’s pies. Fran Gealer molded 100 Harry’s Berries strawberry hand pies, plus a Meyer lemon cake — a nod to the pie I baked Gordon when we dated. Childhood friend Lindsey Boubel baked 175 chocolate crinkle cookies inspired by Willa Jean, a favorite New Orleans spot. Justin Garcia, the mixologist behind many menus around town, crafted a vanilla bean old-fashioned and spicy pixie margarita with fresh citrus from Friend’s Ranch. A

front-of-house team from the Ojai Valley Inn and The Ranch House seamlessly connected the dots, passing Rosalynn’s small bites and pouring Ojai Mountain Estate’s 2022 blends. Though I developed the creative concept and production plan, it was impeccably executed by Emmeeza, an L.A.-based boutique event company helmed by Emily Lampman. Emily is “the director” archetype. I trusted her fully. Our quest for painterly images led us to Ali Beck, a Santa Barbara-based

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photographer who fuses a fine-art background with nimble intuition, yielding emotionally palpable snapshots. One serendipitous night at the Deer Lodge, a mutual friend introduced us to Ojai filmmaker Micah Van Hove, who agreed to capture our day on both Super 16 film and digital. Documentation began at The Turtle Conservancy, where Gordon and his groomsmen stayed the night before. He donned his green linen-wool suit by Sartoria Solito, ivory shirt by Luca Avitabile, and a cream tie and pocket square from E. Marinella — a bespoke ensemble crafted and fitted during a weeklong trip to Naples. At The Ridge, I shed my cotton terry cocoon for a blue silk Fleur du Mal robe, testing the bounds of the sacred timeline to squeeze in a quick boudoir session before being cinched into my Bon Bridé “Grace” gown. On my left hand, my mother’s Indonesian bracelet, and on my right, a blue topaz ring from my father. A silktulle veil by Ofrenda featuring hand-beaded wildflowers, including a custom Matilija poppy, trailed a cathedral length. The ethereal arrangements of harpist Heather Freed, perched at the edge of the lookout point, summoned guests. The groom and wedding party processed to Ludovico Einaudi’s “Nuvole Bianche.” Freed transitioned to Lana Del Rey’s “Say Yes to Heaven” as I, accompanied by my two nephews, descended the stairs to meet my mother, Paula. The ceremony was officiated by my brother, Ryan Connell, owner of Jim & Rob’s, who had planted an Easter egg of his own: Rather than a traditional podium, his binder rested on a music stand stenciled with “NHS Music Department 2003.” Following a burst of kisses, we walked back down the aisle to the theme from The Princess Bride. DJ Willie Nelson guided the atmosphere from cocktail hour through dinner with a European-leaning soundtrack featuring artists like Piero Piccioni and Air. As the sun dipped and city lights swelled along the coastline, we cut the cake to “Archie, Marry Me” and mouthed every word during our dance to “Somewhere Only We Know,” which peaked the week of our first kiss in February 2005. Commencing with Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead” and closing it down with Avicii’s “Levels,” the dance floor was packed for as long as noise ordinances allowed. In comically perfect timing, it started to drizzle as Adrianus “Dutch” Vanhemert

As daylight turns to twilight Gordon and Kelsey share their ﬁrst dance as a married couple.

shuttled guests through the fog to their weekend abodes in town. The overnight shower cleared by morning for an intimate farewell brunch at Three Birds, a family-owned cafe serving serious cappuccinos, ﬂuffy eggs, and melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. Our wedding was the culmination of 21 years of love between us and poured out by family, friends, and community. Many guests had been there from the beginning. All represented signiﬁcant chapters in our lives.

After two decades together, some might assume this outcome was inevitable. Others might question, “Why now?” If great love stories have taught us anything, it’s that happy endings aren’t guaranteed. Often, love is an odyssey that takes you literally around the world. If you’re lucky enough to make it back home, to the heart of what drew your souls together, the only answer is to commemorate it. That is a rare and sacred gift. Then again, this is Ojai. ■

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Grounded in Innovation Ojai sculptor’s outdoor creations connect to the natural world Story by KIM LAMB GREGORY

he Pacific Palisades fire of 2025 spared their Malibu home, but sculptor Jennifer Asher and her husband, Bob Asher, knew it was time to move. Life in Los Angeles had long felt stifling for them, so they began exploring new communities — like Ojai.

“We were driving up Foothill Road one day and I looked up to see a redtail hawk circling in the sky,” Jennifer said. “I dropped my eyes and there was one of my sculptures sitting on top of this hill. I said to my husband, ‘Stop the car!’ It was so random and it was a sign.” There, overlooking the Ojai Valley and Los Padres mountain range was a sculpture Jennifer titled “Embrace” — two graceful arcs of stainless steel bending toward each other, catching the sunlight. “Embrace” is one of numerous large pieces Jennifer created through her outdoor sculpture business, Terra Sculpture, which evolved 17 years ago out of her landscaping business. Two years later she launched Terra Trellis for her smaller backyard garden pieces. Jennifer created “Embrace” for Ojai homeowners Brian and Joyce Dowdall Vent, who had never met Jennifer, but were impressed with the work she showed online, so they commissioned her to create a piece to celebrate their home and its stunning 270-degree view of the Ojai Valley. “The sculpture is placed right by the spot where my husband and I were married, as a reminder of the commitments we made to each other and our family,” Joyce said, adding that she and her husband are also artists, so they have a deep appreciation for a talent like Jennifer’s. The chance sighting of her sculpture on the hill, and Ojai’s ambiance, beckoned the Ashers. “Living in Ojai makes you feel childlike,” Jennifer said. “It feels free here. It feels like you can roam freely and have that sense of exploration and discovery..” In 2025 the Ashers bought a house in Meiners Oaks at the end of a narrow, winding driveway that vanishes into the trees. “Welcome to our treehouse,” Jennifer tells visitors as they climb two ﬂights of wooden stairs to the Ashers’ sun-washed home, with balconies overlooking the surrounding forest. Jennifer’s sculptures line the driveway and surround the couple’s home, some of the kinetic pieces turning with the breeze. “With a kinetic sculpture, one piece becomes 150 different pieces,” Jennifer said. “Every inch of a sculpture can turn and become a different sculpture.”

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“Embrace” sculpture set against sweeping views of the mountains surrounding the Matilija watershed, where the landscape becomes an integral part of the art installation. Photo: Terra Sculpture

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: “Gracie Modern Arbor Moongates” entwined with gourd and pumpkin vines framing a walkway with ﬂowering basil and creating an immersive living sculpture. Photo: Samantha Brown “Triptych Curvas,” oxidizing outside Jennifer Asher’s studio in Los Angeles. Photo: Terra Sculpture “Bird Cafe and Obelisk,” functional art, garden wildlife habitat installation woven with Sweet Pea vine. Photo: Rachel Weill “Egress,” installation in Stinson Beach, CA. Photo: Shades of Green Landscape Architecture

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The evolution of Terra Sculpture

Terra Sculpture pieces appear all over the world in public gardens, university campuses, healthcare institutions, hotels, commercial properties, and private residences, including the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. When Jennifer designs a piece for a public space, she takes her cues from the design team, but also from the space itself, and the type of engagement she hopes to inspire. When a rehabilitation hospital in New York state commissioned a piece, she created “Flight,” a stainless steel sculpture resembling three slim petals reaching up toward the sky. “A lot of my pieces explore renewal and rebirth,” Jennifer explained. She also was commissioned to create a piece in honor of the late UC San Diego scientist Roger Y. Tsien, who discovered a groundbreaking green fluorescent protein from the crystal jellyfish that showed tremendous promise in the field of medicine, earning Tsien the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2008. The brilliant green of this protein can, for example, illuminate growing cancerous tumors or the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Jennifer decided to incorporate this brilliant green in “A. Victoria,” a 30-foot-long undulating powdered steel sculpture on the San Diego campus. Jennifer says her sculptures invite people to engage with the piece and the natural world around it. “The idea is to have it be integrated into the space,” Jennifer said. “The sculpture is not decoration. It’s not like an object. It’s something that creates an experience and holds presence and invites engagement.” She learned as a child how to find creative expression in materials all around her. Raised in New York City, she was the second of three daughters born to Richard and Joan Gilbert, an advertising executive and a fashion designer, respectively. Jennifer and her sisters grew up watching their mother create fashion and functional art out of everyday items. “She would repurpose things before it was a ‘thing,’” Jennifer said. “She would take these giant metal urns and find a piece of glass and it would become this gorgeous table.” When Jennifer was 11, the Gilbert family relocated to the San Francisco Bay area, where the raw intensity of the Marin County landscapes enchanted her. “I spent a lot of time wandering around by myself in nature,” she said. “I’d wander around the foothills and inspect all the leaves and nests and animal droppings — the weather and sky and everything around me.” Jennifer’s work reflects those days wandering through the dense groves of oak and redwood and along the rugged coast. “The constantly shifting coastal light still informs how I think of space light and form,” she said. After high school, Jennifer attended UC Berkeley as a social sciences major, then studied landscape architecture at UCLA. During her first job at public TV station KQED, where she helped create human interest documentaries, Jennifer met Bob Asher, a documentary producer and filmmaker. They married in 1996. The Ashers eventually welcomed a son, Theo, who is now 28, and daughter Annabel, now 26, and moved to the Los Angeles area.

Artist Jennifer Asher composes a new piece in her Los Angeles studio. Photo: Terra Sculpture

‘‘

To me, engagement is feeling the physical world around me — feeling it, looking at it, walking in it.”

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In 2002 Jennifer decided to pursue her dream of launching a landscaping business, which took off immediately. “It was in the early days of people wanting to do native gardens, so I was very busy,” Jennifer said. As much as she loved the landscaping business, she was increasingly drawn to sculpting outdoor pieces. “Landscape is inherently ephemeral — it is always evolving,” Jennifer said. “I found myself wanting to create something that could hold its presence within that change. Sculpture grew out of that desire.” She and a friend and business partner, Karen Neill, opened Terra Sculpture in 2009. Jennifer concentrates on the art and Karen serves as head of operations. When choosing a material for her sculpture, Jennifer always considers its installation in the elements, which could be a desert landscape, a snowy hillside, or a rainforest. She often works with stainless, weathered, or powder-coated steel, and copper. After sketching her design, Jennifer creates a maquette, a small wooden preliminary model of the sculpture. She then takes her design to a Los Angeles fabricator to shear, cut, and weld the ﬁnished sculpture.

Functional garden art

In 2011, Jennifer launched Terra Trellis, her take on traditional functional art for gardens, such as arbors, trellises, obelisks, and moon gates. “I designed this whole collection of sculptural plant supports I had imagined when I was a landscape designer — pieces that would be living in the garden and integrated with edible and ornamental plants,” Jennifer said. Debra Prinzing, a Seattle podcaster, writer, and founder of the Slow Flowers Society, an advocacy group for a more environmentally conscious ﬂoral industry, commissioned Jennifer to create pieces for her own garden. “True gardeners — people who are really plant-obsessed and spent all this energy getting beautiful plans for our garden — if we use these mass-produced or ﬂimsy off-the-shelf trellises, it seems like a disconnect,” Prinzing said. While writing for Sunset Magazine, Prinzing was impressed with a series of moon gates Jennifer designed for the entrance to the Sunset Demonstration Garden.

Artist Jennifer Asher at home in Ojai with “Starling,” one of her kinetic sculptures. Photo: Terra Sculpture

“It was a series of circular arches in which you can train plants,” Prinzing said. “That really put TerraSculpture and Trellises on the map for gardeners looking for something unique and different.” Award-winning Sausalito landscape architect Ive Haugeland said he loves Jennifer’s “different trellises, their shapes and colors. A usual trellis would be very metal or green, up against the — rectangular. Hers were these curliques, very playful, modern, and colorful.” Some of Jennifer’s Terra Trellis creations appear in school and community gardens where climbing edible plants like beans, peas, squash, and melons grow, becoming part of the educational experience. The larger pieces from Terra Sculpture cost from $2,500 to $10,000 or more, but the trellises and sculptural wildlife habitats range from $180 to $1,700, depending on the size. Her pieces continue to be in demand, and creating them continues to be a labor of love. “I think some people come to Ojai to disengage, but I came to Ojai to engage,” Jennifer said. “These days everybody thinks engagement is how many ‘likes’ they get on social media. To me it’s the complete opposite. To me, engagement is feeling the physical world around me — feeling it, looking at it, walking in it.” ■ For more information, visit terrasculpture.com or terratrellis.com.

