History

In the early 1970s, increased coastal development and plans for a city with a population of 125,000 people on the shores of Tomales Bay were just some of the ideas being proposed for the future of western Marin County, located about 40 miles north of San Francisco. The developments would have ended a 150-year-old tradition of family farming and permanently degraded many of the natural resource treasures of the area, but change seemed inevitable.

In a unique alliance, Marin ranchers and environmentalists came together to fight the development proposals. Ranching was given a second chance through a combination of restrictive zoning, land use regulations, active support for ranching by County government, and the establishment of Marin Agricultural Land Trust's (MALT) agricultural conservation easement program. "We felt MALT was an opportunity to be part of something really important to the future of Marin County," said MALT founder and dairywoman Ellen Straus, who died in 2002. Since its birth, the organization has permanently preserved over 40,500 acres of farmland that might otherwise have been sold or developed.

"What we've learned," adds wetlands biologist and co-founder Phyllis Faber, "is that you can have a vision of what you want the future to look like, and you can make it happen." Former Marin County Supervisor Gary Giacomini, who served on the founding board of directors would agree, "It's glorious to be involved in an effort that lasts forever," he said.

Marin Agricultural Land Trust
Post Office Box 809
Point Reyes Station CA 94956
415-663-1158
farmland@malt.org

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