$200,000 Awarded to Build Marin’s Resilience on Working Lands
May 14, 2025
Earlier this year, we launched the fourth round of our small grants program aimed at Building Resilience in Marin’s Working Lands. We’re thrilled to announce the five awardees and support their land stewardship-oriented agriculture practices.
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhance agricultural viability and ecological health across the region, these projects celebrate agriculture as an essential management tool for Marin County’s unique landscapes. The grants will enable ranchers to implement critical infrastructure and support well-managed grazing—showcasing how working lands can simultaneously achieve agricultural production, climate resilience, and ecological conservation goals.
From the many compelling proposals we received this round, our review committee of MALT staff and experts from three three partner organizations carefully selected these five projects. These awards enable us to support critical work and forge new partnerships with dedicated local agriculturalists. We are sincerely grateful and would like to thank all ranchers and farmers who submitted proposals, our donors who make this grant program possible, and our partners who helped evaluate these proposals.
Here are the five awardees:
Shepherds of the Coast – $15,000
This Native-owned business led by Jenna Coughlin, a member of the Coast Miwok tribe, will invest in mobile fencing to expand her prescribed grazing efforts, helping to increase pasture quality, and mitigate wildfire risk on Marin’s agricultural lands. This project reflects the next generation of agriculturalists in Marin County finding new avenues for economic success through the emerging role of prescribed grazing.
Barboni Home Ranch – $50,000
This rangeland seeding project, part of Bill Barboni’s carbon farm plan, will receive funding for compost and soil amendments that address natural soil acidity. The project enhances water retention, soil health, and forage production to support resilience on these working lands.
Moreda Dairy – $45,000
Moreda Dairy demonstrates the next generation of dairy farmers finding a path and a future in agriculture in Marin County. Through enhanced rotational grazing, pasture management, a fertigation reel (a system that delivers water and nutrients simultaneously through irrigation), and rangeland seeding, Jim Moreda will increase year-round forage production, improve nutrient cycling, soil carbon storage, and increase the health of his land—pushing the envelope of what it means to be a sustainable dairy.
Millerton Creek Ranch – $50,000
The award supports work on a grazing allotment on Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), operated by Mike Giammona. The work will install infrastructure to bring conservation-focused grazing to an area where grazing has been absent for multiple years, and fencing to protect habitat for the threatened western pond turtle.
McIsaac Ranch – $40,000
Siblings Levi and Courtney McIsaac will rehabilitate water systems to support conservation grazing on approximately 750 acres on two grazing allotments in the GGNRA. The project will relocate water infrastructure to reduce erosion in McIsaac Creek, which provides habitat for endangered steelhead trout.
These grants build on MALT’s more than $3 million invested in supporting agricultural stewardship practices that benefit the land, the people, and the economy of Marin County. Through conservation grazing, innovative agricultural practices, and climate smart stewardship, we are not only maintaining our local ecosystems, but building resilience for future generations of agriculturalists.
Special thanks to all our partners who served on the review committee to evaluate each proposal and ensure these awardees were equitably selected: staff from the Marin Resource Conservation District, Carbon Cycle Institute, and UC Cooperative Extension. We’re excited to support this group of agricultural producers implementing diverse practices that enhance both their operations and Marin’s natural resources.
“My hope is to demonstrate the validity of this work—to help the community realize that ecology and agriculture go together in a profound way”
– Jenna Coughlin, small grant recipient
We look forward to reporting more about the impact of these grants in the coming months. It is encouraging to see such a tremendous amount of interest and commitment to building our local food system’s resilience to climate change, with projects spanning both private ranches and public lands like the GGNRA. Each funded initiative demonstrates how working lands can actively create climate solutions while strengthening our agricultural heritage and contributing to our local food system.
Want to support more projects like these?
Your donation helps us continue funding innovative agricultural practices that protect Marin’s working lands while building climate resilience. Together, we can ensure that future generations of farmers and ranchers have the resources they need to maintain productive, sustainable operations that benefit our entire community. Donate today