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“Mystical Expatriates” The International Writers Who Shaped California’s Culture Story by Kathryn Stelmach Artuso

hen European writers ﬂed the chaos of the Second World War to land on the peaceful shores of Southern California, many were drawn like a magnet to Ojai, which was already a haven for artists and dreamers. Chief among them was Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World and advocate of LSD, who often visited Ojai to chat beneath the oaks with the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. Tripping on mescaline, hanging with Swamis, and founding the Happy Valley School, Huxley was idolized as a harbinger by the 1960s counterculture. In fact, much of California culture as we know it today is deeply rooted in the aesthetic and spiritual syncretism established by early and mid-20th-century European expatriates and émigrés, including writers, artists, actors, musicians, and visionaries. The list is longer than this, but here’s a sample of these luminaries, including several who graced Ojai with their presence. There were English writers such as Christopher Ishwerwood, W. H. Auden, Gerald Heard, and D. H. Lawrence. There were actors like Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, and Iris Tree, along with screenwriters such as Salka and Berthold Viertel. There were German philosophers, including Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse, along with German writers like Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht. And there were composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg.

Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden setting off to China from London’s Victoria Station in 1938. Photo courtesy of National Science and Media Museum

The creative cross-currents in this group involved a variety of proliﬁc collaborations, including those of Huxley and Isherwood, who co-authored several unproduced ﬁlm treatments such as Jacob’s Hands (1944). In 1997, while researching the authors’ works, the actress Sharon Stone discovered the typed manuscript hidden in a trunk at the Huxley estate. Likely inspired by Aimee Semple MacPherson’s Pentecostal ministry, the narrative explores questions surrounding miraculous healing and its aftermath. Isherwood and Auden also collaborated on several verse plays in the 1930s, including The Dog Beneath the Skin, a satirical and surrealist production about the search throughout fascist Europe for an Englishman, who turned out to be traveling alongside the group the whole time, disguised as a dog. Auden then went on to collaborate with Stravinsky

on The Rake’s Progress (1951) and wrote the libretto for the opera, which was based on William Hogarth’s lithographs — a Faustian tale of a man seduced by the devil, the city, and a bearded lady. This opera was performed in Ojai’s Libbey Bowl in 2019, highlighting Stravinksy’s longstanding relationship with the Ojai Music Festival, where he served as music director in the 1950s and helped garner global recognition for the event. The connecting thread among all of these expatriates and émigrés generally leads back to Huxley, who, for instance, introduced Auden to Stravinsky when the latter was searching for a librettist. A renowned polymath, Huxley was literally and figuratively a towering figure in English letters at the time — nearly six and a half feet tall — and Virginia Woolf described him as “infinitely long,” like a “gigantic grasshopper.” On the other hand,

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Aldous Huxley circa 1930. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Huxley’s friend Christopher Isherwood, whose novel Goodbye to Berlin was adapted into the musical Cabaret, was much shorter and described by Woolf as “jockeyish.” The two contrasting ﬁgures became fast friends in 1939 in West Los Angeles, sharing similar beliefs in paciﬁsm, mysticism, and Eastern philosophy. While Isherwood became a follower of Swami Prabhavananda at the Vedanta Society in Hollywood, Huxley was more aligned with the philosophies of Krishnamurti, and the two writers often visited Ojai to hear the Indian philosopher give talks in the famous Oak Grove. (Although Krishnamurti fenced off the area so that dogs and horses wouldn’t foul the sacred landscape, other threats bypassed the fence and emerged over time. A visit to the Oak Grove today reveals trees decimated by drought or hewn down.)

Residents of Ojai have likely heard the story of Annie Besant, the socialist, activist, and theosophist who discovered Krishnamurti in India and proclaimed him to be the prophesied “World Teacher,” destined to assist humanity’s evolution into a higher race of enlightened beings. While this belief foreshadows the “New Age,” the Age of Aquarius, it also contains darker echoes of early 20th-century eugenics. In 1929, Krishnamurti surprised his followers by turning down his role as the chosen one, proclaiming that “truth is a pathless land,” and that individuals should eschew organized religion altogether and follow no creeds, dogmas, or gurus — not even himself. Ironically, his followers largely disregarded this advice, perpetually ﬂocking to the grove to hear his philosophical talks. Truly a treasure trove of humorous insights regarding Southern California at the time,

Isherwood’s diaries elucidate many of these overlapping cultural connections. In May 1944, he recorded that he drove with the Huxleys to Ojai, to hear Krishnamurti speak in the famous oak grove: “Such a modest, slim, white-haired, boyish ﬁgure standing in the sunny shadows. He obviously hates lecturing: he seemed terribly nervous and embarrassed, and winced visibly when people interrupted with questions. An extraordinary assortment of people go to hear him … schoolteachers, apparently normal businessmen, small children, rich ladies, movie actors, farmers. And there are a few Theosophists of the old guard — bearded, smocked and sandalled —who sit regarding Krishnamurti with a kind of reproachful curiosity, because they ﬁrmly believe that, one day, he will announce his return to the movement and make a great historic speech

Igor Stravinsky (in foreground), Nicolas Nabokov, Vera Stravinsky and W.H. Auden, 1951, after the premiere of The Rake’s Progress.

Krishnamurti with Annie Besant in 1926.

Photo courtesy of Igor Stravinsky Fondation Archives

in favor of Mrs. Besant.” After the lecture, Huxley and Isherwood ate lunch with Iris Tree and Alan Harkness, the founders of the High Valley Theatre Workshop in Ojai. Their 1947 production of Macbeth, starring Tree as Lady Macbeth, was an acclaimed highlight of the first Ojai Music Festival. Isherwood’s diaries also record meetings with celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. In November 1939, “the biggest social event of the fall was an all-star picnic organized by the Huxleys at Tujunga Canyon,” including Bertrand Russell, Krishnamurti, Rosalind and D. Rajagopal, Anita Loos, Salka and Berthold Viertel, and Greta Garbo. “Garbo was anxious to meet Krishnamurti,” Isherwood writes. “She was naturally drawn to prophets —genuine or otherwise. ... She wanted to be told the secret of eternal youth, the meaning of life — but quickly, in one lesson, before her butterfly attention wandered away again. ... She and Krishnamurti were put next to each other, but they didn’t speak much. I think they were both scared. ... He was very quiet and modest, and never talked in ordinary company about philosophy or religion. He seemed fondest of animals and most at ease with children. Gerald [Heard] complained that he got violently upset about trifles — like catching a train — and showed little sign of inward calm. Certainly, he didn’t impress me as Prabhavananda did; but he had a kind of

Photo courtesy of Ojai Valley Museum

Yet German refugee writers like Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht were unimpressed with any gurus and with the paciﬁst mentality and evolutionary spirituality espoused by Huxley and Isherwood, often calling upon them to denounce Nazism more forcefully. “We got on to the subject of Vedanta, and Brecht fairly blew his top,” wrote Isherwood in his diary in September 1939. (Brecht was a committed Communist, who lived near Isherwood in Santa Monica.) “To him, it’s all fascism and superstitious nonsense. Frau Brecht joined in — like a Salvation Army lass — calling on me to repent and remember my duty as a revolutionary writer…. Brecht said Huxley was ‘verkauft’ — had sold out.”

While Mann and Brecht returned to Europe after the War — and under duress from the House Un-American Activities Committee — Huxley and Isherwood remained in Southern California to the end of their days, becoming quintessential symbols of the region. Isherwood and his partner Don Bachardy are celebrated as one of the ﬁrst openly gay couples in Los Angeles, while the 1960s counterculture lauded Huxley as its progenitor. The legendary rock band The Doors derived their name from Huxley’s 1954 book, The Doors of Perception (a title derived from the poet and mystic William Blake), which chronicles his mind-altering, mystical experiences with mescaline. With his severely impaired vision, Huxley embraced the tradition of blind seers and prophets — poets like Homer and Milton — whose loss of literal sight granted them deeper visionary insight.

When Thomas Mann’s son Klaus urged Isherwood to make a statement in support of the Allies in July 1940, Isherwood replied that he “would hesitate to make propaganda, at a safe distance of six thousand miles, encouraging other people to get killed in my place. ... I quoted Aldous’s argument, that civilization dies anyhow of blood poisoning the moment it takes up its enemies’ weapons and exchanges crime for crime.” In the midst of this heated conversation, “Thomas [Mann] was urbane as ever. If the English saved democracy, he said, he would gladly tolerate all their faults, even the Oxford accent.”

Although Krishnamurti disapproved of Huxley’s use of psychedelics to achieve spiritual experiences, the two nevertheless remained close friends. Kevin Wallace, the founding director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, notes that Huxley and Krishnamurti were both “exceptional minds, but very different,” illustrated by the anecdote of a time when they were on a walk, and Huxley pointed out a plant, rattling off his encyclopedic knowledge of its Latin name and medicinal uses. “He basically knew all the information about that plant, and Krishnamurti said: ‘You’re not seeing the plant at all. You’re putting

simple dignity which was very touching. And — there was no getting away from it — he had done what no other man alive today has done; he had refused to become a god.”

J. Krishnamurti, Ommen, the Netherlands, July 1928.

Beatrice Wood and Rosalind Rajagopal circa 1982. Photo courtesy of Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts

all that stuff on it, when you should just be here in this moment and experience the plant as it is.’ That story basically exemplifies their difference in philosophy. Huxley was a great intellectual, a great scholar, and Krishnamurti was very much about the moment and the natural world and being one with it all.” Wallace recalled other colorful details about Krishnamurti, such as his fondness for detective fiction and his love of fast sports cars. (Pedestrians knew to be alert when he was behind the wheel!) When Beatrice Wood, one of Ojai’s renowned artists, bought the lot across the street from Krishnamurti’s home, she was excited to visit and absorb some perennial wisdom from these famous figures. “She would know that Alan Watts and Aldous Huxley and Krishnamurti were all hanging out over there, so she’d want to go over there … to be a fly on the wall and listen to these conversations they were having,” Wallace said. “And then she’d go over there to find that they were playing board games or playing cards!” (Watts, who popularized Eastern philosophies for a Western audience, dubbed Huxley and Isherwood the “mystical expatriates.” Ojai resident Michael Frederick, who taught the postural Alexander Technique to Huxley’s wife, Laura, recalled that she was also friends with the yoga teacher Ram Dass.) When they did discuss their philosophical perspectives, Huxley and Krishnamurti encouraged people to understand their

prejudices and conditioning, including Pavlovian reflexes and ingrained habits of thought. Krishnamurti especially advocated “choiceless awareness” — contemplative observation free from judgment or preference. To this end, they co-created the educational blueprint for the Happy Valley School (now the Besant Hill School of Happy Valley), emphasizing small seminars, non-competitiveness, self-knowledge, Socratic dialogue, and discussion-based learning. Krishnamurti went on to found nine more schools, including Ojai’s Oak Grove School, where the curriculum emphasizes ecological concerns and self-introspection. Portia Johnson, the head of Besant Hill School, acknowledged the influence of Huxley and Krishnamurti but gave greater weight to the significance of women in the history and development of the school. “Annie Besant was our core founder, but she didn’t see the school into fruition before she passed away,” Johnson said. “Rosalind Rajagopal was like the steam engine. She was an amazing proponent for the school … and then she was the head for many years, and then she served on the board for many years. They used to call her the velvet hammer. She was really good at getting stuff done gently. She and Beatrice Wood were best friends, and so that’s why the Beatrice Wood Center is up on the hill there, because they built their homes next to each other.” Johnson also underlined the importance of the high school being created in the

Photo by Franz Ziegler

cataclysmic aftermath of WWII. “The trustees wanted to prevent the atrocities of the past,” she said, “and to follow through on Annie’s vision of having this international school as a place where people can learn from each other from all over the world, so as to have that global understanding and empathy for people from different places.” To foster such diplomacy, the high school primarily attracts international students, and the tuition ranges from $30,000 for day students to $75,000 for full-time boarding students. Even though Annie Besant may not have achieved her vision for the Happy Valley to become the site of humanity’s spiritual evolution into the New Age, Huxley’s 1951 commencement address suggests at least one way forward. Titled “Aun Aprendo,” which is the school’s motto, his speech underscored the importance of elastic curiosity and lifelong learning. The European expatriate writers and artists that ﬂooded Southern California during World War II also modeled the lessons of international diplomacy, as they studied, embraced, and molded the entire identity of a region, ceaselessly teaching the lifelong lessons of spiritual and artistic exploration. “The process goes on,” Huxley said, “from the cradle to the grave and, doubtless, beyond.” ■ Kathryn Stelmach Artuso, Ph.D., is a freelance journalist, a specialist in transatlantic modernism, and the author of Transatlantic Renaissances: Literature of Ireland and the American South.

