FOUND: 36 | Mind Blowing Facts

California officials allow plans for the country's biggest kelp farm to move forward

California has long been farm country, and its oceans soon could be, too

The Independent UK · Sep 10

James Cameron’s $4.4 million ranch became a $33 million estate 24 years later

James Cameron's 102-acre California ranch, bought in 1999, became a secluded retreat and working farm. Over two decades, the estate grew with gardens, energy systems, and specialized workspaces. The property, listed for $33 million, included a main house and extensive facilities. Its value reflected the unusual life built across the…

The Times of India · Sep 10

In 2016, Gwyneth Paltrow bought 2.4 acres in Montecito for $4.9 million and rebuilt from scratch; 6 years later, her 14,000-square-foot solar-powered home used graywater system

Gwyneth Paltrow built a large estate in Montecito during a severe California drought. Her new home incorporated solar panels and a graywater system for water conservation. This construction project took six years to complete and cost millions of dollars. Such sustainable features are becoming more common in wealthy coastal communities.…

The Economic Times · Sep 10

In 1999, James Cameron bought a 102-acre Gaviota Coast ranch for $4.375 million and made it an off-grid property with solar and wind power; 24 years later, he listed it for $33 million

Filmmaker James Cameron has put his magnificent California ranch on the market for thirty-three million dollars. This estate has been a cherished creative haven and family residence for the past twenty-four years. Emphasizing sustainability, the Camerons lived off the land, cultivating their food and generating energy. Their children enjoyed unique…

The Economic Times · Sep 9

California researchers mixed discarded tomato waste into soil and covered it for biosolarization. The decomposing food waste raised temperatures by about 2°C and created conditions that could help kill soil pests

California researchers explored an unusual way to reuse discarded tomato waste by mixing tomato pomace into soil for biosolarization. The decomposing food waste raised soil temperatures by about 2°C and changed soil conditions in ways that could help suppress soil pests, offering a potential link between food-waste recycling and sustainable…

The Economic Times · Sep 9

Paramount’s 2,700-acre film ranch rebuilt after 2018 wildfire destroyed most of it

Paramount Ranch in California, a historic Hollywood filming site, is being rebuilt nearly eight years after the 2018 Woolsey Fire destroyed most of its buildings and sets. The National Park Service is spending $26 million on the project, with new fire-safe structures being built in the footprints of historic Paramount-era…

The Times of India · Sep 9

California cleared 900,000 lbs of debris, but left old telephone poles for purple martins to nest

California crews removed more than 900,000 pounds of human debris while restoring about 40 acres at Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve. They also removed hazardous materials and old septic systems. Some telephone poles were left standing because purple martins use them for nesting. The birds were once thought to have…

The Times of India · Sep 9

California West Nile Deaths Reach Six as Weekly Cases Jump by Twenty Two and Five Counties Report Firsts

California has confirmed six West Nile deaths and 86 human cases across 21 counties, with 22 new infections logged in a single week.

Medical Daily · Sep 9

California garbage collector turns trash into a hillside home

Once, along California’s rugged Central Coast, there was still room for people who wanted to live differently. Away from polished streets and grand estates, the landscape attracted eccentrics, dreamers and determined outsiders who built their own worlds with whatever they could find. One of the strangest and most enduring of…

The Times of India · Sep 9

Gene Autry bought 110 acres in 1952, then fire destroyed 54 buildings before he sold

Before becoming associated with Gene Autry, Melody Ranch was already part of Hollywood’s early Western film industry. The Newhall property opened in 1915 as Monogram Studios, offering filmmakers ready-made sets as Westerns became popular. John Wayne was among the performers whose early productions used the site, while Autry had also…

The Times of India · Sep 9