In her cozy yard filled with the dense growth of summer vegetables, Christa Backson is an example of Santa Barbara’s blend of self-reliance, love of local produce and obsession with foodie culture.

Backson eats a lot, is blinged out and has his own reality show. He’s a modern cahow bird, part of the first generation of cahows to be hatched from Nonsuch Island.He is also the first cahow on ...