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Right: Dan concentrates on lining up some bolt holes. Above: An old black carriage enjoys some tender loving care.

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Morgan P Carriages

at Morgan, a master welder, has been working in a specialized business for over 40 years: building and restoring beautiful carriages. His father, John, who died in 2014, was also involved with Morgan Carriages from the beginning. Both taught themselves the craft. Before the company began, John owned two markets in the valley: the downtown Oak View Market, and the Corner Market, at the corner of Santa Ana and Burnham roads, just east of Lake Casitas. When John was repairing a carriage of his own, a search for parts led him to Archie Hansen in the Central Coast town of Templeton. A developer, Hansen owned a building with a massive collection of parts and tools for working on carriages. As John left, he jokingly suggested that perhaps he should buy Archie’s entire inventory.

Story and photos by TOM MOORE

Dan and Pat with a newly restored carriage.

A week later, Archie called to see if John was serious. John decided he was, and he and Pat returned to Templeton to pick up the tools and hardware. Though Archie offered to let John pay off the purchase in installments, Pat said his dad paid it all off right away.

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John’s creative abilities and problem-solving, coupled with Pat’s welding expertise, helped them successfully restore John’s carriage. When word got out about capable practitioners in this specialized work, Morgan Carriages was born.

A pile of twisted metal, wood and leather is transfomed into something beautiful.

Now, Amish farmers in the Midwest are the Morgans’ primary suppliers of parts and tools. Pat said the Amish are the best sources due to their own use of, and expertise with, horsedrawn carriages. John and Pat’s passion for carriages is matched by their love of horses and riding in carriage competitions. When John took Pat to see one of these events, his son was hooked. Pat, after honing his skills as a horseman under the tutelage of Jesse Kahle, who for many years managed the horse program at The Thacher School, developed a passion for competitive carriage obstacle driving. These equestrian events, more than just races, feature challenging slaloms and combined driving events, which include driving up and down hills and water crossings. The judges scrutinize the carriages to verify they follows the prescribed course, and make sure passengers give no directions to the drivers, which is forbidden. Water crossings present a particular challenge, because some horses are reluctant to participate. On courses without a water feature, blue tarps are laid out to simulate a crossing, and even these give horses serious pause. Pat further developed his knowledge about carriages eby participating in clinics at post-competition

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events, often organized by the Whip’r Snapper Driving Society of Southern California. Pat’s dedication helped him win championships throughout California — at Rolling Hills Ranch, Temecula, the former Adohr Dairy in Camarillo, the Firestone Vineyard on Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in the Santa Ynez Valley, Palos Verdes, Gilroy, and Port Hueneme. Over the course of our conversations, I learned Pat is not interested in touting his skills and accomplishments, even though carriage work is a rarefied area of expertise. Pat mentioned that a man in Riverside, no longer living, worked with carriages, but only constructed new ones, and didn’t do repairs and restoration. A Camarillo man works on carriages, but not the same range of activity as Pat, and brings work to Pat that is beyond his ability. Morgan Carriages is highly respected in the field. For example, Yosemite National Park representatives made a long drive to Oak View with one of their carriages for repair. While doing that work, Pat took detailed pictures and made extensive measurements that allowed him to create a full replica. He also made modifications to strengthen the carriage’s structure so it could better withstand wear and tear from carrying visitors around the park.

The Helms truck prior to restoration.

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The Morgans coordinated part of the restoration of a beautiful horse-drawn fire engine by the California State Firefighters’ Association in Sacramento. They reworked wheels constructed by Amish craftsmen, converting them to rubber rims, and later doubled the width of the rims to make the rubber mount more securely. The fire engine participated three times in the Pasadena Rose Parade. They also built a carriage for Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and a rockaway carriage for Robert Wagner’s RJ Farms in Hidden Valley in Thousand Oaks. They’ve worked on carriages for the Autry Museum in Los Angeles and the Santa Barbara Carriage Museum, including a circus band wagon. For a restaurant, John fabricated wheels to match the chariot wheels in BenHur. An Irish tinker’s caravan during restoration

A gypsy wagon after restoration

One of their most challenging projects was the installation of an authentic gypsy wagon imported from Europe on the owner’s property in Hollister Ranch. The owner had originally planned to airlift the wagon by helicopter, which proved infeasible. Instead, the Morgans dismantled the wagon and oversaw its tortuous journey up a steep, unpaved road to its destination, where they reassembled it. Years later, when the property was sold, they once again dismantled the wagon, transported it down the same difﬁcult road, and rebuilt it at their shop. As he winds down this 40-year vocation, Pat is restoring a beautiful wagon. I recently had the pleasure of watching as he and some friends reconnected the body and wheels using a forklift. The task took about three-and-a-half hours due to Pat’s meticulous planning to ensure the painting and pinstriping would not suffer a single scratch. He lifted the forks high above the body, placed carpet-wrapped boards under the body, and installed heavy-duty straps under the boards and over the forks. He then lifted the body only a few inches so they could roll away the cart on which the body had been resting, and roll the wheels underneath it. Every step was completed with such patience and care, it was a delight to witness.

A Fire engine restoration

Once again, I am amazed to see such brilliant and distinctive craftsmanship emerging from a family business here in the Ojai Valley. ■

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soak it up

Soak up the last of summer at OVAC! Cool off with lap swim or recreational fun in our two Ozone-treated pools, unwind in a heated spa, or let the little ones splash in our wading pool. Cool down today at ovac.caclubs.com or call 805-646-7213.

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12615 Koenigstein Road | 4BD, 5BA | 4,000± Sq. Ft. | $7,850,000 Rancho Del Oso — one of Ojai’s most storied estates, where Old Hollywood heritage and extraordinary natural beauty converge across ten secluded acres.

5390 Rincon Beach Park Drive | 3BD, 4BA | 3,108 Sq. Ft. | $5,499,000 Refined oceanfront living with panoramic Pacific views and direct beach access within the exclusive gated community of Rincon Beach Park.

13100 Ojai Road | 5BD, 4BA | 3,895± Sq. Ft. | $4,500,000 A private Upper Ojai estate on 10.03± Acres where sweeping 360-degree views and iconic Topa Topa sunsets define everyday living.

3741 Grand Avenue | 2BD, 2BA | 1,399 Sq. Ft. | $1,690,000 Timeless 1935 Spanish Revival nestled beneath mature oaks in Ojai’s coveted East End, rich in original character and future possibilities.

259 Prospect Street | 3BD, 2BA | 1,455± Sq. Ft.| $890,000 Impeccably maintained Oak View home with beautiful native landscaping, sweeping valley views and direct access to the Ojai Valley Trail.

735 Garonne Street, Oxnard | 3BD, 2BA | 1,449± Sq. Ft. | $675,000 A beautifully maintained, move-in-ready condominium offering comfort, convenience, and easy access to The Collection at RiverPark and the 101 Freeway.

Cathy Titus 805.798.0960 DRE 01173283

cathytitusojai@gmail © 2026 LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. All data, including all measurements and calculations are obtained from various sources and has not and will not be verified by Broker. All information shall be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is independently owned and operated and supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

A HOME THAT STAYS WITH YOU.

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PRIVACY • BEAUTY • PRESENCE.

This is Ojai Living.

199 FAIRVIEW ROAD $3,690,000 ACTIVE

1121 SUNNYGLENN AVENUE, OJAI

Generous 3 bed, 2 bath, single-level home with a spacious family room, ideally situated on an approximately 13,000 sq. ft. lot in a quiet cul-de-sac on the east side of downtown Ojai.

Offered at $1,199,000

SOLD OVER ASKING!

156 EL CAMINO DRIVE

Charming 2 bed, 2 bath 1950s cottage. Priced right, beautifully staged, and marketed to perfection. Multiple offers. Sold over asking price.

1130 RANCHO DRIVE

Stunning 4 bed, 3 bath ranch on 2.5 acres. Thoughtful updates, beautifully presented, and strong buyer demand. Sold over asking price.

SOLD OVER ASKING!

314 W. SANTA ANA

Beautifully restored 3 bed, 2 bath Mid-Century sanctuary in one of downtown Ojai’s most desirable neighborhoods. Sold over asking price.

REPRESENTING OJAI VALLEY’S FINEST HOMES F R O M C OT TAG E S T O E S TAT E S

Let us help you achieve the best result for your home. CALL US TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY MARKET EVALUATION. TERESA ROONEY

AMANDA STANWORTH STELLA STANWORTH

SCAN FOR MORE INFO

805.575.6088 805.340.8928 805.218.8117 TeresaRooney@bhhscal.com AmandaStanworth@bhhscal.com StellaStanworth@bhhscal.com DRE: 05994439

DRE: 01262333

DRE: 02283655

© 2026 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH affiliates LLC. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS.

When Holly Celebrities Rory Calhoun, Lita Baron shaped ’50s Ojai nightlife Story by ELISE DEPUYDT AND CRAIG WALKER

n the early 1950s, downtown Ojai was usually quiet after sunset, even on weekends. The shops in the Arcade closed around 5 o’clock. As locals drifted home for dinner, Ojai Avenue settled into darkness beneath the towering oaks and pink-moment sunsets. Nightlife generally meant taking in a movie at the Ojai Theatre or attending the occasional Art Center play. Then, in 1952, a large neon rooster blinked above the Arcade and music spilled into the evening air. Cowboys, movie stars, singers, ranchers, oilmen, and wait staff crowded into a lively cocktail room called The Tack Room (now known as The Hub). Floor shows were held nightly Friday and Saturday at 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Celebrities made regular appearances, including one of Hollywood’s most popular Western stars and his glamorous wife: Rory Calhoun and Lita Baron.

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain Rory Calhoun starred as Bill Longley on the television Western series The Texan that aired on ABC for two seasons (78 episodes) from 1958 to 1960.

For nearly two decades, the couple helped transform Ojai from a sleepy small town into a place with a touch of movie-star excitement. Rory took part in so many local events he earned the title of honorary mayor. Yet Rory and Lita’s story was about more than celebrity appearances and nightclub performances. Their life also comprised family, generosity, heartbreak, and deep roots in the Ojai Valley.

