fall 2007 marin agricultural land trust newsletter

8/8/2019 Fall 2007 Marin Agricultural Land Trust Newsletter

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The notion of an agricultural land trust was a new concept in the United States in the late 1970s whenrancher Ellen Straus and environmentalist Phyllis Faber began to worry that non-farm development wouldsoon threaten the historic tradition of farming in West Marin.

Phyllis and Ellen came up with the idea that certainty was a critical element for ranchers. It was realon a walk, Phyllis says, when we had yet another of many conversations about what could make a differ-ence for agriculture in this county. If the development potential were removed, the two women reasonedthere would be greater certainty that the land would remain agricultural. Ranchers could then more confdently invest in their farms, and their sons and daughters would see a future on the ranch.

The Trust for Public Land offered to help create a land trust, a vehicle for buying the development righon farmland. Ralph Grossi, chair of the Marin County Farm Bureaus land use committee at that time,and Gary Giacomini, then Marin County Supervisor for West Marin, supported the idea, and MALT wasestablished in 1980.

marin agricultural

L A N D T R U S T N E W Sp r e s e r v i n g m a r i n c o u n t y a r m l a n

On a bright spring morning iBolinas, a school bus unloads 25 fourtgraders and all their exuberant energyonto Sandy Dierks family farm. Shesmiles in welcome. Here they come!We have so much to share with them!she says. She greets the children, theirteachers, and parents, knowing that shis someone few of the kids or adults m

have met beforeshe is a farmer.So begins another day in the life of

MALTs Farm Field Studies Program, remarkable effort to connect schoolchdren with our local farms and ranchesWorking with educators, the MarinAgriculture and Education Alliance,and willing farmers, MALTs EducatioDirector Constance Washburn created

the Farm Field Studies Program in 2002, determined to bring Marins agriculture closer to kids.For any student, a field trip can be an exciting departure from school routine, but this excursion is even more of a change than usual

Within five minutes of arrival, these 10-year-olds from central Marin are standing in a field of newly turned soil, learning directlyfrom Sandy and her husband Dennis about weeds, compost, and work as they help to plant potatoes.

Their teacher has prepared them for this farm visit with worm compost projects, reading assignments about farms andfarmers, research, and discussions. She has made agriculture part of their curriculum and a starting place for creativity andunderstanding. The Farm Field Studies Program accommodates all ages, kindergarten through 12th grade, depending on howthe teachers wish to incorporate agriculture into their lesson plans. Many third-graders, for example, participate as part of theHealthy Eating curriculum, learning (to their amazement!) that green beans actually grow on a bush.

During their day on the farm, the students may hoe weeds, harvest crops, search for fish in the creek, milk a goat, or gathereggs. As another FFS Program host, Mimi Luebbermann of Windrush Farm points out, Who better to teach them than thefarmer? It isnt just the children who are learning, either. Both Sandy and Mimi agreeevery adult who participates in the program for the first time is surprised and amazed at the extent of agriculture in Marin.

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Fal l 2007 Volume 23 Number

phyllis Faber, Malt co-Founder, celebrates 80th birthday

learning about FarMs:the Field trip

PaigeGreen


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We are very pleased to announce that Left Bank Brasserie will host a special fundraising dinner and auction at the Lark-spur restaurant on Sunday, October 14, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. Please mark your calendar for this gourmet event that will help MALTpreserve more Marin County farmland.

Renowned chef, Roland Passot ofLa Folie, Left Bank Brasseries and Tanglewood, will create a special menu for the dinner featurilocal, seasonal foods with a Grown in Marin theme. Tickets at $250 per person include a Farmers Market and special tastingfrom local producers, followed by a sit-down dinner and auction. Topping the list of live auction items are:

Dinner for 10 in your home prepared and cooked by acclaimed, Michelin rated Chef Roland Passot ofLa Folie, Left Bank Brasseries, and TanglewoodExclusive wine country tour, with wine tasting, private dinner, and luxury accommodations for two couplesTwo-night stay at The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay with coastal view accommodations, dinner fortwo at Navio, featuring fine Northern Californian coastal cuisine, and two 60 -minute Half MoonBay Signature Massages in the Ritz-Carlton SpaPrivate tour and lunch for 10 at the Point Reyes Farmstead Blue cheesemaking facility overlookingTomales Bay

Silent auction items include cases of vintage wine, spa treatments, a year of local produce, landscape paintings of West Marweekend getaways in Northern California, and much, much more.

We greatly appreciate the support ofLeft Bank Brasserie in creating and hosting this event to help MALT preserve moreMarin farmland, says Executive Director Bob Berner. In the coming year alone, we have a unique opportunity to protectanother 5,000 acres at a cost of close to $13 million. We cant achieve this goal without community support. This event will begreat boost to our efforts.

