California’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program just handed over $5 million to the ytt Northern Chumash Tribe. This grant is the largest single injection into the tribe’s bid to buy Alexander Ranch in Cayucos. The 357-acre property, once home to the largest abalone farm in the US, now sits at the center of a tense race against the clock. The tribe needs to raise the full $18 million by October 15 to close the escrow. As of June 2026, they have secured $8.2 million, leaving a significant gap to fill. Becca Lucas Thomas, executive director of the nonprofit, called the acquisition "really remarkable" for reconnecting families with their ancestral home.
The land is not just dirt; it is history. Before engineer John Alexander developed it for aquaculture in the 1960s, the site housed the Indigenous village of tsitxala. For thousands of years, Chumash people harvested abalone from these shores. Now, the tribe plans to implement indigenous stewardship practices. This includes repairing the Villa Creek watershed to bring back steelhead trout. They also intend to use intentional burning and plant transplantation, techniques their ancestors used to manage the landscape before colonists forcibly removed them.
The economic engine of the project is the dormant aquaculture facility. Nine hundred concrete tanks, unused since 2020, sit on the property. Ben Ruttenberg, co-founder of the Harmony Coast Aquaculture Institute, is partnering with the tribe to reopen the farm. His institute holds a rare state permit for a seawater intake pipe capable of pumping 7,000 gallons per minute. That infrastructure is a massive logistical hurdle that most new operators cannot clear. The proposed system uses algae to scrub carbon and acid from the water before it reaches the abalone. This creates a better environment for shell growth.
This is not just a commercial operation. The tribe aims to restore endangered black and white abalone populations. Black abalone live in the intertidal zone, exposed to air at low tide. Tribal members recently spotted them during a survey of the coastline. The farm could serve as a research hub for these species. It would also provide a place for tribal members to camp and gather without seeking permission from outside landowners. The deadline is October 15. The tribe needs $8.2 million more to lock in the deal.