Press Release

Drought Resilience Program Recognized for Innovation

January 24, 2023

On January 12, 2023, Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) received the Excellence in Innovation award at the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) 30th Annual Heart of Marin™ Awards. MALT was recognized for its Drought Resilience and Water Security (DRAWS) initiative designed to help farmers and ranchers cope with the increasingly dire conditions due to intense drought. 

“This community award is such a great honor,” said Lily Verdone, MALT’s executive director. “We are diligently working to support a thriving, economically viable agricultural community within Marin. Our DRAWS program is the perfect example of MALT’s path forward to support programs to incentivize and accelerate climate smart agricultural practices and nature-based solutions within our communities.”

Through the DRAWS program MALT has allocated $950,000 in funding, enabling agricultural operators to quickly create new water catchment and storage systems, improve existing springs, extend piping, and decrease water loss. 

Over 500 community leaders, volunteers, elected officials, and business members gathered to celebrate the community recognition event. MALT would like to congratulate the seven other award recipients all recognized in various categories acknowledging community leaders and organizations working to continue to better the community. 

###

About MALT
Marin Agricultural Land Trust is a nonprofit organization created in 1980 to permanently preserve Marin County farmland and establish Marin County as a thriving agricultural community in a healthy and diverse natural environment. Some of the Bay Area’s most highly acclaimed dairy and meat products and organic crops are produced on farmland protected by MALT, which totals more than 55,000 acres.

# # #