Marin Voice: Program helps county ranchers, farmers to store, conserve water

Matt Dolkas - MALT

By Matt Dolkas, Senior Manager, Marketing

March 14, 2023

These past few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time on ranches and farms across Marin County. Without a doubt, water is on everyone’s mind, but not exactly in the way most of us might be thinking. With the recent extreme storm events, our community has been inundated with flooding, persistent power outages and even loss of life. As the Marin Agricultural Land Trust’s stewardship program manager for sustainable agriculture, I can say that, while ranchers and farmers are also concerned about these same impacts, they are also always thinking about the other side of the water equation. They are focused on the long-term drought outlook and the need to build resilience for future climate variability.

More stories like this:

Portrait of Scott Dunbar - MALT

MALT Strengthens Stewardship with New Rangeland Certification

August 15, 2025

We’re excited to share that MALT stewardship team member, Scott Dunbar, has earned his certification as a Certified Rangeland Manager from the State of California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection in partnership with the Cal-Pac section of the Society for Range Management. This achievement highlights the dedicated professionals who make up MALT’s Stewardship Team—…

Read More

Portrait of Jenna Coughlin, Marin County shepherd.

Meet Jenna Coughlin: The Indigenous Shepherd Revolutionizing Prescribed Grazing

August 11, 2025

Jenna Coughlin is revolutionizing land management in Marin County, using prescribed grazing to turn her sheep into precision tools for wildfire prevention and ecosystem restoration.

Read More

Cowboy in Marin County looking for cows on Mount Burdell.

Why Some Ranchers Still Use Horses

July 10, 2025

Why ranchers still use horses: first cattle roundup experience reveals the science behind cowboy tradition.

Read More