Santa Ynez Valley Stories - Chopping it up - with Keith Saarloos

Andrew Coffin | The Reagan Ranch, Legacy, and Leadership That Still Speaks

Some places are visited.
Some places are remembered.
A very rare few… shape the people who shape the world.

This episode is about that place.

I sat down with Andrew Coffin for a conversation about a quiet ranch above the clouds—
and why it still matters today.

Andrew serves as Director of Rancho del Cielo, the place Ronald Reagan went to think, to work, and to become.

What unfolds isn’t a history lesson.
It’s a character study.

• 🏔️ The Ranch Above the Noise
What it feels like to arrive at a place designed for clarity—and why Reagan called it his “open cathedral.”

• 🛏️ A President, Simplified
An 1,800 sq ft home. No excess. No show. Just a life that matched the message. 

• 🪵 Work as Reset
Clearing brush. Building fences. Physical labor as a way to think, decide, and lead.

• 📖 Faith, Stillness, Perspective
Why the ranch wasn’t an escape—it was where he prepared to go back into the storm.

• 🎓 Shaping the Next Generation
How Young America's Foundation is bringing students into that same space—and why it’s changing how they think.

• 🎤 The Open Microphone
Real debate. Real questions. No scripts. No shutdowns. Just ideas competing.

• 🇺🇸 Legacy vs. Image
What young people see when they walk into that house—and why it sticks.

This conversation is about something deeper than politics.

It’s about:
Character.
Clarity.
And the kind of leadership that doesn’t need an audience.

This isn’t nostalgia.
It’s perspective.

🎧 Listen now — Episode 44: Andrew Coffin | The Reagan Ranch

Louis Lucas (Pt. 2) | Farming Wisdom, Industry Reality, and Why It Was All Worth It

Some people build something.
Some people survive something.
And every once in a while, someone looks back on a lifetime of both… and says they wouldn’t change a thing.

This episode is about perspective.

Part 2 with Louis Lucas goes deeper — into the realities of farming, the changing economics of wine, the beauty of the work, and the mindset it takes to stay in the game for over 60 years.

This is less about how it started.
And more about what it all means.

And what comes next.

• 🍇 “It’s Not What You Have, It’s What You Are”
Louis reflects on a lifetime in wine, travel, people, and experience — and why fulfillment has nothing to do with what’s in the bank. 

• ⚖️ The Hard Truth About Farming Today
From $1,000 an acre to $10,000 an acre to farm… rising costs, overregulation, and why many farmers are stepping away from the business. 

• 🌱 Why Agriculture Is Changing
Leasing, consolidation, and the shift away from small, hands-on farming — and what that means for the future of the Santa Ynez Valley. 

• 🧠 A Lifetime of Knowledge in the Vineyard
What Louis sees when he looks at a vine — structure, color, balance — and why great farming is both science and art. 

• 🍷 Wine Is Not a Beverage
A powerful idea: wine is not manufactured — it is site-specific, year-specific, and even hillside-specific.

• 🌍 The Importance of Place and Timing
From leaving California for Notre Dame to traveling Europe, Louis explains how exposure shapes perspective — and ultimately success.

• 🔁 Would He Do It All Again?
After bankruptcies, risk, sacrifice, and decades of uncertainty… Louis’s answer is simple:
He wouldn’t change a thing. 

• 👨‍🌾 The Life of a True Farmer
Sleeping in trucks during frost. Fighting every season. Living year-to-year. And still showing up.

• ❤️ Family, Legacy, and the People Around You
From longtime vineyard workers to his daughters, Louis reflects on the people who made the journey meaningful.

• 🙏 Final Words
“God bless everybody.”

This conversation is about wine.
But it’s really about a life.

A life of risk.
Of failure.
Of persistence.
Of joy.

It’s about waking up early.
Working with your hands.
Building something that outlives you.

And understanding that even when it’s hard —
especially when it’s hard —
it might still be exactly the life you were meant to live.

If Episode 42 is the blueprint…
this is the reflection.

And maybe the most powerful takeaway of all:

You can lose money.
You can lose sleep.
You can lose years.

