History of Synergia Ranch

First purchased in 1969, the challenge was how to undo a century of overgrazing and land misuse. This attracted people with a vision who were ready to do the hard work required. They founded the Institute of Ecotechnics (IE), a research organization dedicated to finding better ways of integrating people and the natural world. The goal was to turn what had been desertified back into a biodiverse and thriving ecosystem, a life-enhancing and enchanting oasis. Over the following decades, thousands of adobe bricks were made by hand to build workshops, residences, dance studio, kitchens and dining areas and a geodesic dome was erected. Hundreds of shade trees and biodiverse hedgerows were planted, an organic farm and fruit orchard started, all of which improves the local climate. On the rest of the land, simple rock check dams and erosion structures are helping restore soil health.