Stewardship Archives

Teo and Maxima Zarate - of Zarate Family Farms

Teo y Máxima Zarate — La tierra que conocen

September 22, 2026

Read this story in English Cuando conocí a Máxima Zarate, su cálido “¡Buenos días!” resonó por debajo del ala de su sombrero, dándome la bienvenida a su granja. Nos reunimos con Teo y comenzamos a recortar pequeños manojos de cebollín, conversando sobre nuestras familias, las generaciones anteriores que cultivaron la tierra en Oaxaca, y los…

Teo and Máxima Zarate — The Ground They Know

September 22, 2026

Lea esta historia en español When I first met Máxima Zarate, her warm, “¡Buenos días!” called out from beneath the brim of her hat, welcoming me to their farm. We joined Teo, and all began trimming the edges of small bunches of garlic chives, talking about our families, the generations before them that farmed in…

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…

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…

Jennifer Beretta at the Dolcini Jersey Dairy, Marin County.

Jennifer Beretta: What It Takes To Keep A Dairy Thriving

February 25, 2026

Jennifer Beretta can’t always remember her phone number, but she remembers cow numbers from 15 years ago. That kind of commitment—to heritage, to family, to land—is what keeps agriculture thriving in Marin County.

Moira Kuhn of Marin Roots Farm stands beside a weathered Kubota tractor in a field at the MALT-protected Volpi Ranch in Marin County.

Moira Kuhn: Building a Farm on Borrowed Ground

February 23, 2026

Moira Kuhn has farmed Marin County for over two decades without ever owning the land—and what’s at stake if farmers like her can’t stay.

Rolling green hills of Spring Valley Ranch at sunset, with cattle grazing in the valley below and the Soulajule Reservoir winding through the landscape, surrounded by protected Marin County ranchland.

How to Read a Ranch: What One Photograph Tells Us

February 19, 2026

What 1,179 acres of protected farmland actually does — and why it matters