MALTs work is vital to the survival of working farms in West Marin, says Left Bank Brasserie Vice-president of OperationTom Bensel. Our Bay Area restaurants depend on the availability of fresh, local food and wines. Our decision to host thisdinner to raise money for MALTs programs is a testament to our commitment to ensuring continued access to healthy, localfoodnot just now, but for future generations.

Watch for your invitation in the mail in early September, and checkwww.malt.org for updated information. We look forwato seeing you at this very special gastronomic adventure.

leFt bank brasserie dinner & auctionwill help save Marin FarMland

m a r i n a g r i c u l t u r a l l a n d t r u s2

For the dozen or so farmers and ranchers involved, welcoming school groups to theifarms is important in several ways. Not only are they teaching kids about agriculture,theyre also educating adult consumers whose food choices, shopping habits, and suppo

of local farms will be essential in preserving agriculture in Marin County.The rise of the organic food movement, the popularity of Marins farmers markets, and the renewed emphasis on nutrition

in the elementary school curriculum all have contributed to the desire for programs such as this. Beyond that, the power ofthe Farm Field Studies program is in its simplicity: bring the kids and their teachers out to the farm, let them meet and learnfrom the farmers, encourage them to interact with a farm animal, show them where crops grow and how they are harvested. Aelemental bond has been re-established, connecting people to the land.

One testament to the impact of this reconnection is in the thank-you notes, cards, and artwork the students send to thefarmers after their visit:

I loved your ranch. I liked getting the chicken eggs. There was a puffy chickenhe was black. I had so much fun! Thank you for showing

all to us. Love, Lauren (2nd grade)

I had a blast at Gospel Flats Farm where it was so fun! Everybody was sad when we had to leave the farmeverybody wanted to livethere. The boys in my class said that they would give up video games to be there. Rebecca (4th grade)

Thank you for letting us go to your farm. Almost everybody said this was the best field trip they ever went on. Thank you for showing us

everything you do to grow food. Alan (5th grade)

As MALTs Farm Field Studies Program continues its work reconnecting kids, adults, and agriculture, then Marins farmsand the folks who tend them will also continue to produce, share, teach, and thrive. Katherine Landret

To sign up for a Farm Field Studies trip for your school, please contact Sandy Dierks at 415-868-0205 or [email protected]

Field tripc o n t i n u e d F r o M p a g e o n e
http://www.malt.org/hp/events.html#tastehttp://mail%20to:[email protected]/http://mail%20to:[email protected]/http://www.malt.org/hp/events.html#taste


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Over a three-week period on a recent trip to England,I was offered a steady diet of just four vegetables: peas, asparagus,broad beans, and what the English call courgettes and we knowas zucchini. Prepared in a variety of ways, the vegetables werealways tasty and never boring because they were picked at theheight of their season by local growers. Cooks found creativeways to make the most of the bounty.

From farmers markets to my daughters London kitchen,to the caf of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and everythingin between, people were buying, cooking, and eating in seasonand the results were tasty. As Susy Smith, Editor of the BritishCountry Living Magazine writes, As well as being fresher for nothaving traveled miles from field to fork, many of these foods arefirmly rooted in their locality, telling a story about the land-scape and the farmers who produce them.

In the Bay Area, we also have the good fortune of having access to foods rooted in their locality. In early July, forexample, the Point Reyes farmers market offered lettuce and beets f rom Bolinas, raspberries, strawberries, and cauliflowfrom Tomales, cheese produced from Marshall cows, and eggs from chickens roosting on the Point Reyes Peninsula. Bythe time this newsletter arrives in your mailbox in August, the selection will have changed considerably, as the fruits andvegetables that r ipen along the coast in the late summer tell a different story about the landscapeone that might possiblyinclude tomatoes!

It is only within the last hundred years or so that shipping foods all over the world became feasible. Now it has becomcommonplace, and, until recently, we thought nothing of the fact that most of our foods were imported from miles awayBut climate change, energy shortages, and population growth have created uncertainties about where and how food will bgrown in the coming years. Compound this with the fact that day after day in the United States, we are paving over somof the most fertile land in the world. According to the American Farmland Trust, Every hour, we lose 125 acres of farmand ranch land. Thats 3,000 acres a day and over 1 million acres a year! In the time that it took you to read this sentencweve already lost two acres.