But if you love what you do…
you might just gain a life you wouldn’t trade for anything.

Part 2 of a 2-part conversation.
And if you listen closely —
this one might change how you look at your own path.

Louis Lucas | Wine Pioneer, Valley Builder, and the Foundation of an Entire Industry

Some people plant grapes.
Some people build wineries.
And every once in a while, someone builds an entire region.

This episode is about foundation.

I sat down with Louis Lucas — a true pioneer of Santa Barbara County wine — for a conversation about how this valley went from almost nothing… to one of the most dynamic wine regions in the world.

Before the tasting rooms.
Before the weekend crowds.
Before wine country was even a thought…

There were about 80 acres of grapes in this county.

And then Louis Lucas showed up and planted 800.

This is not just a story about wine.
This is the origin story.

• 🌱 From 80 Acres to 800 Overnight
At a time when Santa Barbara County barely existed on the wine map, Louis helped expand vineyard plantings in a way that changed everything.

• 🍷 The Vineyard That Built Kendall-Jackson
The first bottles of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay came from Louis’s vineyard — helping launch one of the most recognizable names in wine.

• 🚜 Raised a Farmer
From Delano, California, to a Croatian farming family, Louis learned the trade from his father — long before wine became the focus.

• 🇺🇸 Notre Dame to the Dirt
A journey through college, law school, and military service before returning home to build something real.

• 🌍 Learning from the Old World
Studying vineyards across Europe and bringing those lessons back to California — helping shape how grapes are grown here today.

• 🍇 Why Santa Barbara Is Different
One of the only places in the world where you can grow Burgundy, Rhône, and Bordeaux varietals within a short drive.

• ⚖️ The Hard Truth About the Grape Business
From $800/ton grapes in the 1970s to today’s tough economics, Louis shares what’s really happening in the industry.

• 🧪 A Lifetime of Experimentation
From canopy management to co-fermentation, Louis has spent decades pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

• 🏆 Still Competing, Still Winning
Even after 50+ years, Louis is still producing award-winning wines and proving that experience matters.

This conversation is about grapes.
But it’s really about building something from nothing.

It’s about risk.
About timing.
About vision.

And about the kind of people who don’t wait for permission —
they just go do it.

Everything you see in the Santa Ynez Valley today…
all the wineries, all the vineyards, all the momentum…

It started with people like Louis Lucas.

This isn’t just history.

It’s the blueprint.

Casey Groves | Faith, Doubt, and Real Conversations About Church

Some people talk about faith.
Some people avoid it.
And some people wrestle with it—honestly.

This episode is about the wrestle.

I sat down with my friend Casey Groves for a conversation that didn’t start in a church—it started over coffee, years ago, with questions, hesitation, and a healthy amount of skepticism.

This isn’t a sermon.
It’s a real conversation.

• ☕ Friendship Before Faith
Six years of coffee, conversation, and trust—getting to know the person before the pastor. 

• 🎸 From Iowa to California
A small-town kid, death metal, guitars, and a completely unexpected turn into ministry. 

• 🧭 The Moment Everything Changed
Walking away from one path, stepping into the unknown, and discovering something bigger than a plan. 

• ❓ Why People Stay Away from Church
Hurt, hypocrisy, perception—and the difference between God and the people who represent Him. 

• 🏥 Courtroom vs. Hospital
Why church is often misunderstood—and what it’s actually supposed to be when it’s working. 

• 🧠 Questions Over Answers
Why the best conversations don’t start with preaching—they start with asking the right questions. 

• ❤️ Faith in a Comfortable World
What happens when people don’t feel the need for God—and what it takes to rediscover it. 

• 🤝 Love One Another
The simplest idea. The hardest to live. The one that changes everything when it’s real. 

This conversation is about doubt, trust, friendship, and what it looks like to go from keeping your distance… to walking through the door.

This isn’t about religion.
It’s about relationship.

Josh | Motorcycles, Risk, Freedom, and the Kind of Life You Have to Go Chase

Some people wait until life gives them permission.
Some people buy the motorcycle first.
And every once in a while, somebody decides to stop overthinking it, leave the nest, and find out who they really are out on the open road.

