Our Story

Wildfarmers emerged from a profound commitment to ecological restoration and human connection with nature.

We focus on one of California's most urgent environmental challenges: the disappearing blue oak woodlands that once dominated the state's landscape.

Located in the picturesque Diablo Mountain Range of San Benito County, just 35 miles from Pinnacles National Park, our 40-acre property stands as both witness to this crisis and laboratory for its solution.

Here, ancient blue oaks stretch skyward, some having watched over this land for hundreds of years. Yet these trees face unprecedented threats—climate change, sudden oak death, development, altered land management practices, and invasive species. With experts projecting only fifty more years for these ecosystems without intervention, our work has taken on profound urgency.

Our approach merges reverence for traditional ecological knowledge with rigorous modern conservation science. We begin habitat restoration by first taking out the invasive grass with either fire or hand tools. Wildfarmers has a soil seed bank with over 100 native species and these are planted beneath the oaks, building up the understory. This has yielded remarkable results: in our actively stewarded areas, sapling growth has increased by 400%, demonstrating living proof that these ecosystems can regenerate when given proper care.

Water—life's most essential element—forms the cornerstone of our restoration strategy. Through carefully designed catchment systems, vernal pools, and wildlife guzzlers, we've increased year-round water availability by 400%, creating vital oases for native species. Our ponds and wetlands serve as crucial gathering places for wildlife, from ground squirrels and bunnies to bobcats and mountain lions.

Beyond ecological restoration, we've maintained our founding commitment to human connection with nature. Our land serves as a sanctuary where people can rediscover their relationship with wilderness through camping under ancient oaks, participating in hands-on restoration work, or learning about native plants. These immersive experiences transform visitors into advocates and stewards, creating a growing community of blue oak protectors.

The principles of reciprocity guide everything we do. We give care to the ecosystem and receive its gifts in return—cleaner air, cooler temperatures, greater biodiversity, and the soul-nourishing peace that comes from time spent in healthy natural spaces. When we commit to healing the land, it responds in kind, restoring not just ecosystems but the human spirit as well.

As we look to the future, our San Benito County site represents more than just a patch of stewarded land. It serves as a living model for what's possible—a demonstration that damaged ecosystems can recover their vitality when communities come together in active stewardship. Through our work, we're developing scalable restoration techniques that can be replicated across California's 3.3 million acres of threatened blue oak habitat.

The blue oaks have survived for millions of years, weathering countless changes. With proper care and commitment, they can survive this crisis too. We invite you to join us in this vital work of ecological healing and human reconnection with the wild.

Want to know more about Blue Oaks? Click here.

Our Team

Board of Directors

  • Hedmon Okella, Ph.D. is the UC Cooperative Extension Advisor serving San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties. His applied research and extension program focuses on 4-H Animal Science literacy and Agriculture workforce development. He also supports the youth and youth-serving organizations in the areas of Applied research and Extension program design, implementation and evaluation. Prior to joining the University of California Cooperative Extension, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher in Veterinary Science & Molecular Biology at the UC Davis Veterinary School.

    Born and raised in an extended family that cherishes goat and poultry farming, his passion in agriculture and environmental sciences is resolute. In addition to his professional roles, Hedmon is deeply engaged in his community with the next generation at heart. He currently participates as a Y-member with the Central Coast YMCA. When not doing applied research and extension, he enjoys backyard gardening as well as carbon credit generation through Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) to boost carbon removal credits. In addition, he has lately picked a strong interest in indigenous species and wetland restoration.

  • Veronica Stork leads wildfarmers with a commitment to restoring California's blue oak woodland ecosystems, bringing together her indigenous heritage, artistic vision, and decades of conservation experience to reimagine ecosystem stewardship.

    As the founder of wildfarmers, Veronica has transformed 40 acres of land in San Benito County into a living laboratory for blue oak habitat restoration. Born to the Vanialetto people of Sri Lanka—traditionally known as "people of the forest"—she brings deep-rooted traditional ecological knowledge to her conservation work, blending ancient wisdom with modern science to breathe new life into threatened landscapes.

    With a master's in Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute, Veronica views landscape restoration as her most profound creative act. Her journey from studio art to environmental stewardship led her to pioneering work with the San Francisco Reef Society, where she built a 400-member community dedicated to marine conservation. Drawing on leadership experiences in Silicon Valley marketing, she now applies her strategic skills to wildfarmers' mission of ecosystem regeneration.

    Through wildfarmers, Veronica is developing replicable models for blue oak woodland restoration that go beyond conservation. Her work creates wildlife corridors, supports native species, and reconnects diverse communities with wilderness. By establishing immersive programs that transform visitors into active stewards, she is building a movement that demonstrates how healing the land can simultaneously restore wildlife populations and the human spirit.

  • Marcus Velasquez brings a practitioner’s perspective to the board, grounded in hands-on experience navigating the commercial real estate markets of California’s Central Valley. As a broker with Cushman & Wakefield, he specializes in leasing and sales, working alongside property owners and tenants to structure transactions, analyze market conditions, and develop strategies that advance their real estate goals. His work spans a broad range of asset types and deal complexities, giving him a nuanced understanding of how real estate decisions shape communities and opportunity.

    A 2026 Magna Cum Laude graduate of California State University, Fresno, Marcus earned his degree in Real Estate & Urban Land Economics. The program deepened his analytical foundation while keeping him connected to the realities of active deal-making. That combination of academic rigor and field experience has shaped his approach: thoughtful, market-informed, and focused on outcomes that create lasting value.

    Marcus’s commitment to wildfarmers reflects his belief that thriving communities depend on more than transactional success: they require intentional investment in the people and institutions that hold them together. He looks forward to contributing his market expertise and strategic perspective to help advance the organization’s mission.

  • Sharon Rau Zinck, Social Media Volunteer

    Carmel de Bertaut, Wildlife Biologist Writer

    Megan Fluke, Strategic and Executive Consultant

    Rachel Samuelian, Volunteer

    Ryan O'Dell, Native Plant Specialist, Soil Scientist, Botanist, Ecological Scientist, Advisor and Volunteer

    Amelia Ryan, Vegetation Ecologist, Pinnacles National Park, Advisor and Volunteer

    Shawn Milar,USFWS, Advisor and Volunteer

Partners & Collaborators

Wildfarmers thrives through collaboration with experts, agencies, and community organizations committed to ecological restoration and education:


    • BurnBot

    • Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association (CCPBA)

    • CalFire

    • Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS/USDA)

    • US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

    • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

    • National Park Service (NPS)

  • CSU Fresno Service Learning Center

    • Xerces Society for Invertebrates

    • Monarch Joint Venture

    • Community Foundation of San Benito County

    • Community Foundation of Monterey County

    • Natural Resources Conservation Service

Our collaborative approach extends to our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program, educating youth and the community about earth sciences through hands-on experiences with biologists and ecological scientists.