Toolin’ Around Town: Loren Poncia, generations of local farming

By ,

September 25, 2019

After partnering with his parents, Al Poncia became instrumental in founding Marin Agricultural Land Trust, established by ranchers and environmentalists to protect the future of farming in Marin County. A West Marin pioneer in conservation and environmental stewardship, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for 50-plus years in agriculture by the Marin County Farm Bureau. In 2002, he received the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Excellence in Conservation Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More stories like this:

Why Cowboys Still Wear Blue Jeans

April 29, 2026

It’s embarrassing to admit, but for the past few years I’ve been actively pretending to be a cowboy. I start most mornings with Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” playing on repeat in my head. It started with wrestling goats — learning to manage a small herd on our twenty acres just north of San…

Read More

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