Makers & Designers
West Marin’s Historic Black Mountain Ranch Is Adapting for the Future
Black Mountain Ranch owner Marcel Houtzager (All photos by Jeff Lewis)The history of Black Mountain Ranch in West Marin is fascinating, to say the least. While James Black was said to be one of the richest men in Marin County in the 1800s, intrigue, fortune, romance, family disputes and tragedy pepper the tale of the Black/Burdell family. And while the history of the ranch is interesting, the geology is even more so, its soils influenced by a Jurassic-period volcano that used to sit on the Farallon tectonic plate. Today, the Black Mountain story is unfolding with a positive, creative and progressive slant, bringing together individuals who care for the planet and this special property.
“I leased the ranch about five years ago, then bought it,” explains owner Marcel Houtzager. “It’s a big project with a lot of buildings that need a lot of care. I’m not a rancher or farmer myself, but I have really strong tenants that are really good at what they do. My job is to support them, and support the whole thing by having agritourism activities.” He adds that the majority of farms and ranches in the United States are actually supported by nonfarm income because the costs are so high. “We are just at the beginning [of establishing more agritourism programming] right now, and we find in West Marin there are lots of ranches that do similar things,” Houtzager says.
The concept of agritourism is nothing new, but the practice is necessary to diversify the structure and financial success of an entity such as Black Mountain Ranch and it also offers valuable insight for visitors. “Eco- and agritourism are important to educate people on how to make purchasing decisions that are good for the health of humans and the planet, and the activity of eco- and agritourism is also necessary to support agriculture financially,” says Houtzager.
A fund manager by day, Houtzager says his passion is actually in the arts. “The love of art came first and it led to owning some art studios in Sausalito and then to owning the ranch,” he says. “My love of agriculture was always latent. I am a U.S. naturalized citizen and used to be a Dutch citizen, but I got sucked into it after buying the ranch.” Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) works to put agriculture easements on ranches and farms and were the ones who initially pointed Houtzager to Black Mountain. He now sits on the MALT advisory committee.
The ranch is huge, larger than Golden Gate Park, and incredibly diverse, with two major creeks (Nicasio and Lagunitas) running across it, a 1,240-foot mountain, deep canyons and a wide spectrum of flora and fauna. Houtzager is very interested in protecting all of that and supports a roster of tenants that do the same, including a business that grows fabric dyes and works with another ranch tenant that raises sheep and alpaca for wool to make products. There are also a cattle ranch, two vegetable farms, an artist studio, a lavender garden, and more. Houtzager calls some of these folks “local celebrities,” and for good reason.
Rebecca Burgess, founder of Fibershed, is a pioneer in the farm-to-closet movement and one of the anchor tenants at the ranch. She teaches big-name fashion brands how to green up their supply chains and her name has even been mentioned as a potential future secretary of agriculture for California.
Molly Meyerson owns Little Wing Farm, the larger of two organic farms at the ranch, cultivating a diverse mix of produce, flowers and even quail eggs. She also sits on the board of MALT.
Loren Poncia is a fourth-generation cattle rancher and keeps about one-third of his Black Angus beef cattle at Black Mountain Ranch. His home property is Stemple Creek Ranch, which is well known and regarded in the culinary world.
Allison Reilly is a sheep and alpaca shepherd and fashion designer and what Houtzager calls “the living embodiment of what Fibershed is trying to promote,” which is locally grown wool, processed in the region and turned into very high-quality and durable fashion items that are actually worth mending (instead of just being thrown away when damaged) and then can eventually be returned to the earth via compost.
Ido Yoshimoto, arborist and prolific artist, has his studio at the ranch and has shown locally as well as in Tokyo.
These tenants coexist in harmony on the property, working on their own projects and creations while Houtzager pushes forward with upgrades to the facilities. There is a newly updated event kitchen, which was basically an old shack, now turned into a modern space with concrete, glass and wood accents. Across the way is a historic barn that has undergone major reconstruction. Local contractor Harlan Honda (East Peak Building) is overseeing the work under his dad’s Marin Master Builders company, and he remarks that it has not been an easy task. Honda is impressed with Houtzager’s vision and says, “He’s really helping support the people who are out here.”
While the ranch is not open to the public, it is available for booking a photo shoot or event, exploring on a MALT hike or for educational visits through Food & Farm Tours. You can also purchase Black Mountain–grown produce at the Little Wing Farm stand and participate in a Fibershed workshop.
For more information on the rich history of Black Mountain Ranch and for updates on upcoming events and activities, check out www.blackmountainranch.info or Instagram @blackmountain_ranch.
To see more of Jeff Lewis’ work and purchase locally handcrafted prints, visit www.landESCAPEvisuals.com.
