How California’s cheese trail avoided a meltdown

December 14, 2020

Ranchers, environmentalists and community leaders teamed up to prevent the development and, in the process, formed the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) in 1980. Many farms on the California Cheese Trail are protected by the trust, meaning the land can only be used for agriculture.

More stories like this:

What’s Living in a Handful of Dirt

October 5, 2026

Pick up a handful of soil and you’re holding a city — one where most residents are hunting each other.

Read More

Bright orange pumpkins at a patch in Marin County - MALT

Where to Find Pumpkins in Marin County

September 28, 2026

We bring you the latest on where to enjoy the season’s harvest, partake in spooky fall delights, and pick up your home’s gourd season decor. 

Read More

Teo and Maxima Zarate - of Zarate Family Farms

Teo and Máxima Zarate — The Ground They Know 

September 22, 2026

Teo and Máxima Zarate, owners of Zarate Family Farm, have worked the soils of the MALT-protected Red Hill Ranch, west of Novato in Hicks Valley, for more than fifteen years.

Read More