Oyster Farming: Turning the Corner

June 8, 2021

To shore up oyster farming the Marin Agricultural Land Trust granted a long-term easement to the Hog Island Oyster Company. Hog Island will use the easement for its land-based activities such as oyster holding tanks: “It’s the first easement involving aquaculture in the history of the land trust, which was established in 1980 and has set aside more than 54,000 acres of Marin County farmland from development.”

More stories like this:

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

View of Tunnel Hill Ranch in Tomales.

Marin County Approves Funding to Protect Tunnel Hill Ranch in Tomales

April 7, 2026

The Marin County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve a grant through the county’s Measure A Farmland Preservation Grant Program to help permanently protect the 110-acre Tunnel Hill Ranch in Tomales. The Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) will use this grant, combined with private donations, to purchase a $1.1 million agricultural conservation easement on…

Read More