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wood Rode into Ojai

A Hollywood Cowboy with a Troubled Past Before he appeared on a movie screen, Rory Calhoun had a life that sounded like something out of a film script. He was born Francis Cuthbert in Los Angeles in 1922 when his mother, Elizabeth “Betty” Cuthbert, was 16 years old. No father was listed on his birth certificate. Some accounts claim Betty was married to a gambler with the last name McCown who died shortly after Rory’s birth, but facts don’t bear out the tale. The truth became blurred over time. Rory’s early years were rough. As a waitress, his mother struggled financially, moved frequently, married, divorced, and finally settled in Santa Cruz with her second husband, Nathaniel Durgin. Rory became a troubled youth, and his stepfather beat him. During his teen years Rory was arrested for burglary, gun possession, and auto theft. He spent time in California’s Preston School of Industry reformatory and served three years at the El Reno federal reformatory in Oklahoma. One of the stable influences in Rory’s life was his maternal grandfather, Courtland Cuthbert, who lived in Ventura and, later, in Ojai, where he worked in termite and fungus control. Rory’s stepgrandmother was the former Florence Wilcox, sister of Webb Wilcox, who owned Wheeler Hot Springs in Matilija Canyon. Rory developed a love for the outdoors during his stays in Ojai. Prison changed him thanks to a Catholic priest, John J. Kanaly, who became another important influence in the young man’s life. Through boxing matches, discipline, and encouragement, Kanaly helped the rebellious teenager turn himself around. When Rory walked out of prison on his 21st birthday, he was determined to build a new life. He worked one hard outdoor job after another: logger, forest ranger, forest firefighter, miner, ranch worker, fisherman, and truck driver. Those years gave him the rugged, authentic image that later made him perfect for Western films.

Lita Baron and Rory Calhoun circa 1969

Francis Cuthbert Becomes Rory Calhoun In 1944, while horseback riding in the Hollywood Hills, Rory crossed paths with actor Alan Ladd, who immediately noticed the tall, broad-shouldered young rider and suggested he try acting. Ladd’s wife, Sue Carol, was a talent agent who introduced Rory (still Francis Cuthbert at the time) to the famed agent Henry Willson, then head of talent at Harry O. Selznick’s Vanguard Pictures. After Willson signed Francis, the studio changed his name to the more marketable Rory Calhoun.

The former juvenile delinquent quickly became one of Hollywood’s rising stars. Tall, handsome, athletic, and ruggedly masculine, Rory ﬁt perfectly into the booming postwar Western genre. He appeared in dozens of ﬁlms and television shows, eventually starring in the popular television series The Texan. Though critics sometimes dismissed him as a “beefcake” leading man, audiences loved him.

The Spanish Dancer Lita Baron’s story began far from California. She was born Isabella Castro in 1923 in the town of Bédar in Almería province

— part of Spain’s Andalusia region. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1928 and settled near Detroit, where her father worked in a steel mill and her mother operated a grocery store. Even as a teenager, Isabelita — as she was called — loved performing. She became a talented singer and dancer, specializing in ﬁery Spanish and Latin routines that electriﬁed nightclub audiences around Detroit. Before long she was performing professionally with the famous Xavier Cugat Orchestra and appearing in glamorous Hollywood nightclubs like the Mocambo and Ciro’s. When the movies called, she became Lita Baron, taking her mother’s maiden name. She was petite, dark-haired, charismatic, and energetic — a striking contrast to the towering 6-foot-3 Rory, who met Lita at the Mocambo nightclub. They instantly connected and fell deeply in love. In August 1948, the Hollywood cowboy and Spanish dancer married.

The Ojai Connection

Source: The Ojai, Jan. 21, 1954 Pete Castro, “Specks” Edde, and Mike Pletkovic opened Rory Calhoun’s Red Coach Inn at Five Points in Ventura in 1954. Entertainers in the photo are from the left: Larry Roberts, Rory Calhoun, Lita Baron, and Billy Daniel.

Though busy making movies in Hollywood, Rory had a love for the great outdoors that drew him back to Ojai. His grandfather, Courtland Cuthbert, and Courtland’s second wife, Florence, had purchased property in Ojai near Country Club Drive and Creek Road in 1939. In 1947, while Rory’s movie career was rising, a newspaper notice announced that he and actress Vera Evans would visit the Cuthbert ranch — often used by Hollywood studios for ﬁlming and publicity photographs — for a photo shoot. Courtland remarried after Florence died in 1946, and when he died in 1948, his widow, Wilma, inherited the ranch. Soon after, Lita Baron’s parents, Peter and Frances Castro, purchased the estate and moved to Ojai with their three youngest: Pete, Mary Lou, and Bob. Rory and Lita stayed in a guest cottage on the ranch whenever their busy schedules allowed. Deeply woven into community life, they attended local events, supported local businesses, socialized with residents, and brought entertainment and excitement to downtown Ojai.

The Tack Room Changes Ojai Ojai nightlife changed in a ﬂash when Lita’s brother Pete Castro and local businessman “Specks” Edde opened a cocktail lounge called The Tack Room inside The Hub Café in the Arcade in 1952. The business featured dancing, live music, and celebrity appearances. A giant neon sign with a spinning wagon wheel and blinking rooster lit up the Arcade, becoming one of

A pair of newspaper ads for nightclubs in the 1950s. Above, The Tack Room inside The Hub Café in 1952 (Source: The Ojai, Nov. 6, 1952) and the Stardust in Ventura (Source: The Ventura County Star-Free Press, Sept. 13, 1957)

the most memorable signs in Ojai history. Locals suddenly found themselves rubbing shoulders with movie personalities, musicians, and Hollywood visitors. Rory and Lita themselves often performed: Rory sang or joked with guests, and Lita sang and danced. Many Hollywood stars stayed at the Ojai Valley Inn, but few rubbed shoulders with the locals like Rory and Lita did. Ojai residents recalled that Rory was friendly

and easygoing, never putting on airs. Lita likewise became known for her warmth and outgoing personality. The Tack Room became a gathering place for ordinary Ojai residents looking for music, dancing, and fun.

Rory Calhoun’s Red Coach Inn In late 1953, Pete Castro and his partners took over a restaurant in Ventura, the Red Coach Inn at Five Points. To capitalize on Rory’s fame, they renamed the

Their active presence helped strengthen Ojai’s identity as both a rural hometown and a haven for creative people.

Scandal and Heartbreak Hollywood glamour often comes with turbulence, however. Behind the scenes, Rory and Lita’s marriage slowly began to unravel. Rory’s reputation as a ladies’ man followed him throughout his career, and rumors of affairs circulated in Hollywood gossip columns. In 1966, Rory filed for divorce, accusing Lita of extreme mental cruelty. The couple briefly reconciled, but the peace did not last. Three years later Rory filed again, this time accusing Lita of infidelity. She countered by claiming Rory had been involved with dozens of women. A famous Hollywood quote emerged from the ugly proceedings after Lita alleged that Rory had affairs with 79 women. Rory reportedly joked, “Heck, she didn’t even include half of them.” The line became legendary in Hollywood gossip history.

Lita Baron and Rory Calhoun with daughters Tami and Cindy.

establishment Rory Calhoun’s Red Coach Inn. According to Bob Castro, his mother, Francis, was the ﬁnancial whiz behind the family’s business adventures. Like The Tack Room, the restaurant featured entertainment and nightlife, and Rory and Lita performed there frequently alongside others. For a time, the Red Coach Inn was one of the best-known nightspots in Ventura County. After the original building burned in 1957, a new nightclub, Rory Calhoun’s Stardust, was built at the same location. Ray Bannister and Arnold Darwin took over the Stardust business in March 1960 and reopened as the Ban-Dar. Years later, the Ban-Dar became a popular country-western club. These nightclub years further cemented Rory and Lita’s image as Ventura County celebrities who actively participated in local life.

The Rocking Star Ranch Rory’s love for the outdoors also left a lasting mark on the backcountry north of Ojai. Around 1949 he purchased the former Lathrop hunting camp along Sespe Creek in Rose Valley and established a guest ranch, Rocking Star Ranch, which drew guests eager to experience California’s rustic side with a real movie cowboy. The Sespe wilderness had long attracted

hunters, campers, and adventurers. Rory, who loved horses, hiking, fishing, hunting, and campfires, fit naturally into that environment. He didn’t merely play a cowboy on screen; he genuinely preferred outdoor life. And Lita went along, bringing hiking boots, plenty of reading material, and her white French poodle, Susie. But the ranch’s greatest legacy came later. In 1958, Rory donated the majority of the 155-acre property to create a Boy Scout camp. Hundreds of Ventura County Scouts experienced camping, hiking, and outdoor education there.

Ojai Royalty In 1964, Rory and Lita purchased the Ojai estate from Lita’s parents and settled more permanently into valley life. By then they had three daughters — Cindy, Tami, and Lorri — and appeared to many residents as a successful, picture-perfect family. (The girls went to school in Beverly Hills, where the family maintained a residence.) When asked to help with a community event, Rory invariably said yes. He attended charity functions, civic celebrations, and nonproﬁt fundraisers; served as grand marshal of Ventura’s Fourth of July parade in 1953 and Ojai’s Independence Day Parade in 1963; and was named honorary mayor of Ojai in 1962.

But genuine pain existed beneath the humor. The divorce became ﬁnal in 1970, ending a marriage that had lasted more than two decades. Lita received custody of their daughters, and for Ojai residents, the couple’s divorce marked the end of an era.

Life After Ojai Post-divorce, Lita moved to Palm Springs with her daughters and reinvented herself once again. She hosted a celebrity interview radio program, “Lunch with Lita,” and became successful in real estate. Friends remembered her as stylish, witty, and sociable. Lita died in 2015 at age 92. Rory continued acting for decades in ﬁlms and television. Though his popularity as a Western star faded, he remained recognizable to generations of viewers, and younger audiences discovered him in cult ﬁlms and television reruns. He married Australian journalist Susan Rhodes in 1971, and although they experienced ups and downs, the pairing lasted until his death in 1999.

Their Legacy Even after leaving Ojai, Rory and Lita remained associated with the valley in the minds of many longtime residents. Long after the neon rooster disappeared, older residents still remembered seeing Rory Calhoun strolling through town or Lita Baron performing before packed local crowds. The couple represents an important chapter in Ojai history. The blend of celebrity culture and small-town friendliness they created became one of Ojai’s deﬁning characteristics. ■

What’s happening in Ojai? Visit OVN’s new Calendar! ojaivalleynews.com/local-events EVENTS

2025 WINNERS

YEARS IN A ROW!

