The Straus family legacy

March 22, 2023

Few families have had as great an impact on our modern coastal lands as the Straus family. Ellen and Bill Straus fled Nazi Europe during WWII and settled in Marshall, on the Tomales Bay, to begin a life of ranching. Along the way, Ellen and Bill were at the heart of the effort to save West Marin’s open space from turning into yet another sprawling suburb. In 1980, Ellen and a friend co-founded the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which has become a model for communities around the country that also want to stem subdivision and encourage a healthy relationship with their agricultural roots.

More stories like this:

The Secret Lives of Grasshopper Sparrows

April 22, 2024

Hidden among the coastal agricultural grasslands of Marin lies a fascinating inhabitant: the grasshopper sparrow.

Read More

Aerial view of Hicks Mountain, Marin County - MALT

Hicks Mountain Belvedere Ranch: Saving One of Marin County’s Tallest Peaks 

April 16, 2024

Hicks Mountain, one of the tallest peaks in Marin County, will soon be protected with an agricultural conservation easement from the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT).

Read More

Wildflowers around the stock pond at the Corda Family Ranch.

Preservation in Perpetuity: Safeguarding the Corda Family Ranch

April 16, 2024

Green light! Today, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved $2.5 million in grant funding from the Farmland Preservation Grant Program (Measure A) giving the green light for the conservation of the 903-acre Corda Family Ranch (as well as the Hicks Mountain Ranch). By combining this public funding with donations from community members, we’re close…

Read More