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Benina Montes led the tour with husband Heriberto. Together, they manage the operation, which began as a small dairy operated by Montes' ancestor, Benjamin Burroughs, in 1906,

Burroughs Family Farms is the first almond farm in the world to be certified as regenerative organic by the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Their products also include almond butter, almond milk, olive oil and eggs.

The farm's sustainable methods are based on some main principles:

· Keep the soil covered

· Maintain a high level of biodiversity

· Integrate livestock

· Minimize tilling

· Never use synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers

Between the rows of almond trees are plantings of rosemary, butterfly bush, deer grass and lavender. They improve soil health by maximizing water retention and allow chickens and sheep to graze the orchard and provide natural fertilizer.

"I was surprised to learn how regenerative organic farming keeps the land covered in mulch year-round to return nutrients to the soil," third-year student Diego Regalado said. "It gave me a new perspective on farming and how it's not only about growing crops, but also about nurturing the land itself."