Painted Rock, a sandstone formation in the Carrizo, has long attracted visitors. About 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, Native Americans began painting sacred images within its alcove, created by spiritual leaders and other tribal members as expressions of cultural and religious beliefs. The Carrizo Plain was also a gathering place for the Chumash and other native peoples, and Painted Rock was a sacred site for Native Americans who lived close to nature. The grasslands of the Carrizo Plain were farmed until the late 1980s, usually with grain sown in the fall in hopes of winter rains, though insufficient rain often caused farms to fail; some farms at the north end of the valley, where rainfall was greater, still continue. After harvest, the land was grazed mostly by cattle and sometimes by sheep. The area's continuing legacy is recognized by the Avis S. Goodwin Stewardship Endowment, established to support land management, restoration, and research to help preserve this part of California for future generations.