Bart’s Books The famous outdoor bookstore … an Ojai tradition for over 50 years 302 W. Matilija Street (805) 646-3755 10am-6pm daily

bartsbooksojai.com

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SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

canvas and paper exhibit: land and seascapes by L.S. Lowry Through Oct. 11 311 N. Montgomery St. open: Thursday – Sunday noon – 5 p.m. free admission canvasandpaper.org

Ojai Studio Artists’ Annual Fall Tour Oct. 10-12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3-day, self-guided tour through more than 70 OSA studios across the Ojai Valley. Free tickets: ojaistudioartists.org

Ojai Film Festival Nov. 5-9 at various locations across Ojai Film screenings, workshops, seminars, tributes and social gatherings Buy tickets: ojaiﬁlmfestival.com

Jacob Collier: The Light for Days Tour Oct. 14, 8 p.m. at Libbey Bowl Part of Collier’s “A Series of Solo Performances In Intimate Spaces.” Buy tickets: libbeybowl.org

Fitz and the Tantrums Nov. 6, 7 p.m. at Libbey Bowl Indie pop and neo soul Buy tickets: libbeybowl.org

Ojai Fall Festival Sept. 11-13 St. Thomas Aquinas Church 185 St. Thomas Dr. Carnival rides, games, and more. Free admission ojaifallfest.com “Under the Open Sky” Sept. 18, 5-10 p.m. Ventura River Steelhead Preserve 9458 Santa Ana Rd. Dinner, music, drinks, photo booth, paddle raise and virtual auction Buy tickets: ovlc.org Mountainﬁlm on Tour Sept. 19: Gates open at 5 p.m., ﬁlms start at 7:15 p.m. Ojai Valley School, 723 El Paseo Rd. Film shorts about adventure, conservation, and the power of the human spirit Buy tickets: ovlc.org Ojai Valley Music presents Laurie Anderson Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. at Libbey Bowl “The Republic of Love with Sexmob” a 2-hour talk plus songs and stories about the current state of America Buy tickets: libbeybowl.org Ojai Valley Music presents Alice Phoebe Lou Sept. 25, 7 p.m. at Libbey Bowl South African musician Lou makes her Ojai debut Buy tickets: libbeybowl.org “Our Town” Sept. 25-Oct. 10 Ojai Art Center Theater 113 S. Montgomery St. Buy tickets: ojaiact.org

Ojai Day Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Ojai Avenue and in Libbey Park Vendors, entertainment, annual mandala painting and much more. More info. at: ojairec.com Ojai Storytelling Festival Oct. 22-25 at Ojai Art Center, Libbey Bowl, Sam’s Place 4-day event celebrates the art of storytelling Buy tickets: ojaistoryfest.org canvas and paper exhibit: works by Alfred Wallis Oct. 22 – Nov. 29 311 N. Montgomery St. open: Thursday – Sunday noon – 5 p.m. free admission canvasandpaper.org Moreno Manor Haunted Home Tour Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 7-10 p.m. 830 Moreno Dr. Walk-through with full special effects Free admission ojaihaunt.com

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m., Libbey Bowl Grammy-winning Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela return with “OurHome,” a bold new album and global tour. Buy tickets: libbeybowl.org 2026 Ojai Holiday Home Tour & Market Nov. 14-15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tour 4 decorated Ojai homes, each offering a unique take on holiday style, then head to Libbey Park for the open-air Holiday Market. Buy tickets: ojaifestival.org Holiday Lights in Libbey Nov. 21, 5-8 p.m. at Libbey Fountain Plaza, 210 S. Signal St. Winter Wonderland festivities include holiday music, community activities, Santa and Mrs. Claus. Free admission

DECEMBER Ojai Community Chorus Holiday Concert: “How Great Our Joy’” Dec. 5-6, 3 p.m. Ojai United Methodist Church 120 Church Rd. Buy tickets at the door or online at: tix.com/ticket-sales/tix/7943 Call 805-640-0468 to learn more

Ojai Valley Music presents Poolside Sept. 26, 7 p.m. at Libbey Bowl Featuring songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Jeffrey Paradise. Buy tickets: libbeybowl.org.

Holiday Lights in Libbey, Nov. 21

FALL'26 Ojai Magazine photo by Mimi Walker

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CALLING ALL OJAI VALLEY SINGERS! Join Ojai Community Chorus. “OCC” invites new and returning singers to join us as we prepare for our 2026 holiday concert “How Great Our Joy” to be held December 5 & 6. The program will feature a mix of sacred and popular songs. Learn new skills, make new friends, experience the joy of creating camaraderie through song. Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and rehearsal at 6:30 p.m. on Monday September 14 at the Ojai United Methodist Church, 120 Church Road. The registration fee is $100. Rehearsals will be held at the church on Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. There are no formal auditions although a musical background and the ability to read music is helpful. For more information, call Marilyn at (805) 640-0468.

2025

Celebrating over a century of service in our community.

First organized in 1899, and GFWC federated in 1915, our club is the longest-standing community service organization in the Ojai Valley. Our clubhouse was constructed in 1911, Historical Landmark #8, is available for rent to the community. The rental revenue helps us preserve the clubhouse, and provides us with the needed funds to support the many local organizations we support. Join us at an upcoming meeting to learn more and make some new friends.

Rental Venue

For more information about the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club (OVWC) visit our Facebook page or email us at ojaivalleywomansclub@gmail.com. Ojai Valley Woman’s Club phone: 805-651-1752 Chamber of Commerce email: info@ojaivallelychamber.org www.ojaivalleywomansclub.org

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Krotona Institute of Theosophy

Serving the Ojai Valley and surrounding areas for over 100 years At Krotona School, ancient wisdom becomes a practical resource for modern living—helping students cultivate resilience, purpose, and spiritual insight. Together we explore life’s core questions, the inner self, our shared connection with all beings, and the transformative practices of contemplation and meditation. Our Library and Bookshop feature an outstanding collection on theosophy, world religions, philosophy, and metaphysics, along with a curated selection of metaphysical gifts and meaningful souvenirs.

The more we can attain realization of our true Self, the more we can work together harmoniously for understanding and peace.

The peaceful gardens and grounds offer spaces for reflection and renewal and may serve as a memorable venue for special events. Please keep us in mind.

Library and Research Center: 2 Krotona St, Ojai CA 93023 • Quest Bookshop: 47 Krotona St., Ojai CA 9302• School of Theosophy: 46 Krotona St., Ojai CA 93023 • Krotonainstitute.org

O J A I M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

The Haunting of Moreno Manor How family and folklore conjure up Ojai’s spookiest haunted house Story by GRANT PHILLIPS

A crowd gathers in front of Moreno Manor during the Stranger Things year in 2021, with the massive Mind Flayer next to the home.

The spooky graveyard, skeleton dining table and ghostly apparition near the haunted organ are just some of the displays at Moreno Manor throughout the years.

hen October arrives on Moreno Drive, Ojai urban legends emerge from the shadows.

On an evening stroll, you may encounter Char-Man. Horribly burned in a massive wildﬁre that swept through the valley, he emerged charred, scarred, and disﬁgured. Consumed by trauma and driven to madness, he now wanders the night, seeking help — or revenge.

Or you might come across the Ghost Dog and Bride of Creek Road. This tag team of vampiric visions features a black mutt running alongside vehicles, marking a victim for the hitchhiking bride who seeks a way out of town. Others report visions of ghosts, skeletons, dragons, cannibals, Bigfoot, severed heads, even a 30-foot-tall Mind Flayer straight out of the Netﬂix series Stranger Things. No need to adjust your reality. These aren’t apparitions; they’re the hard work of Kristy Ellison and her family for their annual Halloween Haunt, Moreno Manor, Ojai’s spookiest haunted house.

Horror Origins “It’s always been spooky with me,” said Kristy, the creative mind behind the haunt. As a child growing up in the ’80s, she transformed her grandfather’s basement into a haunted house every Halloween, inviting family and friends to experience her spooky creations. She moved to Ojai at 13, and graduated from Nordhoff High School. In the early 2000s, her elaborately decorated Halloween parties became famous around town. When their good friends the Boccali family began planning their Haunted Hayrides at the restaurant’s pumpkin patch, they called on Kristy and her husband, Grant, to help them design and build the haunted sets. For several years, the Ellisons helped to create some of the hayride’s most memorable scenes, including a haunted shack overrun with zombies, the fan-favorite creepy doll room, and other elaborately creepy set pieces. They also volunteered as scare actors, helping bring the attraction to life each Halloween. After the Thomas Fire, the event was sadly shut down when the trailers used for the hayride were destroyed. As a result, there was no Haunted Hayride in 2018.

“That’s when I decided to bring Halloween back home and start a new tradition,” Kristy said. “Moreno Manor, our ﬁrst walkthrough.” The Haunted Hayrides returned for one ﬁnal season in 2019, but were closed again during the 2020 pandemic. And with a variety of annual events cancelled that year, Kristy and her family got to work. “I felt so bad that Halloween ’cause there was nothing for the kids,” she said. “We went off the hook for Halloween that year.”

Theatrical Themes Each year, Kristy selects a new theme, and in 2020, her family went all out with “Ghosts of Ojai.” The display was inspired by a collection of local urban legends documented by Richard Senate, Ojai’s horror historian. “I went through his book and I did every ghost of Ojai,” Kristy said, including the Ghost Dog, the Bride of Creek Road, the Vampire of Ojai, and Char-Man. Other themes include the 2021 fan-favorite Stranger Things, which featured a re-creation of the Christmas light–filled Byers house, Will the Wise’s tree fort, several Demogorgons, and the massive Mind Flayer guests could walk under. In 2022, Kristy created Medieval Moreno Manor, transforming the home into a classic castle. She displayed fire-breathing dragons, knights in shining armor, stainedglass windows, candelabras, and skeletons decorated as jesters and kings. In 2023 — Kristy’s favorite year — the home became Camp Moreno Manor. Bigfoot roamed the grounds, along with zombies hiding in tents, lumberjack hunters, and a forest with 30 Christmas trees that were later donated to HELP of Ojai. “You walked through a lodge, and I had a whole backstory,” Kristy said. “We talked about people camping in Ojai and lost hikers you had to find throughout. I had newspaper clippings that I changed to the ‘Monster Big Mouth Bass of Lake Casitas,’ and we had a full lake in my back yard with a canoe. We go crazy.” In 2024, jack-o’-lanterns turned the home into a pumpkin palace with a wall of more than a dozen hand-carved pumpkins, some glowing in ultraviolet. Other pumpkins were made from giant foam carvings, and a walk-through “pumking,” where guests could enter into a pumpkin and walk through pumpkin guts. “I built a whole pumpkin patch, the house was a giant pumpkin, the entire thing was pumpkins. I’ve never had so many

pumpkins in my life,” Kristy said. “We had a ton of families that just loved that one.” This year’s theme is an expansion of 2025’s “Classic Haunted House.” While last year included more than 20 handmade ghosts, 2026 will focus on massive pumpkins across the front yard, along with a scattering of skeletons, a rescued and restored organ, a cemetery, a full projection-mapping of the home, turning it into a creepy, rundown haunted home with thunder and lightning effects, and other highlights from years past.

that alters the home’s front facade. “We trace the whole house out there in July just to get the mapping right,” Kristy said. “It completely transforms our house. It’s really magical.”

Community contributions While building a world pulled straight from her and her family’s imagination is fun, what keeps Kristy motivated is the love she receives from annual visitors and the kids inspired by the magic.

Kristy’s 2026 home haunt will keep visitors outside, but allows for a short walk around the structure to see the decorations.

“They’re so supportive,” Kristy said of her neighbors. “My neighbor, Timothy Bunce, across the street, has one of the best cemeteries. He goes all out and he’s been doing it since the ’80s.”

Based on a true story The key to a good haunt is a blend of the right lighting, music, and atmosphere, but what sets Moreno Manor apart is the real ghost that might still be haunting the home. When Kristy ﬁrst moved onto Moreno Drive, her son told her his closet door wouldn’t stay closed.

“We’re not doing actors anymore or jump scares,” she said. “My kids are grown now, they’re in college, they’re working full-time. We just don’t have the manpower now like we used to, but we still go pretty big.”

“Then he goes, ‘I swear I saw an old lady or somebody in my closet,’” Kristy said. “I’m like, ‘Okay, now you’re freaking me out, kid.’”

That said, every once in a while, lurking around the home, you might be surprised by a ghostly presence popping out from the shadows.

After moving her son’s bed, she received an unexpected note in the mail from a previous tenant who wanted to visit his childhood home.

“We like to keep a few surprises in store,” Kristy said.

Kristy said he described the home as he remembered it from his childhood: the old tree in the back yard, the space where his dad used to sit, the notches carved into the wooden window frame.

Prep Planning starts the day after Halloween, on Nov. 1, but July 5 is when things start moving fast. Kristy sketches out a vision, and her husband, Grant, starts building the large set pieces.

“Then he goes, ‘Can I go see my old bedroom?’” Kristy said, and once they entered, he started telling her about the old lady ghost hiding in the closet.

Grant’s work includes massive experimental props, as well as large-scale animatronics like the moving 30-foot Mind Flayer and other key set pieces throughout the years. “We build all our props,” said Ellison, who has learned soldering, welding, foam fabrication, airbrush painting, and other creative techniques from a group of fellow haunters who meet up monthly.

other neighbors pitch in by securing fog machines or designing displays of their own.

“I think I must have looked like I’d seen a ghost when he said that,” Kristy said. “He told the exact same story my son told me.” Liam Ellison wanders the graveyard at Moreno Manor.

