Catherine & Justin
Catherine and Justin Welch met in 2002 during college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Catherine studied Animal Science while Justin completed his degree in Ag Business.
Catherine had left for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo after completing culinary school at California School of the Culinary Arts in South Pasadena, CA. She lived and worked on cattle ranches for the majority of the time spent on the Central Coast and often says that being out in the wide-open country, close to nature, fed and continues to feed her soul. Catherine fell in love with the world of reproduction and currently runs a genetics lab, Sequence46, and various IVF ventures. She is passionate about whatever she does and is blessed to have had a successful career.
Throughout college, Justin was also connected to the land through his work at Wild Horse Winery. He spent fall seasons working harvest, spending long days and nights in Templeton at the winery. After college, though, his plans to move to Australia for further enology studies pivoted to healthcare. Working for large organizations such as Cardinal Health and Kaiser Permanente, he spent nearly 15 years growing in the field and becoming a well-respected and admired member of upper management.
In March 2020, the Welch family left their lives in SoCal, on a 6-month sabbatical to travel through Central and South America. Justin and Catherine made some adjustments to their work lives in order to prioritize family life and travel. They arrived in Antigua, Guatemala, March 3, and found themselves in quite the situation given the virus quickly spreading globally. Nevertheless, they made the best of their time together and immersed themselves in the community there. The kids learned things they would never have come across in a traditional school setting. All of them quickly found that play is a universal language and that while life can be very different in different countries – that love, kindness, hardship, and so many other core elements of life can be found everywhere.
The pandemic gave Justin and Catherine the opportunity to plan for a new normal upon returning home. They had already been thinking of moving back up to the Central Coast, slowly investing in a new life on some acreage and developing a small homestead based on what they had always believed in.
Then they came across Windrose Farm.
Bill and Barbara, their vision, and the open space were what initially drew them to the property. There is truly something magical about the little valley in which the farm sits. Since then, they have enjoyed daily learning and the peaceful routine of the farm. New things come up constantly, and in a short time, Justin and Catherine have already learned an incredible amount from Bill and Barbara. They are committed to continuing the legacy that has been built over decades and the relationships fostered.
And so, four kids and many years later, the Welches find themselves back on the Central Coast and couldn’t be more excited for all that is to come. Their parents raised them to value the importance of family, of keeping an open-mind, and maintaining a strong work ethic. They believe strongly in giving back and in the power of community. They believe in figuring out what works and doing the next right thing.
Justin and Catherine are especially keen on protecting the various habitats found on the property and using best practices in sustainable agriculture to bring some of the areas back to life. Given their experience in animal agriculture, they also fruition through humanely raised heritage animals. There is so much more to come for Windrose and the Welches are grateful to play their part.