Go inside One Gun Ranch, a gorgeous Malibu oasis where alpacas roam free

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The entrance to One Gun Ranch in Malibu, a 24-acre biodynamic ranch nestled in the mountains overlooking the ocean, where owners Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring are growing 50 different crops and raising rescued animals.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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The new book “One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living” ($40, Regan Arts) shares how to create a biodynamic lifestyle regardless of where you live.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Lettuces grow in raised beds at One Gun Ranch. Passion fruit vines rest on the netting which helps to keep out birds and other animals.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Jericho organic lettuce seeds sprout at One Gun Ranch.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Baltazar Perez cares for the horses at One Gun Ranch.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Blue cozies up to the camera at One Gun Rnch where horse manure is used to fertilize crops.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Look closely and you’ll spot Othello at One Gun Ranch.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Alpaca Eleanor roams One Gun Ranch along with dogs, goats, chickens, sheep and pigs.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Luna and Billy.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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A biodynamic calendar for 2017 -- which dictates when to plant and harvest according to the cycles of the moon -- rests above a sink at One Gun Ranch.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Kale from the garden is a decorative touch inside a Ball Mason jar.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Baltazar Perez feeds the alpacas.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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An outdoor kitchen at One Gun Ranch in Malibu.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring sell greens, veggies, honey, tea, candles and more at the Ranch at the Pier on the Malibu Pier.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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Beets and carrots from the garden are included in the recipes in the new book “One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living.”

(Christina House / For The Times)

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A container converted into a bar, right, sits next to an Airstream trailer that serves as a guest house at One Gun Ranch in Malibu.

(Christina House / For The Times)

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In an interview, Malibu neighbors Laird Hamilton and wife Gabby Reece share their approach to sustainable living.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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The ranch was previously owned by Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, hence the name One Gun Ranch.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Baltazar Perez feeds Snoopy and Tatou outside the campfire kitchen at One Gun Ranch.

(Christina House / For The Times)

By Lisa BooneStaff Writer

April 25, 2017 7:30 AM PT

Tucked in the hills of Malibu with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, One Gun Ranch in Malibu is a little slice of Instagram-ready heaven.

Sadly, Instagram is the best place to view the majestic ranch as visiting the 20-acre compound is one of the toughest tickets in town.

Don’t despair. One Gun Ranch is open to the public several times a year, when owners Alice Bamford and Ann Eysenring host workshops on composting and practical farming. You just have to consult their Instagram feed to find out when.

While you patiently wait, the couple’s gorgeous new book, “One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living” (Regan Arts, $40), takes you behind the scenes of their working farm with tips on biodynamic farming, an ages-old approach that fuses agriculture with spirituality, exercise offerings and simple recipes.

Need more reasons to go?

Clementine

Rescued animals roam free on the property, including alpacas Eleanor, Louise, Clementine, pictured below, Roosevelt and Winston.

Blue

Horses also roam free at the ranch and on nearby trails. So free, in fact, that Blue walked up to a table and started noshing on some carne asada at a recent press lunch.

Othello

Animals play a big role in creating a closed loop, or self-sustaining ecosystem at One Gun Ranch. Manure from all of the animals — horses, chickens and goats — is used as fertilizer. And unsold produce is never an issue with pigs like Othello around, pictured below.

Luna and Billy

Among the 14 dogs at One Gun Ranch: Billy, pictured below, Boo, Snoopy, Dr. Watson, Whiskey Bravo and Woodstock, to name a few.

Another reason to go:

Billy the labrador mix takes a break. (Christina House / For The Times)

Laird Hamilton is a neighbor

Interviews in the book cover chats with leaders in the biodynamic movement, including the authors’ Malibu neighbors Laird Hamilton and wife Gabby Reece.

Renowned surfer Laird Hamilton prepares his standup paddle board in Malibu in this 2014 file photo. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Farm to table recipes

The new book also includes simple farm-to-fork recipes spanning beetroot soup (we can confirm its excellence) to turmeric poached halibut. Superfoods like fennel and spinach, shown below, are highlighted to demonstrate the vitamin-rich foods that you can grow at home.

Clean greens

Think you have a black thumb? This is the book for you.

“You learn from doing,” says Bamford, a film producer and the daughter of an English lord — JCB Chairman Paul Bamford. “It’s about the right approach. We describe how to grow something in a raised bed outside or in a box in your kitchen window sill.”

Many chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, purchase produce at One Gun Ranch. (Christina House / For The Times)

Kismet

Bamford confesses she never set out to write a book.

The book came about when famed book publisher Judith Regan visited One Gun Ranch.

“She loves good food and grew up on a farm,” Bamford says of Regan. “She came to visit us at the ranch and we ate in our campfire kitchen. She said. ‘I’m in love with what you’re doing and everything you stand for. There is a book here.’”

What’s up with the name?

In case you are wondering, the ranch gets its name One Gun from its original owner, Matt Sorum, formerly of Guns N’ Roses.

The ranch was originally owned by drummer Matt Sorum, formerly of Guns N' Roses. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

DIY supersoil

The book will help you learn how to make your own biodynamic compost at home using a wide range of scraps and biodynamic preparations such as nettle, yarrow, chamomile, oak bark and dandelion.

The book details how to make supersoil, or biodynamic compost. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Back to basics

The book’s emphasis on biodynamics is a back-to-basics approach to life.

But is it really possible to slow down enough to take a spiritual approach to life?

More specifically, plant, harvest and eat according to the cycles of the moon?

"One Gun Ranch Malibu: Biodynamic Recipes for Vibrant Living" (Regan Arts, $40)

Joyful living

That’s Bamford’s hope.

“I want people to take away the belief that there is joy in living with the rhythms of nature,” she says. “Just go outside and do something. It’s a good tonic.”