CREA Fellows @ Sovereignty Ranch in Bandera

Our latest CREA visit took us west of San Antonio into the Texas Hill Country, where fellows spent the day at Sovereignty Ranch. Nestled across roughly 300 acres, the ranch is a dynamic, working landscape that brings together livestock, orchards, greenhouses, and a vibrant farm to table operation.

We were welcomed by Mollie and Ryland Engelhart, the brother and sister team stewarding the ranch. From the outset, the conversation grounded us in the realities of the moment. In the face of an ongoing and gripping drought, Mollie spoke candidly about the fragility of our food systems and the importance of staying rooted in truth, purpose, and conviction as we work toward something better.

From there, we climbed aboard the ranch truck and set out across the land. Fellows toured orchards, greenhouses, pig pens, and pastures, getting a firsthand look at the diversity of operations that make Sovereignty Ranch both productive and resilient. Along the way, we also highlighted a growing partnership centered on water and landscape restoration.

Together with Bryan Hummel of Water Ranching and Pete Van Dyck of Drought Proof Texas, we are advancing a Trails to Swales initiative on the ranch. This work focuses on placing conservation terraces on contour to slow, spread, sink, soak, and store rainwater into the landscape. The goal is simple but powerful. Increase groundwater recharge, reduce flash flooding risk, and transform water from a liability into a long term asset that builds life and abundance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbpWVGCEYUE

This approach reflects a broader effort underway through Terra Advocati to develop a Hill Country watershed strategy that can scale these practices across diverse lands and ownerships. From ranches like Sovereignty to community spaces and working farms, the opportunity is to rethink how water moves through the landscape and how we design with it, not against it.

After the tour, we gathered for a shared meal at the ranch’s farm to table restaurant, where the connection between land and food came full circle. The experience continued with a special and unexpected moment. Fellows were invited to a private screening of a new film by Ryland Engelhart, the creative force behind Kiss the Ground and Common Ground. His work has helped bring regenerative agriculture into global conversation, weaving together science, storytelling, and community in a way that resonates far beyond the field.

Watching this newest installment together, followed by a thoughtful discussion, was a meaningful close to the day. It offered space to reflect not just on what we saw, but on what is possible when people come together with shared intention.

All in all, it was a powerful visit. We are grateful to Mollie and Ryland Engelhart for opening their land, their work, and their vision to our fellows.