Santa Monica Mountains Native Seed Farm
The Santa Monica Mountains (SAMO) are home to a national recreation area in Ventura County. The park provides habitat for local wildlife and hundreds of miles of trails for visitors. They also have a particularly unique component for a protected park: an active nursery and farm.

The nursery and farm grow plants which are native to the park. Their existence is a result of Burn Area Rehabilitation funding, and a strong collaboration between Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund). SAMO Fund is the park’s official nonprofit partner. Part of their mission is to support restoration of native plants to the area and educate the public about their importance. The nursery is run by nonprofit employees, but supported by volunteers who spend their time seeding, transplanting, and learning from the knowledgeable staff. Started in the early 2000s, the nursery collects native seed and cuttings from the landscape, multiplies them by the thousands, then returns them to the mountains.
Most recently, the park’s restoration efforts have become even more productive, with the development of a native seed farm within park boundaries. In January 2025, the new farm transplanted approximately 25,000 plants from the nursery. Joey Algiers, a Plant Ecologist at the National Park Service, and his team are now reaping what they sowed, harvesting millions of seeds from species including Elymus triticoides, Stipa pulchra, Salvia leucophylla, Grindelia camporum, Asclepias fascicularis, and Artemisia californica. Initial tests show germination rates ranging from 60 to 75%. They can now use this seed to restore native grasslands within the park boundaries – a difficult task given the historical ranching practices that took place here.
Their first successful season didn’t come without challenges, considering the unique difficulties of operating within a nationally preserved park. Weed control is one of the primary challenges, and tillage is not an easy control option because ground disturbance is highly restricted to protect cultural resources. To keep the weeds at bay, they utilize weed fabric, soil solarization, steam application, and hand weeding. Underground cages protect roots from gophers, and insect netting protects the foliage from pests.
Right now, the farm is about 1 acre. But they hope to expand it to 5 acres, with the intention of supporting restoration efforts throughout the Southern California Northern Baja Coast ecoregion. That said, the SAMO Fund and SMMNRA are already supporting native habitats throughout the state through their educational efforts. You can watch their educational youtube videos or attend their workshops on native plant propagation.