Eating food that is produced locally, at a family-owned farm or ranch, helps both the local and regional economy. Themoney a local farmer makes each time he or she sells a vegetable or piece of fruit goes directly to the farm and its workersFor the most part, that money gets re-circulated throughout the community: at the grocery, at the movie theater, at thehardware store, at the bookshop.

Farmers markets are great sources of seasonal farm products that come fresh from the field and kitchens of local growerand producers. Theyre an important opportunity for family farmers, providing increased income and the development ofcherished customer relationships. Direct sales to consumers also eliminate environmental impacts like transportation costs,excess packaging, and the threat of widespread contamination that comes with an anonymous food system. Though eatingseasonally challenges us to be selective in our buying and creative in our cooking, choosing to shop at farmers markets helpensure that local agriculture will continue to thrive. And thats a very big deal!

ElisabEth ptakwith miapEllEt

whatsthe big dealabout local Food?

m a r i n a g r i c u l t u r a l l a n d t r u s t

Jesse Kuhn, owner of Marin Roots Farm, grows organic produce 10 acres of the Volpi Ranch, which is protected by a MALT easeme


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Earlier this summer, Marin Agricultural LandTrust gained 25 fantastic new volunteers. With MALco-founder Phyllis Faber welcoming them to ourannual training, the new volunteers stood up oneby one to share their motivations for donating theivaluable time and energy. Though their reasonsvaried, the common thread was their desire to helppreserve the agricultural community we are lucky tohave here in Marin.

MALTs volunteers are an amazingly dedicatedbunch. They not only staff MALT events, but alsoserve as teachers and community ambassadors. Befothey even begin to volunteer, they complete a com

prehensive two-day training program. They get a cracourse in MALTs history, agriculture in Marin, conservation easements, land stewardship, the WilliamsonAct, and the challenges of running a farm, dairy, beef, or oyster operation. They learn how to safely lead hikeand tours, how to engage schoolchildren on field trips, how to assemble the MALT float for parades, and evehow to fill out a credit slip for the sale of a MALT t-shirt.

The new volunteers professional backgrounds are diverse: dentistry, marketing, interior design,psychology, publishing, and the law. But they have chosen to commit themselves to, on average, one eveneach month for a year because they understand the value of local foods and farms, and deeply appreciatethe work that MALT and the agricultural community have accomplished together.

These new volunteers join our experienced ones, making a total volunteer cadre of 75 men and womenOnly with all of their help can MALT possibly offer its Hikes & Tours and Farm Field Studies programs,provide friendly and knowledgeable information at farmers markets and festivals, and collaborate in suchwonderful events as the Ranches & Rolling Hills Landscape Art Show and the upcoming Taste of Marin. Anfor that, we at MALT are truly grateful. miapEllEti

Meet our new volunteer

Marin Master Gardeners, a program of UC CooperatiExtension, have been helping MALT staffer KatieMedwar rejuvenate the yard behind our ofce witha low-maintenance 36 x 21-foot garden, seating area,

vegetable patch, and ower beds. So far the groundhas been cleared, two vegetable beds have beenplanted, and lettuces and herbs have already beenharvested. With a few more work sessions, and the heof other Master Gardeners and MALT staff and volunteers, this small garden will be beautifully transformeTo help, contact Katie, [email protected]

Marin Agricultural Land Trust News is publishquarterly by Marin Agricultural Land Trust, a nonprotax-exempt organization.

Marin agricultural land trPO Box 809, Point Reyes Stat

California 94956-0

p e o p l e i n a g r i c u l t u r e

m a r i n a g r i c u l t u r a l l a n d t r u s4

sMall is beautiFul

Pictured: Katie Medwar with Master Gardeners Lynne Jennings and Alice Eckart

JeffStump
mailto:%[email protected]:%[email protected]


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Visit Marins family farms at harvest time so you can taste, touch, and see the beauty and the bounty ofour farmlands. Bring your family to a farm to learn the history of some of Marins farming families and nd out how they grow andproduce healthy, delicious food thats rooted in the local landscape.

MALTHIKES & TOURS & TALKSFALL2007

M A R I N A G R I C U L T U R A L L A N D T R U S T HIKES & TOURS Registration For

Due to ongoing concerns about Foot-and-MouthDisease, we ask that individuals who have visited farmsoutside the U.S.A. up to 10 days prior to events notparticipate in farm tours. Weather can change quicklyin West Marin. Bring a jacket for warmth, a hat for pro-tection from the sun, and a daypack for food & drinks.m h.Please check with MALT. For more detailed directionsto a Hikes & Tours meeting place, phone 415-663-1158,Monday Friday, 9 a.M.5 p.M. or visit www.malt.org

e: Flat or very little slope in adistance of less than one mile

m: Varied, mild terrain foroneve miles

df: Steep terrain and/or overve miles

t: Activities appropriatefor a family

marin agricultural land trustPost Ofce Box 809 Point Reyes Station, California 94956 415-663-1158 [email protected] .

