Welcome to #MALTFoodWeek: February 22–26
February 19, 2021
My fridge is stocked with winter greens, I’m munching on my go-to toasty MALTed breakfast sandwich, a MALT-protected beef stew is simmering on the stove and I have all the fixings for a local cheese board.
My name is Tristan, MALT’s community engagement manager, and I want to welcome you to #MALTFoodWeek, a week-long celebration of our local food shed. Join us from your kitchen tables on social media and show us what incredible meals you’re cooking up using food produced on MALT-protected land! Learn how you can participate here.
And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see how other community members are celebrating #MALTFoodWeek!
Not active on social media? Send your favorite MALT recipes and meals to tconway[at]malt.org so we can share them with our virtual community. The top five foodie creations will earn you a MALT goodie bag and a shout out on our blog!
MALT has protected 86 farms and ranches, producing a diverse array of food and fiber for our local, regional and national community. Find the full list of our incredible producers here.
So how exactly is food connected to MALT’s mission and vision?
Read on to learn more about:
Farm-Fresh Eggs
Who doesn’t love farm fresh eggs? They are a cooking staple, and they highlight how different food can taste depending on how it’s produced.
Pasture-raised eggs are a real game changer. They last longer and taste better, and they have vibrant nutritional yolks produced by happy and healthy hens. Here’s a guide to local MALT-protected pastured egg producers!
MALT works diligently to protect our beloved farmlands, but our work doesn’t stop there. We also collaborate with our farmers and ranchers to support the implementation of conservation practices and projects.
One example is MALT-protected Millerton Creek Ranch, home to Tomales Bay Pastures where hens nibble on dense grass, scratch for bugs and move across pastures throughout the year. Operated by Morgan Giammona, Tomales Bay Pastures is a one-man show; Morgan collects, washes and packages dozens of eggs before delivering them to grocers throughout the Bay Area. A heroic effort to provide people with fresh local eggs! Millerton Creek Ranch is also part of a larger movement to implement land stewardship practices that will lead to greater climate resilience and sustainable agricultural lands. Learn how Millerton Creek Ranch is implementing their multi-phased carbon farm plan in collaboration with MALT and other local partners.
How do you like to cook your eggs? Don’t forget to share your MALT-protected meals on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and use #MALTFoodWeek!
Local Meat
When it comes to local meat, Marin County offers some of the finest cuts — a reflection of how the animals are raised and how local ranchers steward the land.
Scientists have long studied the positive impacts that farmland, and grazing animals specifically, can have on our rapidly changing climate. When grasslands like those on MALT-protected farms and ranches are carefully managed and strategically grazed, the land becomes more resistant to fire and acts as a reliable carbon sink, capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil.
Learn more about how agriculture can play a beneficial role in fighting climate change and the work MALT is doing in collaboration with agriculturalists to build more resilient lands.
So what MALT-protected meats do you enjoy? Goat, beef, lamb? Check out local MALT-protected meat producers!
Artisan Cheese
The flourishing community of artisan cheese producers in West Marin was built on a foundation of healthy soils, sweet grass and the generous support given from one cheesemaker to another.
There are countless tales in Marin of new cheesemakers learning from those who came before, building on history and cultivating a rich and delicious community as they launch new ventures.
This collaborative spirit has not only helped put Marin County on the world’s cheese map — it has also strengthened the viability of the agricultural community, creating jobs and securing a future for dairies who look to value-added products for economic stability.
Did you know that Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Tomales Farmstead Creamery, Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., Bivalve Dairy, Cowgirl Creamery, Clover Sonoma and Straus Family Creamery operate on MALT-protected land or use milk from MALT-protected land?
What MALT-protected cheese rings your cow bell? Find your local MALT-protected milk and cheese producers here.
Bountiful Produce
The Bay Area loves fresh veggies, and the bounty of produce grown in West Marin has inspired top chefs for decades. Nutritional value aside, the outstanding flavor of fresh lettuce, squash, kale, tomatoes and herbs can turn a meal into an experience.
For many, the onset of the pandemic took our appreciation of local food to the next level. We started looking to growers for direct access to their produce at farmers’ markets, in CSA boxes and at roadside farm stands. When grocery store shelves were running low, we realized just how important our local fruit and vegetable producers are to the food security for our region.
“One of the biggest, most potent lessons of the pandemic is that the way that we’ve been operating in our food landscape is incredibly vulnerable. Food shouldn’t have to come from so far away.”
Molly Myerson of Little Wing Farm
How have you supported local producers during the pandemic? Here’s a list of MALT-protected produce you can find in Marin.
Happy cooking and see you virtually for #MALTFoodWeek!
Tristan
Community Engagement Manager
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P.S. Watch this short video to see how MALT and your support is truly making a difference in this community.