Learning Journeys from the Rock to the Reef

For Foodies with a Big Appetite for Learning

Connect deeply to the Wisdom of Place of Baja California Sur in an experiential journey through the oases that sustain the region’s remarkably resilient food chain.

Alianza de Seguridad Alimentaria offers an introduction to a host of life-centered, carefully curated epicurean expeditions that provide a unique opportunity to tap into the 3.8 billion years of evolutionary wisdom stored in the flora and fauna of Baja California Sur.

Understanding the region's Anthropocene—from the nomadic first nation Pericú to the Jesuit priests who settled in the 19th century near the 194 oases of Baja California, to the modern-day migration of tourists escaping winter in Canada and the USA—requires immersing oneself in the culinary delights that are at risk of disappearing.

So…..are you planning on staying in Baja California Sur? Would you like to learn more about how food is produced in the region? Or perhaps you are just here visiting. Would you like to scratch beneath the surface of the typical tourist traps to take your tasty trip to the next level of foodie insight?

Whatever your appetite. Dive right in. Our foodie-themed community tourism trips aim to shift the paradigm for visitors and contribute to the transition to a healthy and regenerative food system in Baja California Sur—one meal at a time.

Our experiences feed all levels of interest in the food chain of Baja California Sur. Whether you have a couple of hours or six months to spare, there's an edible encounter that will leave your appetite fully sated.

Starters for Baja California Sur Beginners

For visitors with limited time but a passion for food, we recommend dining at one of our partner restaurants.

Alianza de Seguridad Alimentaria de Baja California Sur works with a selection of excellent eateries that are passionate about showcasing locally grown products.

These restaurants not only serve exceptional examples of Baja California Sur's tastiest traditions but also support local producers by paying a premium to that powers their transition to regenerative agriculture.

You may pay a little more, but you get way more than you paid for — the benefits go far beyond the health advantages of consuming pesticide-free food. Your money also supports local producers who depend on tourism to transition to a food system that helps sustain life in the region.

Restaurants like Don Sanchez offer tasting menus that celebrate seasonal desert delicacies, including the sweet pitaya fruit from the pipe organ cactus, sustainably sourced fish, and locally raised beef from land stewardship schemes in the Sierra de la Grande mountains.

These sensorial learning journeys are not only delicious they foster a greater awareness of the delicately intertwined ecosystems that have sustained human life in the desert for thousands of years.

For a more authentic experience and a greater impact on the hard-working inhabitants of Baja California, consider scheduling a cooking class with Celia Roldan, one of ASA's culinary champions.

Celia works tirelessly to fight hunger and malnutrition by cooking for hundreds of children in one of our community kitchens in Cabo San Lucas.

She's famous for her tremendous tacos and sensational sopa. She pours love into her community, one meal at a time. Funds from the sale of our cooking classes and tasting menus support our mission to end hunger and malnutrition in the region.

So please, get tuck in.

Want to book a 3-Course Meal at Don Sanchez?
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Want to book a Cooking Class with Celia?
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Mains for Visitors with a Hunger to go Deeper

For visitors with a bigger appetite and more time to explore the landscape, we can help organize day trips and overnight stays in sacred spots along the Baja California Sur food chain, deepening your understanding of the region's most important culinary traditions.

One very special way to delve into the ecological importance of traditional cattle ranches, which protect the precious aquifers of the region, is to organize a stay at Rancho Cacachillas.

The regenerative retreat offers a holistic, all-inclusive experience surrounded by endemic nature and adventure activities, all designed to strengthen the watershed that supports life in the region.

Guests can visit for the day, stay overnight, or participate in week-long retreats for private groups of up to 56, immersing themselves in desert life.

To truly understand the essential ecological connection between the mountains and the oceans, it is necessary to retrace the steps of the first nation inhabitants of the region through a nomadic adventure.

The Pericú, Cochimi, and Guaycura indigenous tribes, who roamed the landscape 10,000 years ago, found seasonal sustenance in both the mountains and the oceans, living in harmony with the movement of different species.

Our learning journeys take you from the ranches nestled in the hills of the Sierra de La Laguna to the verdant oasis of Todos Santos, the Cabo San Jose estuary, and the waters of the Sea of Cortez. Here, local fishing communities are successfully working alongside nature to restore life in the oceans.

Regenerative projects like Cabo Pulmo, a marine protected area and UNESCO World Heritage site, have become exemplary in local ecosystem recovery.

