A PLACE IN THE DESERT

 

 

We spent a few minutes chatting to Nicole Granato, co-creator of Holistic Ranch – a dreamy Airbnb and a rescue horse farm in Joshua Tree, and most recently a general goods store on the main drag in Yucca Valley. She moved to Joshua Tree from New York, a few years ago to live her ultimate fantasy – open skies, clean desert air, gorgeous babies and doing good for the world with her Aussie beau. 

 

 

 

Why did you and your husband open this lovely place?

 

We opened our store because there is a massive void in our small town when it comes to high quality produce and goods. We also are very passionate about where we get our food from, supporting regenerative agriculture, small farmers and businesses who are going the extra mile to support a change in how we buy food and the impact it is having. It’s not enough anymore to start a business without asking the question, am I positively or negatively contributing to the destruction of this planet? 

 

 

 

 

Give me your feelings about the desert.

 

I love the desert, it has had a special place in my heart since I was young! There are so many great people continuing to move out here that makes it a really amazing place to live. Truly I think there is something magical about the landscapes, colors and the mountains that surround us up here. It’s hard to explain until you have been here and watched a sunset or sunrise. It’s truly breathtaking. 

 

 

How does your beautiful family fit into all of this? 

 

My husband and I created the concept of Holistic Ranch when we first met while remodeling our home in Joshua Tree in 2018. We wanted to create a business and lifestyle brand around holistic living from its core. Everything from the materials we use in our home, to the businesses and farmers we support to the way we care for ourselves and our animals! Everything we do and every choice we make affects us in one way or another. After having our son we had a fire within us and we just knew we needed to create this for his future and the future we hope to see. Education is our most powerful tool and we want to bring education on living holistically and well to all. 

 

 

Tell me about the future? 

 

Turning it into a lifestyle / hospitality brand is what we are focused on. Our Airbnb is a start to give people the opportunity to stay and experience a little of the Holistic Ranch lifestyle. We love our horses and feel passionate about saving as many as we can from the brutal fate of horse slaughter and hope to continue to bring people into their world as they are a huge part of what started Holistic Ranch. They are magical animals with so much to offer and as time goes on we hope to have some more one on one horsemanship available to our guests.

 

We hope to continue opening stores and eventually growing our food to supply to our stores. 

 

 

 

Follow their journey on Instagram: @holisticranch