She shares prop-building tutorials and the process leading up to her home haunts on her YouTube channel, Ojai Haunt: youtube.com/c/OjaiHaunt. Other contributions have come from their son Lakin, who gathered his friends to serve as the scare actors. Their other son, Liam, creates the projection-mapping show

“This car pulled up and they rolled down their windows and they’re like: ‘Mommy! Look at all the ghosts!’” Kristy said of her 2025 setup. “It’s kind of neat just to have something small here, especially now that we don’t have the haunted hayrides anymore.” The nearby Ledbetters help and have acted in the haunt through the years, while

She still hears footsteps every once in a while in the room when no one else is home. “I like to tell that story when people are here, then they go in my house and they really feel scared,” Kristy laughed. “I go: ‘My son’s in college, you wanna stay in his room tonight? I’ve got the room all made up for ya!’” Moreno Manor’s public nights will be Oct. 30 and 31, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., and Nov. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. at 830 Moreno Drive. See ojaihaunt.com for more details ■

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Shawna Ledbetter, Rick Ledbetter, Brennan Ledbetter, Lakin Ellison, Grant Ellison, Kristy Ellison, Hadley Christensen and “The Dark Knight” in front of Medieval Moreno Manor. Brennan Ledbetter, Rick Ledbetter, Shawna Ledbetter, Grant Ellison, Kristy Ellison, Liam Ellison and “Bigfoot” at Camp Moreno Manor. Grant Ellison, Liam Ellison and Kristy Ellison inside Moreno Manor with the restored organ.

O J A I M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

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O J A I M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

Fabien Castel harvests grapes at his vineyard in Upper Ojai.

‘‘

Photos by Sage Tate

I’m dealing with a very complex model, which is people planting in their back yard, not knowing what to do with their grapes, me taking over their vineyard, and molding it into a piece of that mosaic.”

O J AI M AG A Z I N E | FALL 2026

Wines of Disorder Fabien Castel and Side Street Wine

Story by Rob Shepyer

jazz musician who plays a C-major chord followed by an E establishes a sound in the ear of the listener. After that E, people begin to expect only a small batch of possible notes that could follow: a D, a G, a B. All these keep the listener safely inside their comfort zone. It takes a daring mind to play an F-sharp and render the listener briefly vulnerable to an experience that doesn’t sit comfortably in the ear and disrupts their internal sense of order. To alleviate the tension created by the F-sharp, the musician can simply move to a G, then back to an E, which not only relieves the discomfort, but also expands the expectations and the mind of the listener, rewarding their moment of vulnerability with music that makes sense of disorder. In a small way, it inoculates the listener against chaos in the world. If this jazz ethos that errors produce the sweetest fruit can be true in music, why wouldn’t it be true for wine? Together, over time, the sum of an artist’s errors becomes their signature, and in time that signature ages into a new standard and the next understanding of beauty. Fabien Castel embraces the idea of producing order out of chaos, a philosophy evident in wines like No Mind pinot noir. Watching Adam Tolmach, the man Castel apprenticed under at Ojai Vineyard, take his first sip of No Mind told Castel’s entire story in an instant. At first, the flavor took Tolmach aback, as if he heard a rogue F-sharp. Yet he could not help taking another sip. Then another. Slowly, the wine began to correct itself on his palate like a jazz arrangement, making harmony out of chaos on his tongue the more Tolmach experienced the wine’s song. Castel is a Frenchman who came to the United States to learn how to make wine, which some might consider a paradox. Growing up in Paris and vacationing with family in Lyon, he watched his grandmother create her own wine cellar, as she passed on her knowledge of wine pairing. At a young age, Castel was tasting Beaujolais, Burgundy, pinot noir, chardonnay, Northern Rhone Syrah, and her favorite wines from the Southern Rhone. Castel recalls one of his favorite pairings: a strong red wine in the dead of winter with a beef bourguignon, while his grandmother enjoyed Champagne as she cooked during the day.

Part of what attracted Castel to America was its adventurous spirit, which he ﬁrst encountered in what he considers the country’s greatest cultural contribution: jazz. After coming to America in 1998, Castel moved west in 2001 to California, where dreams are discovered, tested, and realized in abundance.

risks. By rotating through different tanks in different cold rooms, he throttles fermentation up or down, giving himself more room to apply his signature.

When Castel connected with Tolmach of the Ojai Vineyard, the stars drunkenly aligned. Unlike other potential harvest interns Tolmach interviewed to apprentice at the Ojai Vineyard, Castel didn’t spit out a single wine he tasted. Castel’s French tolerance for alcohol and intellectual inheritance charmed Tolmach enough to bring him onboard, weaving his story into the legacy of one of Ojai’s most internationally acclaimed institutions. As a mentor, Tolmach taught Castel to stay small, focus on quality, and hone in on the details.

From the grape, to the fermentation, to the

“I thought: ‘There’s no point in doing this if I don’t want to be original. If I’m going to copy what others are doing, I’m not interested,’” Castel elaborated.

When Castel speaks about his apprenticeship, he describes the wine techniques he learned almost as if he’s describing how you raise a child: treat the vines with love; be patient and humble; show care and self-sacrifice; don’t be greedy by using excessive fertilizer or overirrigation to produce larger yields. He cautions winemakers not to “faire pisser la vigne” (“make the vines piss”). Wine created under these conditions can become such a sought-after bottle that it sustains the social fabric woven around a vineyard’s contribution. “This is the genius of wine, to transform a perishable agricultural product into this elevated form that is going to add value to the community,” gleamed Castel. One of the first things any vintner learns while making wine in Ojai, though, is that the valley, and Ventura County at large, present challenges most winemakers try to avoid. To overcome these obstacles, Castel experiments with blending wines made from a patchwork of varietals located around Ojai and Ventura County. “In Ventura County, we are not completely in a cool climate,” Castel said. “We have a lot of mountains and a lot of different exposure, so you have this amazing mosaic of little pieces you can work with. I’m dealing with a very complex model, which is people planting in their backyard, not knowing what to do with their grapes, me taking over their vineyard, and molding it into a piece of that mosaic.” Castel’s winery, Side Street Wine, operates out of the Ojai Valley Brewery, which is outfitted to ferment beer at 38 degrees, a far colder temperature than wine, which typically requires a range from 55 to 65 degrees. Castel is inspired, however, to take creative

has 300 biochemical compounds, red wine has 400 to 500, so all these compounds, in addition to alcohol, will coalesce to lead you to a specific state of consciousness,” he said. “And it’s equally as interesting as the smell or the flavor.” How this centuries-old beverage has survived wars, inspired kings, and been sanctified by religions as the blood of God, while also giving humans the ability to see the world and themselves in an alternative way, is a mystery with more layers than the deepest pinot. The way each wine alters one’s consciousness is just as much a piece of that wine’s character as its fragrance or taste, and Side Street Wine does not fear giving customers a fresh look at their world, inside and out. Whether it’s the meditative moment of savoring a flavor, the euphoric edge of a buzz where joy and banter come out effortlessly, or the heightened world beyond the doors of perception, Side Street Wine has you covered. Over the course of our interview I sampled numerous wines, reviewed below: 2024 ANARCHY ROSÉ

tap, Castel grapples with forces larger than himself: nature, culture, economics, all of which suggest wine is not the destiny of the Ojai Valley. Castel dares to push back against that idea, insisting the future of Ojai wine has yet to be written. Castel provides something deeper with all his pours. His wines are a form of meditation, a method of becoming present in the moment and in one’s body. By reintroducing us to our sense of taste and smell, every savored sip at a time, Side Street Wine wants to make the drinker less self-conscious. Castel breaks down what he calls “wine yoga”: “Even if it’s just a fraction of a second, take note, then go back to your conversation. Later on, narrow it down, go back in there. It’s a descent into that sense. Then, as you put that beverage into you, it’s like feeling your body, feeling these images, memories coming back. That ability to go back and forth, and be present, is the essential exercise.” That freeing feeling is only partly a consequence of the wine’s alcohol. When asked what the role of intoxication is in the enjoyment of wine, Castel called the question the elephant in the room. “White wine

Anarchy Rosé is the embodiment of Castel’s ambitions. A punk rock molotov for your mouth, these bubbles don’t simply pop on the tongue — they deconstruct themselves. Served on tap, this is a wine for the people, blending 60% grenache blanc, 37% Viognier, and a 3% splash of barbera for pinkness. A pale white peach bitten by feral strawberries. 2023 ANARCHY PET NAT Sparkling rosé born from the western ends of Ojai. Structured and bold, red fruits overwhelm the senses as the grape’s ancestral memory delivers flavor notes from a time when forest spanned every inch of Ojai Valley. Candied lingonberry with tension between tannins, freshness, and a bubbly edge. 2025 SPARKLING RIESLING A daring Los Alamos experiment born out of an Old World technique of rehydrating grape skins and stems. This low-alcohol wine balances a smoky flavor, silky texture, and earthy sweetness. A curl of lychee recedes into cream, lemongrass notes, and a dash of citronella. Castel described it as “at the edge of being wrong.” 2025 MAGIE BLANCHE DRY RIESLING With a lower pH, around 3.2, this riesling becomes a dynamic pairing with any dinner. Castel makes a deliberate departure from sweetness in favor of a smooth, dry rush of flavor. Liquid Santería, healing white magic, benediction in a bottle. Enjoy this dry riesling with the funkiest cheese you can find. Flavor profile: the fluffiest lemon meringue pie.

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Opposite page, Fabien Castel pours in the tasting room at Ojai Valley Brewery. Photo by Sage Tate Above, grapes harvested from nearby vineyards await processing at Side Street Wine. Photo by Elizabeth Haffner At left, Adam Tolmach, the man Castel apprenticed under at Ojai Vineyard sampling a red at the Side Street Cafe. Photo by Dillon Vaughn

2025 MOMENT ROSÉ A more subtle rosé. Most winemakers would be compelled to push for ripeness out of the Ojai warmth, but Castel takes his creation in a different direction with a vibrant, fresh rosé that remains delicate in the sweltering Ojai heat. Strawberries as fragile as glass. 2025 LOVE HATE SAUVIGNON BLANC Wine from Shepherd Mesa, Carpinteria, where grapes are born in difﬁcult, cold conditions that force the tongue to brace for acidity. Need a disruption to your routine? Just take a sip. You get punched with a combo of love and hate when you enjoy this impossible California wine. This wine doesn’t ask to be a friend to all. For a friend to all is truly a friend to none. The Love Hate sauvignon blanc is a distillation of Castel’s courage. Lychee, sage, and lemon burn like incense. 2024 NO MIND PINOT NOIR

Fabien Castel working at the vineyard in upper Ojai. Tate

Photo by Sage

An out-of-the-box, eccentric wine that blanks the brain of all external stimuli except this wave of red sensation. The pinot noir shadow of the Love Hate sauvignon blanc, the No Mind pinot noir also comes from Shepherd Mesa. Its flavors are so deliciously unhinged, they’re almost psychedelic, overriding ego in a drink. The meditative No Mind removes all the meaning, excess, and cumbersome thoughts that weigh heavy on the head. Hit the reset button and take a sip. Sweet cranberries in Siamese conjoinment with dramatic red currant. 2024 LUNÉ GRENACHE NOIRE The lunatic night, drinking under the influence of the Ojai moon. Ojai soil’s strange dreams manifested into grapes fermented into grenache. Flavors that make people dream up new interpretations of spirit and personifications of nature. Blackberries and spice that never wanes. 2024 SINGULARITY SYRAH Close the curtains and enjoy this luxurious wave of red currant meant to pair with delicious meats. Sweetness is not ambitious enough for Castel’s Syrah. He preserves its acidity and earthiness by picking the grapes early. For lovers of dessert, skip the chocolate and drink a wine that renders the animalistic essence of a pure cacao. For those who find peace in darkness, light a candle, throw on a black cashmere sweater, pick up an old book, and experience the Singularity Syrah. 2024 LIBERTÉ MOURVÈDRE MALBEC “To be free is to rise above the limitations of one’s own thinking,” Castel describes the last wine of our tasting. Featuring a label with the spirit of Liberty from Eugène Delacroix’s painting “Liberty Leading the People,” it captures the spirit of freedom. Balancing masculinity and femininity, the wine’s fragrance is sharp, loud, and bold. Like Joan of Arc carrying sword and shield, the wine both strikes and soothes with scent and flavor. The wine’s true essence is as nourishing as the night sky to a nocturnal animal. Smoke and cherries. Tension between smooth leather and coarse sandalwood.