This episode is about freedom.

I sat down with my buddy Josh — aka “I Am Riding Places” — for a conversation about leaving behind a successful chapter, betting on himself, buying a 25-year-old Harley sight unseen in Florida, and riding it solo all the way back to California. Along the way, we got into motorcycles, Americana, fear, risk, purpose, documenting your life, and what happens when you stop asking “what if it goes wrong?” and start asking “what if it goes right?” 

Josh spent the better part of a decade riding Harley-Davidsons across the country, documenting small-town America, family legacy, and small business. Then he stepped away from that chapter, gave himself no excuses, and started building something of his own — one mile, one camera roll, and one leap of faith at a time. 

This one is about motorcycles.
But it is also about courage.

• 🛣️ Leaving the Nest
Josh talks about stepping away from a great run, knowing when a chapter is over, and taking ownership of what comes next. 

• 🏍️ Buying the Bike and Going Anyway
A 25-year-old Harley. Facebook Marketplace. Sight unseen. Florida to California. Solo. Sometimes the best ideas sound a little insane at first. 

• 🌎 What the Road Teaches You
From documenting small-town America to meeting people face-to-face, Josh explains what years on a motorcycle taught him about culture, family legacy, and human connection. 

• 🔥 Why Risk Matters
No kids. No mortgage. No excuse not to go. This episode gets into the beauty of betting on yourself when life gives you a window to jump. 

• 🧠 Underthink It
One of my favorite ideas from this whole conversation: sometimes the way forward is to stop manufacturing fear, quiet the noise, and just go do the thing. 

• 🌵 Texas, Wind, Heat, and the Real Ride
Josh shares stories from the road — the wind, the miles, the sunburn, the old-school bike, the screw-down throttle, and the kind of trip that strips life back to basics. 

• 📷 Documenting a Life Worth Remembering
Why carrying a camera matters, why the internet can still inspire good things, and why it is worth leaving behind proof that you really lived. 

• ⚡ What If It Goes Right?
The whole episode circles around one big idea: fear kills more dreams than failure ever will, and sometimes the only thing left to do is grab the bars and go. 

This conversation is about motorcycles.
But deeper than that, it is about becoming.

It is about the version of you at 8 years old.
The version of you at 80.
And whether both of them would be proud of the life you chose to live.

It is about shaking hands.
Making the leap.
Trusting the road.
And realizing the boogeyman is usually a lot smaller than you made him out to be.

This isn’t about playing it safe.

It’s about buying the bike.
Taking the trip.
And coming home changed.

You can find Josh here:
Instagram / YouTube: I Am Riding Places
Creative project: CR8CO.com

And if this one hits you in the chest a little bit, good.
Maybe it means it’s time to go do the thing you’ve been thinking about.

Mike McGrew & John Fiorey | Service, Trauma, Songwriting, and Turning Pain into Something Beautiful

Some people run toward the worst day of your life.
Some people carry what they saw for decades.
And every once in a while, somebody figures out how to take that pain… and turn it into healing.

This episode is about service.

I sat down with Mike McGrew and John Fiorey for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had yet on Chopping It Up — a conversation about first responders, trauma, faith, counseling, music, and a remarkable program called 911 Project Harmony.

Mike served 31 years with the Santa Barbara Police Department.
He worked patrol.
He worked major crimes.
He saw things most people will never see — and never want to see.

Out of that life, that burden, and that pain, came a mission: helping first responders and their families find real support, real counseling, and real healing.

That’s where 911 At Ease International comes in.

And that’s where John Fiorey enters the story.

Together, they are helping pair first responders with songwriters — turning stories of trauma, grief, sacrifice, survival, and hope into songs that help people carry what once felt uncarryable.

This one is heavy.
But it is also beautiful.

• 🚓 31 Years on the Front Lines
Mike McGrew shares what it was like serving for over three decades in Santa Barbara — from patrol work to major crimes, and the unseen weight that comes home with the job.

• 💔 The Cost of Carrying Trauma
A raw and honest conversation about the personal toll first responder work can take: suicide, divorce, addiction, emotional isolation, and the burdens people are often too afraid to name out loud.

