At 25 years, Straus dairy still pioneering

February 14, 2019

Mr. Straus—who last week celebrated the 25th anniversary of the creamery business that grew out of his father’s dairy ranch—has come a long way from his early days making ice cream. He’s developed an economically viable business that exemplifies organic and carbon-sequestration practices, a model he is constantly fine-tuning and has helped other farmers to replicate. Activism, in the form of educating the public, is a major focus. Honoring the legacy of his mother, Ellen Straus, who together with Phyllis Faber founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust to protect Marin farmland from development, Mr. Straus has taken it upon himself to demonstrate how farming is not only the heart of rural communities, but also our best fighting chance to reverse climate change.

More stories like this:

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…

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More