Blog - Marin Agricultural Land Trust

On Ranch Roping (and the Art of Looking Like an Idiot)

August 20, 2026

On ranch roping, California’s vaquero roots, and the value of being bad at something.

How Grazing Reduces California Wildfire Risk – What the Science Says

August 19, 2026

In one year, California’s livestock ate 11.6 billion pounds of wildfire fuel. The science on grazing and fire is striking.

How to Prepare Your Ranch for El Niño and a Wet Winter

August 11, 2026

A record-strength El Niño is on track for this winter. Here’s what forecasters are seeing, what to do before the rains, and how MALT can help. The short version: a strong El Niño is building, and this fall is the time to get your ranch ready. It may bring a hard, wet winter. It may…

Bob Giacomini: Some Jobs Are Never Finished

June 17, 2026

How Bob Giacomini and his daughters turned their Tomales Bay dairy into Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese.

How Public and Private Dollars Come Together to Protect Marin Farmland

May 20, 2026

The story behind 59,000 protected acres — and the public-private partnership that made it possible.

Vibrant spring grass in Marin County rangelands. - MALT

This is Your Brain on Spring Grass

May 8, 2026

Grass fever is real. Here’s what’s behind it.

Why Cowboys Still Wear Blue Jeans

April 29, 2026

On pretending to be a cowboy — and what it actually costs.

Remembering Rick Lafranchi

April 16, 2026

We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Rick Lafranchi, a beloved member of the Lafranchi family of Nicasio and a tireless ambassador for West Marin agriculture. Our hearts go out to his wife Debby, his siblings Randy, Scott, Jan, Diane, and Kimberly, his children and grandchildren, and to everyone who had the privilege…

MALT Awards $400,000 in the Fifth Round of Its Small Grants Program

April 15, 2026

Marin agriculture is in transition. The pressures are real and immediate: rising costs, limited land access, housing for workers, a next generation trying to find its footing — all against the backdrop of a changing climate that is reshaping what it means to farm and ranch here. MALT’s small grants program is one part of…

Marin County Approves Funding to Protect Tunnel Hill Ranch in Tomales

April 7, 2026

Update, May 21, 2026: We’re thrilled to announce that the Tunnel Hill Ranch easement officially closed on March 20, 2026 — permanently protecting this 110-acre Tomales gateway property and marking MALT’s 99th conservation easement. Thank you to the Etemad family, Marin County, and every donor who made this possible. The Marin County Board of Supervisors…