A bottle of Love/Hate Sauvignon Blanc. Haffner

Photos by Elizabeth

When he trains young winemakers to think beyond the grape, Castel tells them: “Don’t only learn about winemaking. You should learn about art. You should read literature. You should listen to great music. You should think of what is beauty for you. … I think very often that’s the biggest hurdle for winemakers to become great.” Beauty is at the heart of all operations at Side Street Wine. Castel left our conversation with one ﬁnal meditation on beauty, simply saying: “I only drink things that I ﬁnd beautiful. And if they are not, I am not drinking them.” ■ For more information, visit sidestreetwine.com.

Model Emily Rose with a bottle of No Mind pinot noir.

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The Charms of Chia Indigenous to the Americas, tiny chia seeds offer big, bold nutrition and culinary rewards. by SHARON PALMER

hia pets were the rage when I was a teenager — just soak the terra cotta ﬁgure in water, smear it with a paste of chia seeds, water it daily, and a week or two later a rich head of green chia “hair” emerged. It never occurred to me that decades later I’d be including chia seeds in my weekly cooking, from smoothies and porridges to lentil patties and desserts. Yet these tiny seeds are nothing new; they were an important dietary staple in the Americas dating back 3,000 years, when the Aztecs and Mayans prized them as an endurance food. The Chumash have been foraging chia seeds for food and medicine in our own region over the

centuries. You can spy the tiny purple ﬂowers of California chia on spring hikes all over the Ojai Valley. Chia seeds might be tiny, but they make up for size with big nutrition, providing a good dose of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, ﬁber, calcium, manganese, and iron to the diet. No wonder studies have linked chia seeds with protection against cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Chia seeds are also highly absorbent. Soak them in water and they develop a jelly-like shell similar to boba, but they are softer, chewy, and easy to digest. The seeds’ gel-like quality is evident in traditional Mexican chia fresca, a refreshing beverage that combines lime juice and chia seeds. You can also incorporate chia seeds into veggie burgers, breads, cereals, and desserts for that star thickening power.

3 Ways to Chill Out with Chia 1. Mix up a chia egg. Thanks to chia seeds’ gelling properties, they can take the place of eggs in baking and veggie burgers. To replace one egg, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. 2. Add to overnight oats. Those tiny pearls give your oats a thick, creamy texture and nutrition boost. 3. Whip up chia pudding. Mix chia seeds with milk or plant milk, a drizzle of maple syrup, and your favorite ﬂavor addition (chocolate, fruit, nuts), then chill until thick. Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, is an awardwinning plant-based, sustainable food expert based in Ojai. Follow her at SharonPalmer.com.

RECIPES Easy Chocolate Chia Pudding with Strawberries With just a touch of maple syrup for sweetener and no added oils, this pudding relies on chia seeds to add a creamy thickness — and a dose of nutrition. PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes, plus 8 hours to chill Makes 4 servings (¾ cup each) INGREDIENTS 2 cups milk or plant-based milk (e.g., soy, almond, or oat) ½ cup chia seeds ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1½ cups strawberries, sliced (may use fresh or frozen, drained)

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Combine milk, chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Stir well with an electric mixer (or vigorously with a whisk). Transfer the pudding to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (or overnight). 2. Remove from refrigerator and spoon ¼ cup of pudding into 4 serving dishes or jars. Layer each dish or jar with ¼ cup strawberries. Spoon a ﬁnal layer of ¼ cup pudding onto each dish or jar. Garnish with remaining strawberries. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 204 calories, 13 g sugar, 50 mg sodium, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 30 g carbohydrates, 11 g ﬁber, 9 g protein.

O OJJAI AI M MAG AGA AZZIIN NEE || FALL FALL 2026 2026

Nuts and Seeds Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This healthy, delicious banana bread is packed with the goodness of whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

Spiced Overnight Oats with Figs, Walnuts, and Chia Seeds

This hearty overnight oats recipe features Chinese ﬁve-spice powder, seasonal fruit, crunchy walnuts, and nutritious chia seeds.

PREPARATION TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes Makes 12 servings (1 slice each)

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 servings (2 cups each)

3 medium-size ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

INGREDIENTS

½ cup milk or plantbased milk (e.g., soy, almond, or oat)

1 cup old-fashioned oats

¼ cup vegetable or avocado oil 2 tablespoons chia seeds 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup brown sugar 1 ¼ cups whole wheat ﬂour

1½ cups milk or plantbased milk (e.g., soy, almond, or oat) 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses ¼ teaspoon Chinese ﬁvespice blend 2 teaspoons chia seeds (plus additional for garnish)

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 ﬁgs, sliced (may use dried ﬁgs)

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup chopped walnuts INSTRUCTIONS

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1. Place ½ cup oats each in the bottom of two Mason jars (or 2-cup containers with lids).

½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, unsweetened 2 tablespoons sliced almonds 3 tablespoons chopped pistachio kernels 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a medium mixing bowl, whip together bananas, milk, oil, chia seeds, vanilla, and brown sugar for 2 minutes. For best results, use an electric mixer. 3. Stir in whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix only until well-combined. Do not overstir. 4. Gently fold in sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts. 5. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (or line pan with parchment paper). 6. Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 60-65 minutes, until fork inserted in center comes out clean. 7. Remove and cool slightly before cutting into 12 slices. NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 221 calories, 9 g sugar, 60 mg sodium, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 5 g protein.

2. To each jar or container, add ¾ cup milk, 1 teaspoon molasses, 1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice blend, and 1 teaspoon chia seeds. Stir each jar or container well. 3. Top each jar or container with 2 sliced figs, ¼ cup walnuts, and a sprinkle of chia seeds. Cover with lids and refrigerate overnight. 4. The next morning, enjoy your oats warm (microwave for about 2 minutes) or cold. NOTE: If you plan to eat your oats more than 24 hours after preparation, add the walnuts and figs right before serving. NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 413 calories, 21 g sugar, 70 mg sodium, 2 g saturated fat, 10 g fiber, 14 g protein.

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I got the chicken fajita burrito and that was DELICIOUS!! This place is super good my kids loved the cheese burgers. Husband got the Bbq Chicken Sandwich outstanding!! Definitely love ordering here always consistent!

Jim & Rob’s Fresh Grill + Lisa’s Cantina

Jessica Robinson, Local Guide March 15, 2025

Serving Ojai for over 30 years! Full Bar & Sports on HDTVs Happy Hours M-F 3:00-6:00 Fresh Mex & American Food

THANK YOU

for again voting Lisa’s Cantina

“Ojai’s Favorite Sports Bar”

JimAndRobsOjai.com 805.640.1301

214 W. Ojai Ave. in downtown Ojai Open Daily from 9:00 AM

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The Ventura & Ojai Valley Railroad train chugged its way from the coast to what was then called the city of Nordhoff in 1898. Photo courtesy of Ojai Valley Museum

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Rail to Trail O The Ojai — Ventura Special

Story by CRAIG WALKER

Rail line turned bike path as seen above in Ojai. Photo by Craig Walker

n the morning of March 12, 1898, the oak-shaded Ojai Valley was suspended in quiet anticipation. Residents lined the new railroad tracks from Ventura to the little town of Nordhoff (now Ojai), waiting for a sight many had doubted they would ever see: the first train climbing into the valley. When the locomotive finally appeared, carrying hundreds of dignitaries and well-wishers, the train’s whistle echoed off the hillsides and the crowd erupted in cheers. As the train pulled into Nordhoff, the terminus of the new Ventura & Ojai Valley Railroad, trumpets blared and the day’s festivities — described as a “jollification” — began. The celebration marked a major turning point in the valley’s history. The Los Angeles Times captured the momentous day in an article the following morning: “Jubilation was in order yesterday throughout the length and breadth of the Ojai Valley, with the storm center at Nordhoff. It was the birthday of the Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad, and everybody from far and near turned out to welcome the first train as it thundered through the valley and panted heavily up the steep grades. Clouds of black smoke stained the clear air and the roar of iron grinding against iron as the wheels scraped acquaintance with the new track sounded strangely out of place in the quiet groves of oak …” For residents, those “little discords” mattered little. The railroad promised something transformative: easier access to markets for the valley’s fruit crops and a direct connection to the outside world. Even more enticing, it hinted that this secluded valley might become a destination for travelers seeking health, recreation and California’s natural beauty. The celebration that day was the beginning of Ojai’s “Railroad Era.” Over the next two decades — between 1898 and 1917 — Nordhoff blossomed into a prosperous and increasingly sophisticated town. Local leaders invested in civic improvements and community planning that would ultimately pave the way for the dramatic transformation led in 1917 by industrialist Edward Drummond Libbey. Libbey renamed the town “Ojai” and, guided by the ideals of the City Beautiful movement, reshaped it into the distinctive community we all recognize today.

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But the railroad’s arrival had not been easy. When the rail line first reached Ventura in 1887, Nordhoff residents assumed the Southern Pacific would soon extend a 16-mile spur into the valley. From the company’s perspective, however, the numbers did not justify the expense. The entire Ojai Valley had only about 600 residents, and barely 250 lived in Nordhoff itself. Determined to secure a rail connection, local leaders raised $10,000 in seed money, surveyed routes and even obtained rightsof-way. Southern Pacific still declined. Finally, in 1896, the town’s Railroad Committee signed a contract with Captain John Cross, an independent railroad builder from Pasadena. Cross agreed to finance and construct the branch line and hired

The Ventura & Ojai Valley Railroad Line was converted into the Ventura River Trail and the Ojai Valley Trail in 1982.

the Grant Brothers of San Francisco to build it. With 95 men and 140 mules, they established a construction camp at Rancho Photo by Mimi Walker Arnaz and began the difficult work. The terrain posed serious challenges. Between Casitas Springs and Mirror Lake, the grade climbed a punishing 3%, limiting northbound trains to just five cars. At Devil’s Gulch above Oak View, builders erected a massive wooden trestle — 240 feet long and 89 feet high — spanning a ravine once ominously known as “the Devil’s Graveyard.” Despite the engineering hurdles, the new rail line quickly gained a reputation as one of Southern California’s most scenic routes. The Los Angeles Times described the journey: “Almost as soon as it leaves Ventura, the line begins its winding course up the valley. The mountain walls draw steadily closer, magnificent live oaks tower above the chaparral on the slopes … so that the

train runs through a natural park fully 10 miles in length.” After climbing the steep grade from Casitas Springs, the train entered what was then called “Long Valley,” stretching from Mirror Lake to the Matilija Station — today’s Rotary Park. Here, freight from west-valley ranches was loaded, while passengers disembarked for Camp Comfort, the Matilija Canyon resorts, Krotona and the Krishnamurti lectures in Meiners Oaks. The train then continued to a small wooden depot near Fox Street in Nordhoff. Captain Cross’ gamble paid off quickly. Just a few weeks after the Ventura & Ojai Valley Railroad opened, he sold it to the Southern Pacific at a considerable profit. His contract also allowed him to harvest hundreds of acres of Ojai oak trees, which he shipped as firewood to Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. With the railroad in place, local businessmen moved quickly to shape the town’s future. They formed the Ojai Improvement Company and purchased the 20 acres across from Nordhoff’s commercial district to organize new development. The group relocated the town’s tennis courts, established the Boyd Club, moved the Presbyterian Church to the corner of Montgomery Street and Ojai Avenue, built a fire station, and refurbished the aging Blumberg Hotel. They also constructed Foothill Road and built a grand resort hotel at its summit, selling nearby lots to wealthy Easterners eager to build winter homes in the valley. Among those drawn by the train was Edward Drummond Libbey, the Ohio glass manufacturer who would later transform the town. The railroad thrived for several decades, but the rise of the automobile gradually eroded passenger traffic. Regular passenger service ended around 1932, although freight trains continued running until 1969, when devastating floods destroyed much of the track. Later that year, the line — affectionately nicknamed the “Ojai Buzzard” — was abandoned by Southern Pacific. Yet the route itself lives on. In 1982, Ventura County purchased the old railroad right-of-way and converted it into the Ojai Valley Trail and Ventura River Trail. Today, cyclists and hikers follow the same path once traveled by the little train that first carried Ojai into the modern world. ■ The City of Ojai Historic Preservation Commission is creating a new “Ventura & Ojai Valley Railroad Heritage Trail” that will place historical signs along the Ojai bicycle and pedestrian trail, telling the history of the railroad and various historical sites along the way.