• 🙏 911 At Ease International
How Mike built a confidential counseling program specifically for first responders and their families — helping over 13,000 people find support from professionals who truly understand trauma.

• 🎶 What Is 911 Project Harmony?
A groundbreaking program that pairs first responders with professional songwriters, helping them tell their stories and transform pain into music.

• 🎤 Why Music Heals
John Fiorey talks about what happens when artists sit across from people carrying the hardest stories imaginable — and how songwriting becomes a form of release, connection, and restoration.

• 🔥 Songs Born from the Fire
From police officers to firefighters, these songs capture real stories of loss, courage, grief, and hope — including one firefighter who lost his own home while battling the Eaton Fire.

• 🌅 Turning Trauma Into Testimony
This episode dives into the power of expression — how giving language, melody, and shape to pain can help people process it, survive it, and maybe even help someone else through their own darkness.

• 🤝 How You Can Show Up
Mike and John share how the community can support the mission, hear the music, and stand behind the people who stand between order and chaos every single day.

This conversation is about first responders.

Logan Livermore | Local Music, Los Olivos History, and the Sound of the Santa Ynez Valley

Some bands play songs.
Some bands play a place.
And every once in a while, you hear music that could only have come from one stretch of road, one valley, one life.

This episode is about hometown music.

I sat down with my friend Logan Livermore — frontman of Logan Livermore and the 154 — for a conversation about growing up in the Santa Ynez Valley, falling in love with music, building a band with deep local roots, and making songs that sound like where they came from.

From childhood memories of riding through the valley with Waylon Jennings blasting, to writing and recording music inspired by family, friendship, and this piece of California we call home, Logan’s story is tied to this place in a very real way.

And so is his music.

• 🎸 Born Into the Sound of the Valley
How Logan’s earliest memories — doors off a CJ-7, music cranked up, and the Santa Ynez Valley rolling by — shaped his love of music from the very beginning.

• 🌄 A Band Built from Home
The story behind Logan Livermore and the 154, and why a band made up of valley people playing valley-rooted music hits differently around here.

• 🛣️ Why the 154 Matters
More than just a highway, the 154 is part of the identity of this place — and the perfect name for a band trying to capture the sound of the Central Coast.

• 🎶 Music with a Local Fingerprint
Country roots, California history, Spanish influence, Norteño energy, and the Bakersfield sound all coming together to make something distinctly Santa Ynez Valley.

• ❤️ The Family Story Behind the Band
How Logan’s father, Millard Livermore, inspired not just Logan’s love of music but the creation of the band itself through a benefit concert that turned into something much bigger.

• 🏨 Maddy’s Tavern, Stagecoaches, and Local Lore
A deep dive into one of Los Olivos’ most historic buildings — from stagecoach history and old train routes to the characters and stories that built the town.

• 👻 Ghost Stories from Los Olivos
Because it wouldn’t be a proper conversation about Maddy’s Tavern without talking about alarms going off, footsteps upstairs, and the kind of stories every local has heard at least once.

• 🎤 Why Local Music Matters
There is something powerful about hearing songs written and played by people from your own town, in your own town, about the roads and stories you actually know.

This conversation is about music.
But it’s also about place.

It’s about history you can still walk through.
Buildings that still hold stories.
Friends who became bandmates.
And songs that carry the dust, romance, and weird little magic of the Santa Ynez Valley.

This isn’t manufactured.

It’s local.
It’s rooted.
And it sounds like home.

Saarloos and sons – Chopping it up – With Keith Saarloos

Linda Palmer | Solvang History, Danish Culture, and the Work of Community

Some places are built with lumber and brick.
Some places are built with memory.
And the best places are held together by people who still care enough to say hello.

This episode is about community.

I sat down with Community Chaplain Linda Palmer for a conversation about the history of Solvang, the Danish values that helped shape this valley, and the simple daily actions that keep a town from turning into just another place on a map.

Linda is one of those rare people who seems to know everybody, care about everybody, and somehow still keep learning.
Part historian.
Part helper.
Part encourager.
Full-time community builder.

And in this conversation, we go deep.

