Farms - Pauma Tribe Community

The Walking Trail

The Pauma Tribal Walking Trail is 1.25 miles and forms the perimeter around all three sections of the farm (Vineyard, Olive Orchard and Garden) with a marvelous view of Palomar Mountain. It leads you through a living museum of native plants to the region, housed in the hedgerow. Highlighted here are medicinal plants and pollinator plants beneficial to our local ecosystem. The hedgerow also serves as a windbreak, protecting our food producing fields from erosion.

Pauma Tribal Farms is proud to be a Carbon Sink Demonstration Project committed: to drawing harmful, excess carbon from the atmosphere down into the soil where it feeds the: soil ecosystem. The “hedgerow is one - of five agricultural practices applied in order to-achieve carbon sequestration. To learn more, eat: take a walk on our trail!

Why Have a Vineyard?

At Pauma, we’re embarking on a journey of independence and strength by cultivating our own vineyard—an initiative that celebrates our tribal heritage and the power of moving forward. Our grapes are grown and processed right here in Pauma, enabling us to produce wine locally while managing our own operations, marketing, and distribution. This self-sustaining approach not only drives sales but also contributes to long-term economic independence. Breaking ground in 2020 and planting our first vines in 2021, we have embraced the art and science of enology with enthusiasm. In the fall of 2022, our inaugural experimental harvest marked a significant milestone in our winemaking journey. After experimenting with our wine, we handed out the first bottles as keepsakes to tribal members—a heartfelt celebration of the very first wine produced by Pauma Why have a vineyard? Because it symbolizes our commitment to self-reliance, tradition, and a prosperous future.

What Varieties of Grapes Do We Grow?

At Pauma, we cultivate grape varieties that embody resilience, strength, and adaptability—qualities deeply rooted in our tribal identity. Our vineyard is home to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, Camminare Noir, Errante Noir, and Paseante Noir, each chosen for their ability to thrive in Pauma’s unique microclimate, where extreme highs and lows test the endurance of both land and people. Just as our ancestors adapted and persevered, we select grapes that will stand strong against the elements, ensuring a future where Pauma’s winemaking legacy flourishes. These vines are more than crops—they are a testament to our commitment to self-reliance, sustainability, and honoring the land that has provided for our people for generations.

How is Growing Vines Climate-Smart?

In Pauma, we honor the land by working with it, not against it. Growing grapevines is a practice deeply aligned with our Native traditions of sustainability and respect for the earth. Unlike annual crops that must be replanted each season, grapevines are perennial, meaning they are planted once and continue to produce for years—offering both abundance and balance. This enduring relationship between the vine and the land strengthens the soil, allowing roots to dig deep, holding moisture, and creating pathways for life beneath the surface. As the vines grow, they actively restore the land, drawing carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and enriching the soil’s ecosystem. Just as our ancestors understood the wisdom of working in harmony with nature, we continue that legacy by cultivating crops that sustain not only our people but the land itself for generations to come.

Why Have a Garden?

With the Olive Orchard already established, and plans for the Vineyard being laid out, talks were already progressing to grow Pauma's food sovereignty. Starting the Garden was accelerated in 2020 as an emergency response to the pandemic. We were able to feed our own people when the grocery stores were falling short due to the disruption in the supply chain, and we still continue to feed our people. We hope that Garden will be a place to gather and build our community, to demonstrate how to grow food, and a place to grow future Native farmers!

Where Does Our Produce Go?

Our agricultural program here at the Garden is dedicated to providing the Pauma tribal community with fresh, nutritious vegetables on a weekly basis. This year, we are expanding our production by an additional acre to increase our capacity and better serve our community, we look forward to offering fresh produce grown using organic practices that meet the highest standards of food safety. Through these efforts, we aim to enhance access to healthy, locally grown food for both tribal members and the broader community.

What is the Foundation for Growing Healthy Food? It starts with the SOIL, Building soil health matters. Before seeds. and. transplants go in, taking the time to work and amend the soil, crop rotation and crop diversity are crucial for a successful, healthy and abundant season!

Miiyu and Nomoki at Pauma Tribal Farms of the Pauma Band of Luiseiio Indians. Our no/ reduced-till, regenerative farm is made up of three sections - the Vineyard, the Garden, and the Olive Orchards. The departments complement

each other with a variety of climate-smart agricultural practices. We are currently on 60 acres and are continuing to expand with a combination of for-profit and nonprofit endeavors. We take pride in being Native owned and operated and are savoring our journey towards food and land sovereignty... that is what we call Pauma Magic!

Why Have an Olive Orchard?

The Olive Orchard is Pauma Tribe's first economic development at the farm with the goal of marketing their Olive Oil and increasing self-reliance. Ground breaking for the Farm began in 2016; and the first olive tree was planted into the soil in 2018. Olive trees have low water requirements and great heat resilience making them an ideal crop for Pauma Valley and a forward thinking endeavor. The first bottles of Olive Oil were pressed in 2024.

What Varieties of Olives Do We Grow?

Currently we grow the following varieties of olives: Mission, Ascolana, Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, and Picual are the varieties found in our Olive Orchard. It takes 4-5 years to see olive fruit . The process of extracting oil from the olives begins with crushing the olives to make a paste, malaxing the paste to separate the oil from organic matter, and finally using a centrifuge that removes the paste and water leaving only the oil behind. This only is then filtered and stored until it is ready to be bottled .

How is Growing Olives Climate-Smart?

Olives are drought tolerant, appropriate for our climate. You will see that each olive tree has a mulch “donut” - to help retain water, to help insulate roots in extreme cold and extreme heat, and to provide some weed suppression. Nutrients are released into the soil as the mulch breaks down. Furthermore, olive trees are perennial and will remain rooted here for generations to come, like the neighboring vines, for even more carbon sequestration!