Pioneering Straus Family Creamery Celebrates 25 Years of Commitment to Family, Farmers, and Food

February 7, 2019

In 1980, Ellen Straus, Albert’s mother, co-founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), the first of its kind in the country, which protects Marin’s farmland from urban development. Ellen and a cohort of local environmentalists recognized the importance of land stewardship in the farming community and developed an approach that would strengthen rural families’ chances to remain in agriculture by permanently protecting farmland. The green hills of rural Marin County are a direct result of her work.

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Reviving the Truttman Ranch, Protecting Public Grasslands

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When Levi McIsaac shakes your hand, you feel it—the confidence that comes from knowing exactly who you are and where you fit. Fifth-generation Marin County rancher. National Park Service (NPS) road crew worker. Someone who understands that his family’s future is inseparable from the health of the landscape they steward. That confidence matters now more…

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2025: A Year in Pictures

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From historic land protection to community resilience, these moments tell the story of our collective work to sustain Marin’s agricultural heritage.

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Why Protecting Land Isn’t Enough—How SAP Makes It Thrive

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MALT’s Stewardship Assistance Program SAP has invested $2.4M+ in ranch resilience since 2002. Learn more about this essential stewardship.

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