News | Rancho Cielo

Inside Rancho Cielo’s Reimagined Ag Tech Program

Posted on June 24, 2026 | by Adam Joseph

It is a sunny afternoon in May, and three goats are being blow-dried patiently near their pen at Hope, Horses & Kids’ stables, Rancho Cielo’s onsite nonprofit partner. Their fur […]

Rancho Celebrates Largest Graduating Class in its History

Posted on June 17, 2026

Rancho Cielo marked a historic milestone on Friday, June 12, when 93 students received their high school diplomas in what stands as the largest graduating class in the nonprofit’s […]

Rancho Cielo Partners with AIM Youth Mental Health

Posted on May 27, 2026 | by Adam Joseph

When students at Rancho Cielo sat down to design their own peer-to-peer survey questions, they didn’t ask about academic stress or college applications. Instead, they asked about safety and conflict […]

Nico Hernandez and the Discipline of Becoming a Chef

Posted on March 26, 2026 | by Adam Joseph

There is a moment—he will tell you this himself, though not in so many words—when everything rearranges. It happens not in the kitchen, not exactly, but somewhere between the work […]

Under bright lights, futures take shape

Posted on February 27, 2026 | by Adam Joseph

On Sunday, February 22, Rancho Cielo hosted its 16th annual Culinary Round Up (CRU) at the Portola Hotel & Spa. The ballroom filled the way it always does, slowly at […]

After School Program builds pathways to possibility

Posted on January 2, 2026 | by Adam Joseph

Terry Poole has played in the NFL. He knows the roar of a crowd, the pressure of the huddle, the grind it takes to compete at the highest level. But […]

Trunk or Treat, Día de los Muertos and more

Posted on November 4, 2025 | by Adam Joseph

Even the mini horses — yes, the mini horses (Puzzle the Pirate and Georgina the Magical Princess Pony) from our community partner Hope, Horses & Kids — stopped by Rancho […]

Rancho Cielo marks 25 years of changing lives in Monterey County

Posted on October 29, 2025 | by Adam Joseph

After about an hour of steady drizzling, the late-afternoon sun broke through the clouds, and the Sally Hughes Church Amphitheater came alive with music and heartfelt sentiments as Rancho Cielo […]

How alumnus Rudy Jimenez built a farm and purpose

Posted on October 21, 2025 | by Adam Joseph

When old redwood trees surround Rudy Jimenez (’07, Silver Star), he slips into a meditative state. “They create a reserve around them to sustain themselves and help other trees,” he […]

Taste of Markon: the first decade

Posted on October 10, 2025 | by Adam Joseph

In the Salinas Valley, the light hits differently. Maybe it’s the way it glances off rows of strawberries and artichokes or the way it settles into the dusty horizon at […]