In the 1930s, friends Milo Ferini and Dominick Ardantz recognized the exceptional potential for agriculture in Santa Maria. They founded Betteravia Farms and began growing sugar beets. Since then, Betteravia has grown into one of the county’s largest agriculture operations with more than 600 local employees. With the presence of federally endangered California tiger salamanders in this region and the regulatory requirements that accompany them, many Santa Maria landowners are turning to conservation easements to strike a balance between protecting habitat and expanding their crops—including Betteravia Farms.

Working together, the Land Trust, Betteravia Farms, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife successfully addressed these challenges, through a conservation easement held by the Land Trust. The agreement balances protections for endangered wildlife habitat and the expansion of Betteravia Farms crops, proving that conservation can also be good business.