Case Study
Neglected Acres with Organic Opportunities
Transforming, Documenting, and Telling the Story of Bonita Ranch
Starting with A Vision
It’s often said that the agriculture industry doesn’t do enough to tell its story. Main Street Produce, supported by its partner Farmers Gate, saw both the risk and the opportunity at Bonita Ranch, a long-neglected 90-acre site in Santa Maria. While the team had a bold vision for the site’s potential and the internal expertise to make the transition smoothly, they did not have a clear roadmap for capturing and communicating the transformation as it unfolded.
The team needed a structured way to document the transformation from neglected site to organic strawberry farm, but working with a partner to tell this story wasn’t just an exercise in tracking progress: it was a strategic decision to build trust with retailers, consumers, and the community.
The Opportunity
Despite its condition, Bonita Ranch offered a rare combination of a good water supply and healthy soil in the perfect climate for strawberries. Main Street Produce’s largest customer wanted a consistent source of organic strawberries, and Bonita Ranch offered a route to meet this demand while expanding Main Street’s offerings to other buyers. Main Street set out to rehabilitate the site, repurposing what they could, responsibly disposing of the waste materials, and moving as quickly as possible toward their first planting.
But restoration alone wouldn’t be enough. To succeed long-term, the story behind the land and the credibility of the process had to be captured and told in real time.
“This ambitious project was more than restoring land. It was an opportunity to prove what’s possible when vision, teamwork, and integrity align.”
The project was a chance to:
Reclaim a strategically-located site that had been an eyesore for the Santa Maria community for years
Build a replicable model for future farmland transitions
Meet rising consumer and retail demand for responsibly grown organic strawberries
Create value from abandoned waste left on the site
Turning Action into Story
At the outset, there was a shared understanding that this story mattered. Main Street Produce and Farmers Gate knew that transforming Bonita Ranch into a thriving organic farm would capture attention. But they also knew that retailers and consumers would want proof of the benefit Farmers Gate would claim had been achieved. Measure to Improve (MTI) was brought in to capture that proof in real time.
MTI wasn’t tasked with creating a brochure. They were asked to document the transformation, so that the story could be trusted, validated, and communicated with confidence. That meant identifying what to capture before it was lost and helping the team understand how each step contributed to a bigger story.
Here’s a summary of MTI’s approach:
Built a Framework for Storytelling and Data Aligned with Retail Sustainability Expectations
From day one, MTI established a documentation framework designed to go beyond simply recording activities. The goal was to meet and anticipate the evolving expectations of retailers, certification bodies, and consumers. The project team agreed this was the right approach, ensuring the data collected would have lasting value well beyond the project’s initial scope.
The framework prioritized capturing metrics that could withstand scrutiny and support credible claims:
Diversion rates from waste removal
GHG emissions avoided (EPA-WARM tool modeled calculations)
Infrastructure upgrades and compliance records
Soil health metrics
Data to support regenerative and waste-reduction claims
Verified recycling and salvage rates
This foresight will allow the team to substantiate claims related to these topics, rather than just describe progress, and to continue documenting progress as the site matures.
Captured the Transformation as it Happened
MTI ensured nothing was lost to memory or turnover. The team’s efforts were preserved in photos, timelines, quotes, receipts, and data summaries that became a living, flexible narrative that will live beyond MTI’s involvement in this project.
Delivered Tools Designed to Evolve
MTI created a narrative, an editable project plan designed to summarize documentation, and supporting materials that serve different audiences: retailers, investors, internal teams, and certifiers. These tools were built to be updated as the project continues, not frozen in time.
“We were brought in to capture this transformation in real time, not just the milestones, but the meaning behind them. Our goal was to create a narrative backed by data that helps consumers and retailers feel confident about what they’re buying.”
Impact: A Model for Future Land Transitions
The first 90 days of the Bonita Ranch transformation delivered tangible, measurable results:
Over 2,600 tons of material were responsibly removed or recycled
1,757.69 metric tons of CO₂e emissions avoided through diversion efforts
22 acres planted with organic strawberries within 60 days of demolition
Organic Systems Plan submitted and ready for audit less than 3 months into the project
Over 2000 solar panels salvaged and repurposed to offset energy use from cooling and other operations
Narrative package completed, with supporting photos, invoices, and metrics
“We wanted to capture the story real-time but weren’t sure how to start. MTI delivered exactly what was required, and more, revealing opportunities we hadn’t envisioned. It was a win for the business, and establishing a baseline today will add value well into the future.”
The Value of Storytelling
Storytelling wasn’t an afterthought or a final deliverable for this project; it was a core strategy.
It built transparency across stakeholders
It gave the team something to be proud of
It created credible, data-backed proof for buyers, customers, and the community
It helped the project become a model for future restoration efforts
“By setting the foundation early, we made it possible to track, update, and use this story to serve future business needs, not just marketing.”
In Their Words
“The Organic Systems Plan ensures compliance with USDA standards and positions us to meet early-season demand for organic berries, filling a gap Main Street Produce has long faced.”
- Ben Adam, Farm Manager, Main Street Produce
“We’re proud to transform this land into organic strawberries, restore the landscape, and capture its story to share for years to come.”
- Alexandra & Paul Allen, Main Street Produce
“When I was on the property the first time, I struggled to see a way we could make this land farmable. Seeing what it’s become, there’s pride in being part of that transformation.”
- Owen Peters, Sustainability Program Coordinator, Main Street Produce
Looking Ahead
The narrative and documentation framework provided by MTI will continue to guide Bonita Ranch through the rest of this site conversion, certification process, community engagement, and future plantings. More importantly, it leaves behind a repeatable model for future land restoration and transitions.
This case study demonstrates that pausing to capture the story in real-time with structure and intention delivers value far beyond the field.
About Measure to Improve
Founded in 2014, Measure to Improve’s mission is to help produce companies measure, improve, and credibly promote their sustainability efforts. Our clients include produce growers, packers, shippers, and industry associations across the United States. Our staff has a proven track record of helping companies identify and implement strategies to increase efficiency. By supporting clients in setting ambitious, but attainable, sustainability goals, MTI encourages progress that can be validated and marketed. MTI’s projects address a variety of sustainability challenges, including water, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and social accountability.
About Main Street Produce
Berry Farming, From Field to Freight. Main Street Produce takes pride in managing every step of the process, from farming to cooling and shipping. This ensures that berries are handled with care and delivered fresh. With decades of experience, sustainable farming practices, and a commitment to quality, they deliver top-notch produce directly from their fields to your store.
About Farmers Gate
Farmers Gate invests in sustainable agricultural assets and operations in anticipation of global food trends and demographic shifts. Focusing on the stewardship of natural resources is central to their purpose.