At Ojai’s Earthtrine Farm, a Table for Wilderness

Good food offers more than pleasure. At its best, it reflects place — the soil, the seasons, the people who shape it. On Saturday night at Earthtrine Farm in Ojai, that “place” was both literal and political. With a backdrop of mountains bordering the farm and thunderheads blanketing the peaks, Los Padres ForestWatch gathered supporters for its Wilderness Table — a dinner designed to remind guests that the lands they love are under threat, and that defense begins at the community level.

Walking up the dirt road to the pale yellow farmhouse, guests were met with fruity vodka spritzes from Rock 12 Distillery. Small bites of fresh bread dipped in Ojai olive oil and balsamic vinegar waited on the tables as guests acquainted themselves.

Boardmember Vic Thasiah set the tone. As a trail runner and backpacker, he put it simply: “I love the forest for many different reasons, even down to ecological services, clean water and clean air. I’m so glad that you’re here. I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can tonight.”

As for the owner of this meeting spot, Earthtrine Farm, that would be Robert “BD” Dautch. The farmer — known to some as the “Organic Alchemist” — carried the evening into the field as he spoke about farming in harmony with cycles. Rows of orange and apricot trees stretched beyond the eye behind him, scarecrows standing sentry in the fall dusk.

Dautch, who has farmed Earthtrine for decades, framed the evening’s purpose in spiritual terms. “It’s nice to be in the company of a bunch of like minded people that all share the common vision of what we like about the backcountry,” he said. “Because it’s a spiritual feeling when you’re hiking around in the backcountry … it’s kind of our temple or our cathedral or our mosque.”

As for what he is doing on the farm: “There’s always a balance — living in harmony with nature and then imposing your will on nature,” Dautch said. “When we get a good harvest, it feels harmonious to me.”

Eventually it was time to eat the multi-course, locally sourced dinner prepared by Chef William Robertson. Guests sat at a long table beneath string lights and an oak tree, which soon filled with farm salad, truffle risotto, and Ojai-chardonnay-braised chicken. Each plate was matched with wine from The Ojai Vineyard — a rosé to start, a crisp sauvignon blanc, then sangiovese with the entrée, and finally a riesling for dessert. The almond-coconut cake glazed with Amaro Angeleno, served with coconut whipped cream, closed the evening on a high note.

As for the conversation that flowed throughout the courses, it eventually turned toward policy. “We’re seeing just a volley of threats facing our public lands on almost a daily basis, whether it be mandates to increase logging, mandates [for] oil drilling … longstanding environmental laws, many of which have been on the books since the ’60s, those are being rolled back,” one speaker said. “That’s why we’re here tonight, gathered at a single table, all for a common cause.”

ForestWatch’s Wilderness Table was as much about connection as fundraising. By the end of the night, conversations all seemed to circle the same idea: wild places are not abstractions. They are air, water, food, community. Sometimes it’s not only important to share a meal among strangers, but to share a mission as well.

Learn more about Los Padres ForestWatch at forestwatch.org.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify that this was not Los Padres ForestWatch’s first Wilderness Table event.