Agriculture Archives

A farmer on a blue tractor plowing a vegetable field against a backdrop of green hills

Preserving Agriculture in the Face of Current Federal Challenges

March 11, 2025

We believe in local farmers and ranchers. We believe in the lands they steward and the regional economy they support. We believe in our community. Successful agriculture requires consistent inputs – of labor, of time, and of capital. Over the past several weeks, an unprecedented number of federal executive orders and other administrative actions have…

Cultivating Change: Women Farmers and Ranchers of Marin County

March 3, 2025

In 1980, while many were focused on Silicon Valley’s emerging tech boom, two remarkable women in Marin County were quietly launching an agricultural revolution that would reshape land conservation across America. Ellen Straus, a Point Reyes dairy farmer, and Phyllis Faber, a wetlands biologist, founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) with a revolutionary vision:…

The Benefits of Local Fiber Production: Supporting Community, Sustainability, and Soil Health

December 4, 2024

There’s been a growing awareness of the value of local fiber production, and there are countless exciting examples of innovation within this textile industry right here in Marin on MALT-protected farms and ranches.

cows trotting through a field, kicking up dust

Enhancing Marin’s Rangelands: Innovative Soil Amendment Strategies for Landowners

October 11, 2024

As ranchers and farmers know, healthy soil is the foundation of viable agriculture and resilient ecosystems. Here in Marin, one ranch, with the support of the CDFA and MALT, is experimenting with using soil amendments traditionally used in orchards and row crops – gypsum and lime – in a rangeland setting.

Lavender harvest at Black Mountain Ranch - MALT

Lavender Enterprise Blooms in Abandoned Quarry

July 9, 2024

At Black Mountain Ranch, just outside Point Reyes Station, an unlikely agricultural experiment is taking root.

How I Use AI to Make the Most of My Farmers Market Produce

May 28, 2024

I might be the last person you would expect to use AI to enhance my visit to the farmers market. But I did, and what I learned was exciting.

Hen investigating the camera at Hicks Mountain Hens - MALT

Egg-cellence at Hicks Mountain Hens: Your Next Stop for Fresh Eggs

May 16, 2024

Hicks Mountain Hens, just of Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, offers some of the freshest eggs in Marin County – plan you next visit.

Faith Welch at her farm in West Marin - MALT

Meet Faith Welch, Marin County’s Newest Farmer

April 8, 2024

There are some people called to the land, compelled by a deep-rooted sense of purpose to participate more closely in the natural order of things. Faith Welch is one them.

The Next Generation of Local Farmers Needs Your Support

March 13, 2024

To truly preserve agriculture into the future, we need to invest in the broader protection of our food systems, agriculture economy, and the environment.

a view of rangeland with a hill rising in the background

Innovative Project Building Healthy Rangeland Soil at Hicks Canyon Ranch

December 13, 2023

As ranchers and farmers know, healthy soil is the foundation of viable agriculture and resilient ecosystems. Here in Marin, one ranch, with the support of the CDFA and MALT, is experimenting with using soil amendments traditionally used in orchards and row crops – gypsum and lime – in a rangeland setting.