• 🏘️ How Solvang Became Solvang
The story of how a town that once looked like any other Southern California community slowly transformed into the Danish village people now know and love.

• 🇩🇰 The Danish Spirit Behind the Town
How heritage, pride, and post–World War II identity helped shape Solvang’s architecture, personality, and lasting sense of place.

• 🌙 The Whispering Nights
A remarkable story from Denmark during World War II — how ordinary people, many of them young, helped save Jewish families by quietly moving them to safety.

• 🚎 Tourism, Trolleys, and Talking to Real People
What Linda hears from visitors every weekend, and why friendliness, warmth, and human connection still define this valley at its best.

• 🤝 Community Is a Verb
Why saying the right things is not enough — and why healthy towns are built by people who actually do something.

• 🧭 Legacy, Preparedness, and the Future
From disaster planning to passing down wisdom, Linda explains why strong communities don’t happen by accident — they happen when people prepare.

• 🌄 The Santa Ynez Valley Way of Life
Why this place still matters, why it feels different, and why preserving its character means participating in it — not just benefiting from it.

Saarloos and sons – Chopping it up – With Keith Saarloos

Some people chase fame.
Some people chase money.
Some people just try to live a meaningful life in the place they love.

Dylan Ortega is one of those people.

This episode is about roots.

I sat down with Dylan Ortega — the afternoon voice of Crazy Country 105.9 — for a conversation about growing up in the Santa Ynez Valley, discovering music after tragedy, and why independent radio still matters in a world run by corporate playlists.

Dylan has been connected to this station since he was a kid calling in requests.
Today he’s one of the people helping keep it alive.

But that’s just one piece of the story.

• 🎧 The Kid Who Called the Radio Station
How an 11-year-old kid calling in song requests eventually became the voice behind the microphone.

• 🎸 Music Born From Loss
After losing his father at 13, Dylan picked up a guitar and began writing songs as a way to process grief — eventually recording music in Nashville before seeing the darker side of the industry.

• 📻 Independent Radio Matters
Why Crazy Country is one of the last independent country stations in California — and why community radio is something worth protecting.

• 🐎 Valley Roots That Run Deep
Spanish land grants, cattle ranching history, and the Ortega family’s connection to land that now includes the Gaviota Coast and the Dangermond Preserve.

• 🏁 RC Cars, Hobbies, and Real Life
The story behind the Long Valley RC Club, and why getting families outside and building things together still matters.

• 🎶 Old Country vs. New Country
Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Strait — and the debate about where country music is headed.

• 🌄 Protecting the Santa Ynez Valley
Why some places should remain independent, imperfect, and exactly the way they are.

SBWOMENWINEMAKERS.COM

This week we have two forces of nature — Anna Vecino eathappykitchen.com and Sunshine Dench futureperfectwines.com — for a real conversation about grit, mentorship, and building something that lasts.

This episode is about women who don’t wait for permission.
They show up early.
They stay late.
They outwork the room.

We dig into the heart behind the SB Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation — how Santa Barbara County quietly became one of the most powerful regions in the world for women winemakers, and why mentorship is the key to the next generation.

We talk about:

🍇 The Grand Tasting at 27 Vines – March 7
💎 The Denim & Diamonds Celebration – April 11
🎥 The award-winning short film “WINS”
🔥 Closing the mentorship gap in wine and food
👩‍🍳 Launching a food company in a male-dominated grocery industry
🍷 Honoring the OG women who paved the road in the Santa Ynez Valley

And we keep coming back to one thing:
Hard work is the great equalizer.

If you’ve ever thought about making wine… starting a food brand… or stepping into something bigger than yourself — this episode is your sign.

👉 Tickets. Events. Mentorship. Documentary. Ways to get involved.
👉 Everything lives here:

This valley is special.
The people building it are special.
And if you want in — that’s where you start.

🎙️ Choppin’ It Up on Crazy Country 105.9

🌟🌟🌟 SBWOMENWINEMAKERS.COM 🌟🌟🌟🍷🔥 SBWOMENWINEMAKERS.COM 🔥🍷💪✨ SBWOMENWINEMAKERS.COM ✨💪