Experience stunning oases and indulge in the tasty treats of Baja California Sur, allowing you to soak up the wisdom stored in the region's remarkable food traditions.

In addition to learning from and supporting the regenerative champions of Baja California Sur, profits from these learning journeys contribute to ending hunger and malnutrition in the region.

Want to organize an off-site or stay at Rancho Cacachillas?
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Want to organize a Nomadic Learning Journey with ASA?
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Desserts for Aspiring Desert Dwellers

If a week-long nomadic journey from rock to reef won’t satisfy your desire to grasp fully the complexity and natural nuances of life in Baja California Sur, consider signing up for a deeper culinary immersion.

Working to create opportunities for farmers, fishermen, and ranchers who are dedicated to strengthening Baja California Sur's food system, we have coordinated permaculture placements for volunteers, research missions for scientists, and food-themed educational retreats for systems change investors seeking a paradigm shift.

These extended stays in the territory, built around cultural exchange, range from week-long courses to six-month volunteer arrangements or even three-year scientific studies focused on keystone species that support life in the desert or the waters of the Sea of Cortez.

We love working with people who want to contribute to a healthy food system in Baja California Sur, so reach out and let's make things better—one meal at a time.

Want to organize an In-Depth Culinary Exchange?
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Why We Do This?

We are working with the champions of Baja California Sur to connect and strengthen the oases that support life in the desert.

Please join a winning team of more than 150 companies, local organizations, foundations, farmers and investors regenerating the food system in Baja California Sur, or support our mission by signing up to experience one of our learning journeys.

Join us on our journey to create a healthy, equitable food system for everyone.

“Through these types of learning journeys there is a chance to achieve a deeper change in mental models. We are talking about an experience, a deep re-connection with the territory through food.
“The wisdom of a place, the development and variety, and everything in it is related to food, it says a lot about the connection that the existing culture in that society has with the territory? In cultures where there is very little connection, the culture tends to be bland or simply very industrial.
“The food always tastes better in places that have a closer connection with their landscape and the seasons of that place.”
Dear Wise Earth, Co-founder Carolina Fernandez-Jansink.

Join Us on Our Journey

We’d love you to join us on our journey celebrating and showcasing the heroes of the food system in Baja California Sur.

Whether you're a visitor that wants to taste the best of Baja California Sur, a restaurant owner looking to connect with a better kind of visitor, a regenerative farmer seeking to connect with restaurants that care about the food system, or a passionate investor in healthy food systems, we have a place for you in our mission to connect and strengthen the oases that support life in the desert.

By partnering with us, you'll have the opportunity to:

  • Showcase your regenerative culinary offerings to a global audience of conscious consumer
  • Collaborate with like-minded food system innovators and learn from their best practices
  • Contribute to community-based initiatives that address hunger, malnutrition, and environmental restoration
  • Receive recognition and support as a regenerative business leader in Baja California Sur

The time for change is now, and we're ready to welcome you aboard.

Together, let's create a healthy, equitable food system - one delicious bite at a time.

Reach out today to learn more about how you can get involved.

Join a Winning Team

We encourage collaboration between key actors and agents of change to enable the transformation of the food system in Baja California Sur.

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Life-Centered Stories

Meet the Champions of Baja California Sur

Searching for more wisdom from this wonderful place? Read about the human and non-human champions of Baja California Sur.

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How much wisdom is there bound up in the landscape around us? Wisdom that we take for granted or fail to recognize or value. And yet every day we have the opportunity to simply stop, step outside and take it all in. To look closer and listen to the landscape to uncover the answers for our most pressing questions. All of the answers we need are there right in front of us, bound up in the indisputable Wisdom of Place™.

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Learning Journeys from the Rock to the Reef

Connect deeply to the Wisdom of Place of Baja California Sur in an experiential journey to discover the rich array of oases helping life flourish in the desert. What can we learn from and teach to others?

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The Power of the Oasis: Mythical Centers of Life

Oases — mythical life centers in the desert — hold powerful lessons for all of us. Baja California Sur is home to more than 90% of the oases in Mexico and the socio-ecological areas have played a crucial role in shaping the relationship between its inhabitants and their landscape for millennia. What can we learn from the power of the oasis, before it's too late?

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Redefining Heroism: The Heroes Feeding the System

Cultivating abundance' unveils five critical steps to heal the food system in Baja California Sur. This insightful guide illuminates the path to a healthy, resilient food ecosystem, ensuring the region's culinary and ecological heritage thrives for generations to come.

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