Remembering Phyllis Faber: 1928-2023

January 19, 2023

The Marin County conservationist passed away on January 15, at her home. This article was first published on Nov. 23, 2015.

Veteran environmental activist, writer, editor, publisher, educator, and coastal wetlands scientist Phyllis Faber has made countless contributions to the Bay Area environmental movement. With the late Ellen Straus, she cofounded the nation’s first agricultural land trust, Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). She was a leader in the campaign for the California Coastal Commission in 1972 and subsequently served on the North Central Regional Commission, including as chair for two years.

More stories like this:

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

Jennifer Beretta at the Dolcini Jersey Dairy, Marin County.

Jennifer Beretta: What It Takes To Keep A Dairy Thriving

February 25, 2026

Jennifer Beretta can’t always remember her phone number, but she remembers cow numbers from 15 years ago. That kind of commitment—to heritage, to family, to land—is what keeps agriculture thriving in Marin County.

Read More