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Celebrating 45 years serving the Ojai community.

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A Love Letter From OJai OJAI MAGAZINE Delivered to your door Telling our story since 1982

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Sukha Ojai’s Ayurvedic by KAREN LINDELL

jai has its own version of The Good Place. Inside a stucco building on Pirie Road under oaks and eucalyptus trees, this place is welcoming and smells heavenly. On the door outside Sukha Ojai, an Ayurvedic wellness center, is a sign that reads simply “Sukha,” which means “good space” in Sanskrit, referring not only to environmental surroundings, but also to the spaces in our minds, bodies, and souls, and our overall sense of well-being. Step inside Sukha Ojai, and your senses are drawn to sage incense burning, a small altar with statues of Hindu goddesses and Mary (mother of Jesus), an apothecary shelf lined with herb-ﬁlled glass jars, the chime of a Tibetan prayer bell, and the gentle presence of Anastasia Von Sonn. She is one of three practitioners at Sukha

Ojai, which offers Ayurvedic consultations, therapeutic massages, facials, and herbal remedies. Ayurveda, an ancient form of holistic medicine from India, “at its core, aims to restore balance,” Von Sonn says. “It reads the body and mind through key concepts”: doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), which are energies that combine to make up our personality and body composition; agni (digestion and metabolism); and dinacharya (daily routine). Ayurvedic practitioners, Von Sonn says, assess imbalance among all these concepts, then recommend individualized dietary, lifestyle, and herbal interventions. Although Ayurveda is centuries old and remains one of India’s traditional healthcare systems, Western scientists are still skeptical of this “alternative” form of medicine. According to the U.S. government’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, although a few small studies suggest that Ayurvedic treatments might help people with osteoarthritis and diabetes, “there is little scientiﬁc evidence

on Ayurveda’s value for other health issues.” No U.S. state regulates Ayurvedic practitioners or requires them to obtain a license, but education and certiﬁcation are available. Von Sonn studied at The Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico (the institute has since relocated to North Carolina) with Dr. Vasant Lad, an Indian physician known for bringing Ayurveda to the West, and she is certiﬁed by the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Von Sonn and other practitioners lean into Ayurveda’s long history when addressing doubters. “It’s a 5,000-yearold medical system,” she says, adding that U.S. health providers such as the Mayo Clinic and University of California at San Francisco have incorporated Ayurvedic practices alongside more conventional treatment. Her own journey to Ayurveda took her from California to Hawaii, India, and now Ojai.

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Apothecary THE PLANT LISTENER Von Sonn grew up in Venice, California, where her parents were involved in the health food movement of the 1970s. “My older brother was born with only one kidney working, which inspired my parents to go on a spiritual and healing path,” she says. Driven by “an immense love and reverence” for nature, “I began listening more to plants. We started communicating.” As a teenager, she used the “divine wisdom” she absorbed to create herbal potions and teas for friends and family. In 1988 she moved to Hawaii for “adventure and the mana — the power of the land,” Von Sonn says. She worked on a tree farm and studied to become a master gardener at the University of Hawaii. “I wanted to learn the science of working with the plants, which was very important,” she says. “Once you’ve learned the science, there’s the Vidya. In Ayurveda, Vidya is the wisdom, almost in a goddess sense.”

Anastasia Von Sonn inside Sukha Ojai.

Photo by Peggy Von Sonn

Photo by Anastasia Von Sonn

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She shifted her interests to Ayurveda after connecting with Hindu spiritual leader Mātā Amritānandamayī of India, also known as Amma (meaning “Mother”), known around the world as the “hugging saint” for literally embracing millions of people. Von Sonn met Amma the summer before moving to Hawaii at age 18 while riding a skateboard in Santa Cruz. On her way to pay a bill, “I went by the Civic Center, where Amma was visiting on a tour, and she came out and hugged me,” Von Sonn recalls. Truly touched, she saw Amma again in Hawaii, and the guru became her spiritual mentor. Von Sonn moved to India to study with Amma. “She’s huge now, but I lived with her back in the day when there were just 20 Westerners,” Von Sonn says. “She is real — the love and compassion is real.” While in India, Von Sonn was introduced to Ayurveda and worked with doctors at an Ayurvedic clinic, then returned to the U.S. in 1995 to study at The Ayurvedic Institute. In the late 1990s, after moving back and forth from India to Hawaii, she became board-certiﬁed in therapeutic massage and bodywork, and worked in an herbal pharmacy with a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. “I am grateful to know many of the most prominent teachers and leaders in the ﬁeld of Ayurveda,” she says. “There was a cluster of us who pioneered and were the vehicles for Ayurveda back in the ’80s and ’90s.” HERBAL HEALING Determined to introduce more people in the West to Ayurveda, in 1998 Von Sonn and her mother, Peggy, created a company, Sarada Ayurvedic Remedies, to create and sell herbal oils, tinctures, and salves that integrated Ayurvedic and Western principles. “Sarada” comes from the name bestowed on her by Amma. “Some people call me Sarada in the Ayurvedic world,” she says, another name for Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of creativity, wisdom, and art. Von Sonn and her mother moved to Ojai in 2007, inspired by its “healing pulse.” Peggy had visited Ojai in the 1970s to hear Indian spiritual leader J. Krishnamurti, and “we knew it was also sacred land to the Indigenous Chumash,” Von Sonn says, adding that the surrounding mountains

Anastasia Von Sonn in India in 2024.

made the town “the best place to make our medicine.” Over 10 years they formulated more than 60 herbal products and distributed them worldwide, from luxury hotels to Rainbow Bridge Ojai. In 2017, however, they decided to sell the product formulations to Organic India, a company in India. Von Sonn wanted to focus instead on clinical practice. She earned the highest level of Ayurvedic clinical certiﬁcation offered by the National Ayurvedic Medical Association in the United States, and became a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild. At Sukha Ojai, and through her product line Anastasia’s Remedies, she focuses on formulating personalized custom, organic herbal blends, and offering Ayurvedic therapies and therapeutic massage. The most common conditions patients come to her for, she says, are “digestion, skin disorders, and mental and spiritual distress.” She’s particularly proud of the formulations she’s created over the years, a result of her early personal communication with ﬂora along with her education in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbal medicine. “Ayurvedic practitioners look at the therapeutic energetics of each substance, then harmonize and bring them together, understanding their qualities,” she says. “To bring down a fever, we might give someone peppermint tea, because

Photo provided

peppermint is cooling. Or if someone has a cold, we give them ginger, which is warming.” Von Sonn treats each patient individually, but recommends small, practical routines that anyone can use. Morning rituals like drinking warm water, scraping the tongue, and massaging with oil, she says, “support digestion and calm Vata.” For balance, eat “lighter foods and cooling herbs in summer, and nourishing oils and warming spices in winter.” Daily habits like regular mealtimes and mindful eating can help digestion, while topical oils, teas, and breathing exercises support sleep and reduce stress. She encourages clients to consult with their healthcare providers for chronic conditions, and often makes referrals to traditional doctors. She’s also still talking to the plants. As she leaves Sukha Ojai on a Friday afternoon, she mentions she will spend the rest of the day tending to her home garden. “I planted some lettuce, chard, tomatoes, and a cucumber,” she says. “They’re just little guys, and the sun had not come out this morning, so they didn’t get water. They need water now.” She hears them. In their own good space, they need balance. ■ For more information, visit anastasiasremedies.com or sukhaojai.com.

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We’re Going to Need a Bigger Camel Story by JOHNNY FONTEYN

was all set to write a scintillating article about organic certification. Labels. Rules. Bureaucracy. Red tape. Whether certifications still measure the things we think they measure. I thought I was writing about certification, but it turns out I was writing about a greenhouse.

I’m guessing most people reading this have never heard of Suncoast. For decades, the Carpinteria greenhouse has quietly supplied starts to farms up and down the coast. Acres of plant babies tended by seed whisperers, with cumbia drifting above a swampy ﬂoor of mosses and volunteers from last season.

Certified organic growers depended on the greenhouse’s organic certification because their own certification depended on it. Everyone else depended on the greenhouse because growing healthy starts at scale is harder than it looks. You can do everything right for two weeks and lose a crop because somebody missed a day of water. Mice and rats have a habit of showing up exactly when they aren’t invited. A disease outbreak can force you to clean and start over from scratch. And by the time you’ve figured it all out, you’re not early for the season anymore. You’re late. Long before tomatoes, li’l gems, and snapdragons show up under market tents, they go through the greenhouse. If you want tomatoes by July, you need a greenhouse. If you want cauliflower in October, you need a greenhouse. After the nursery’s owners became gravely ill, the organic certification lapsed. For a moment, growers across the region asked the same question: What happens if the greenhouse isn’t there tomorrow? For certified organic growers, the consequences were immediate. Producers who had depended on the nursery for years found themselves scrambling for alternatives that largely didn’t exist. More than a few growers implored certifiers to show some flexibility. After all, nothing about the greenhouse had changed. The same people were growing the same plants the same way in the same place. But in the end, rules are rules. Oddly enough, most customers barely noticed. I suspect most farmers’ market customers have never heard of the nursery, and probably even fewer could name a certifier. They know the farmer and the farm. When you’ve been buying food from the same people long enough to watch your kids go from the cradle to college, you don’t need no stinking badges. That’s when the story stopped being about certification. Turns out there aren’t many Suncoasts left. How did an agricultural region stretching from Santa Maria to Oxnard end up relying on so few greenhouses for something so essential?

Over the last decade, greenhouse after greenhouse along the coast drifted into the cannabis sea. No shade on the roll-yourown crowd, but every conversion meant one less greenhouse growing starts for farms. And now that the big cannabis wave has largely receded, there’s no guarantee that infrastructure returns to agriculture. Increasingly, some of those properties may be worth more as overﬂow parking for Padaro Lane or self-storage wastelands than as places that grow anything at all.

‘‘

If you want tomatoes by July, you need a greenhouse. If you want cauliflower in October, you need a greenhouse.”

A nursery owner retires. A processor closes. A trucking company gets sold. None of it feels particularly dramatic at the time. Then one day you look around and realize how few pieces are left. Greenhouses, coolers, trucks, and packing sheds aren’t the romantic part of farming. Nobody takes engagement photos in front of a walk-in cooler. They’re not the sunﬂower patch, the sweat-ringed cowboy hat, or the dirt-under-your-ﬁngernails part of the story. They’re the supporting cast. Lose enough of them and eventually there’s no show.

A Local Response Christopher Fiorelli’s Midpoint Organic Transplants, operating out of Mesa Farm in Ojai, is one of a few efforts actively working to expand regional greenhouse capacity. Farmhand Foundation was involved in early conversations surrounding the project and continues to work with Fiorelli to pursue funding that can support its long-term success. It’s no silver bullet, and there probably isn’t one. ■

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Christopher Fiorelli, co-founder of Midpoint Organic Transplants. Photo by Alex Roehrkasse

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Ojai Magazine Fall 2026