9th ANNUAL TASTE OF MARINSunday, August 26MALT and Marin Organic are teaming up with the Marin Farmers Marketsto bring you a spectacular celebration of the bounty of Marin Countyand the people who bring it from the field to the table. Featuring localfarmers, ranchers, cheesemakers, bakers, and vintners, as well as the bestof local restaurants and celebrity chefs, and the distinctive vocals of MariaMuldaur. The event is a showcase of some of our areas most phenomenalfood, presented in the magical atmosphere of an Indian summer eveningin a 19th century mission-style courtyard. To purchase tickets please visit

www.tasteofmarin.org

Time: 4 p.m. 10 p.m.WhereTomeeT: St. Vincents, the Marinwood/St. Vincent Dr. Exit offHwy 101, head east, and park as directed.CosT: $150 per person

HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO.& STRAUS ORGANIC DAIRYThursday, September 13Learn all about oyster farming and water issues as you tour Hog IslandOyster Company with the owners. Taste oysters grown in Tomales Bay anenjoy great views of the West Marin sea and sky. After eating your ownpicnic lunch, tour the Straus familys organic dairy at milking time andsample their products. Learn about water issues upstream from TomalesBay. Pre-registration required.Time: 11a.m. 3 p.m.WhereTomeeT: Hog Island Oyster Co., Highway One, Marshall (10 milnorth of Point Reyes Station)Whatto Bring: Water, picnic, shoes that can get dirtyDegreeof Difficulty:

CosT: $25 / $30 non-members

I would like to sign up for the following MALT Hikes & Tours:Hikes & Tours title # people date cost

$

$

$

$

Registration is by mail only. Space is limited, and tours ll up at different rates. Please enclose a separatecheck for each tour, or charge tours & memberships to your VISA, Mastercard, or American Express. Fulpayment is required, and all participants must pre-register ve days prior to event. Conrmations will besent. Refunds only if MALT cancels a tour or if tour is already full. Please be prompt. Events are timedaround the farms or dairys work schedules. Hikes & Tours are on private property, you have permissionto enter for the MALT event . You may not re-enter at another time. ab w

p h .
http://www.malt.org/hp/hikestours.htmlhttp://www.malt.org/hp/hikestours.htmlhttp://www.malt.org/http://www.marinorganic.org/events.html#tastehttp://www.marinorganic.org/events.html#tastehttp://www.malt.org/http://www.malt.org/hp/hikestours.html


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Each fall, MALTs Board of Directors hosts its annualbarbeque for our Major Donors at the Directors Circlelevel ($250 and above) and for our Partners for Preservation

(those who have included MALT in their estate plans).The lunch features local food and wine from farms andranches right here in West Marin.

The get-together offers a special opportunity to hearfrom Executive Director Bob Berner and our boardmembers about MALTs future conservation projectsand for us to hear from you. This years barbeque willbe held on the Jim and Margaret Moore Ranch. Its aspecial opportunity to visit a ranch that already has beenprotected by a MALT easement.

We look forward to seeing you, so please mark yourcalendars for this annual gathering of MALT friendsand supporters: Saturday, September 15 from 14 p.m.For more information, please email: Rita Cummings, Development Director at [email protected]

we wantto say thank you

Nowalmost 30 years laterMALT has become a model for communities throughout thcountry. More than 38,000 acres of land on 58 family farms and ranches have been permanently protected for agriculture through the purchase of agricultural conservation easement

Although Ellen Straus died five years ago, Phyllis has kept their vision strong and remains as committed to preserving agricture today as she did all those years ago. She is an active member of MALTs Board of Directors and continues to be an inspirtion to all of us. On October 31, she will celebrate her eightieth birthday.

For the last three years, Phyllis chaired the board of the Buck Institute for Age Research. She is a founding member of MarDiscoveries and the Environmental Forum of Marin and has taught in the program for its 35-year-history. As a wetlands biologist,she has monitored restoration projects in San Francisco Bay for 20 years. She has written articles for Fremontia, the journal ofthe California Native Plant Society, and also served as its editor. She is currently Series Editor of the California Natural HistorSeries for the University of California Press.

What has been achieved from the vision of these two amazing women all those years ago is remarkable, but the challengesahead are many. Continued development threats, For Sale signs, and the fragmentation of the farm economy make it clear thMALTs work of preservation needs the communitys support and backing more than ever.

