HUMBOLDT HEARTLAND is a story of ranching on California’s remote North Coast. For fourteen years fifth generation resident and rancher Andy Westfall visited ranches throughout Humboldt County photographing and collecting interviews for this book. The book’s five chapters — The Lore, The Landscape, The Livelihood, The Life, and The Legacy — are filled with the voices of the people — the ranchers, woodsmen, young and old, men, women, and children. The book documents the past, present, and future of this unpretentious way of life. The stories and images depict the rugged beauty of Humboldt, the hard work, the humor, and the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for these ranching families.
Although a “local” story, many of the book’s themes are common to ranching throughout the West. You are invited to preview excerpts from the book by clicking on the chapter buttons above.