MALTs conservation easement program has already protected about one-third of the farmland in West Marin. PhyllisFabers wish is that in her lifetime MALT will have reached the 50% mark. In pursuit of that goal, were determined to safeguaat least 12,000 acres over the next five years.

When asked what she hoped would be her legacy to Marin County, Phyllis answered, Keeping agriculture alive and well and turning the tide on any threats to the loss of local farms in West Marin. And she wants to make sure that ranches remain in businessnojust for this generation, but for the next as well. We are blessed that ranchers and farmers in this area want to stay in agriculture. Wit

out their commitment to farming, our landscape in WestMarin would be quite different, says Phyllis.

MALT staff and board extend their deep appreciationto Phyllis Faber for her vision, work, and commitmentboth as an environmentalist and as a leader in preserv-ing farmland. If youd like to wish her happy birthdayor make a gift to MALT in her honor, you may do soonline at www.malt.org or send your check payable toMALT to:

Happy Birthday, Phyllis!Marin Agricultural Land TrustPost Ofce Box 809Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

ritaCummings

birthdayc o n t i n u e d F r o M p a g e o n e

Jointhe Phyllis Faber CirCle

The Phyllis Faber Circle honors our co-founderand provides an easy and convenient way to suppoMALT. Members of the Phyllis Faber Circle agreeto an automatic monthly contribution to MALT bycredit or debit card.

They help save paper and resources since theyno longer need membership renewal reminders.They are free to cancel this program at any time ifcircumstances should change.

Current members of the Phyllis Faber Circle andthose who sign up for this program by December31, 2007, will be invited to a special farm tour withPhyllis Faber in 2008.

To join the Phyllis Faber Circle,contact Laura Patterson at [email protected].

m a r i n a g r i c u l t u r a l l a n d t r u s t
mailto:%[email protected]:%[email protected]


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10 t h ann i v e r s a r y e d i t i o n

Ranches & Rolling Hills Collection

marin agricultural land trustBox 809 Point Reyes Station California 94956

R E T U R N S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D

p r e s e r v i n g m a r i n c o u n t y a r m l a n

Nonprot OrU.S. Postage

PAIDMarin

AgriculturaLand Trust

MALT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Loren Poncia, Chair Rancher, TomaLynn Giacomini Stray, Vice-Chair Farmste

Cheese Producer, Point Reyes StatAnne Flemming, Secretary Commun

Volunteer, RDoug Moore, Treasurer Businessman,

FranciBob Bingham Investment Advisor, San FranciSam Dolcini Rancher, West MaPhyllis Faber Biologist, Mill VaTony Gilbert Lawyer, MarsJoe Gillach Businessman, San FranciStan Gillmar Attorney, InvernDominic Grossi Dairyman, NovChris Kelly Conservationist, LarksSteve Kinsey Marin County Supervi

4th DistJim McIsaac Rancher, NovTim Nunes Rancher, Point ReWarren Weber Organic Farmer, BoliBill Zimmerman Rancher, Mars

STAFFRobert Berner,Executive DirectorRita Cummings,Development Director

Katie Medwar,Development AssociateTony Nelson,Stewardship DirectorLaura Patterson, Membership & Database ManaMia Pelletier, Volunteer Program ManagerBarbara Petty,Director of Finance & AdministraElisabeth Ptak, Associate Director/

Director of OutreJeff Stump, Easement Program DirectorConstance Washburn, Education Director

marin agricultural land trust

private, member-supported, nonprot organtion created in 1980 by a coalition of ranchand environmentalists to permanently preseMarin County farmlands for agricultural MALT eliminates the development potentiafarmland through the acquisition of consetion easements in voluntary transactions w

landowners. MALT also encourages pupolicies which support and enhance agricult

m hk b malt ch visa m a ex

MarinagriCulturallandtrustPost Ofce Box 809

Point Reyes Station, California 94956415 663 1158

[email protected]

.

name

street

city state zip

telephone: email

card # exp. date

signaturePrinted on rec ycled paper,containing30% post-consumer waste.

Boxed set of 10 full-color greeting cards with envelopes Boxes @ $15 =

Shipping/Handling: Add $5.00 per order

Total

Every MALT Shop purchase increases awareness of ourfarmland conservation efforts & raises funds for MALT.

Shop for these &other items at

malt.org

The MALT Shop

Sunday August 26

www..
http://www.malt.org/http://www.malt.org/shop/merchandise.htmlhttp://www.malt.org/shop/merchandise.htmlhttp://www.malt.org/http://www.malt.org/shop/merchandise.htmlhttp://www.malt.org/http://www.malt.org/

fall 2007 marin agricultural land trust newsletter

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