Spring Newsletter, MALT - 2024

$100M Milestone Reached for Agricultural Land Conservation

In December of last year, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved $3.3 million in matching grant funds through the Farmland Preservation Program (Measure A). Matching this county funding with state funding as well as private donations, we were able to safeguard the 592-acre Bivista Ridge Ranch (pg. 3) as well as the 1,179-acre Spring Valley Ranch (pg. 4) with agricultural conservation easements.

With this funding secured, MALT and our funding partners have surpassed $100 million invested in land conservation within Marin County. We have now secured 95 conservation easements totaling 57,492 acres of farm and ranchland— the backbone of Marin’s agricultural economy.

This growing network of protected farmland represents more than the food on our tables; these agricultural lands help sustain the local economy and are the lifeblood for

communities across West Marin. In 2022, the estimated total gross value of the county's annual agricultural production was $94 million, much of which was grown or raised on MALT-protected land.

The $100 million investment in local land protection has also helped to conserve one of the most biologically diverse corners of the planet. With these two additional ranches protected, we have now conserved 26,305 acres of our region’s critical habitat linkages as defined by the Conservation Lands Network. Protecting and stewarding these pathways for wildlife is essential as the climate changes and the natural resilience of our ecosystems continues to be tested.

Of course, this historic milestone would not be possible without our partners in conservation. Thank you for all that you do for local farmland preservation. Continued on pg. 6

A Letter from Lily

Dear friends,

For more than forty years, MALT has invested in the protection and stewardship of both working and wild lands and today we celebrate more than $100 million invested in land conservation in Marin County. In addition, the region continues to serve as inspiration and a model for others across the country who are also pursuing local farmland conservation.

Central to our success is our core belief that food production should benefit people, the economy, and the environment. By developing smarter strategies in partnership with ranchers and farmers, we can do more to make agriculture more productive, soils healthier, water cleaner, biodiversity restored, and greenhouse gasses reduced. And farmers and ranchers are some of the most important stewards of our lands and waters.

As we look to the future, land stewardship efforts will become increasingly important as the climate continues to change. Which is why we need to continue to invest in our farmers and ranchers and the natural and working lands they steward, strengthening our local economy, and securing the natural infrastructure that safeguards our communities.

MALT’s readiness to meet tomorrow’s challenges is a testament to your ongoing commitment. We would not be here without you, our generous supporters, partners in conservation, and the farming and ranching community. We are strongest when we work together to protect this incredible landscape.

As you’ll soon read, we’ve made great strides in the last few months. The protection of two large ranches and the launch of our new small grants program are just a few of the exciting steps we’ve made in furthering our mission. Stay tuned for more in the coming months and thank you, again, for all your support.

Warmly,

Lily Verdone, Executive Director

Bivista Ridge Ranch: Protected Forever

592 ACRES TOMALES BAY, CA CO2

The 592-acre Bivista Ridge Ranch along the eastern shore of Tomales Bay is now protected in perpetuity with a MALT agricultural conservation easement. We have ensured this landscape remains dedicated to milk, butter, and cheese production, offers refuge for local biodiversity, and supports regional resilience amid a changing climate.

Standing at the ranch center, the land’s legacy is palpable in the weathered redwood of the barn and in the charming, historic house, built in 1850, the same year California became a state. Because 473 acres of the Bivista Ridge Ranch have been deemed “Farmland of Local Importance” by the California Department of Conservation, this ranch plays a critical role in contributing to Marin County’s robust food economy, now and into the future.

The Taylor family is the current land holder and have been faithful stewards since 1976. The land serves as an integral part of their organic dairy operation (Bivalve Dairy) that is based at the 705-acre Bianchini Ranch, another MALTprotected ranch a few miles to the south. With more than 150 acres of organic hayland and ample pastures, Bivista Ridge Ranch is essential to this local business and the natural foundation of their award-winning cheeses.

Half of the funding for this $3.9 million easement came from the county's Farmland Preservation Program

(Measure A), a quarter-cent sales tax voters renewed in 2022. Since its initial passage in 2012, MALT has applied for and received Measure A grant funding to protect 15 farms and ranches totalling more than 9,725 acres.

Matching funding came from the California Department of Conservation’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program, which is an initiative aimed at protecting productive farmlands and encouraging compact, transit-oriented communities. We are deeply grateful for the public funding, our donor community’s unwavering support, and the continued commitment of Marin County voters.

Learn more: malt.org/bivista-ridge-ranch

Flying over the eastern shore of Tomales Bay, you will find a landscape that looks much as it has for decades, a complex matrix of working ranches that fit neatly like pieces of a puzzle. The Bivista Ridge Ranch builds upon a block of 10,726 contiguous acres of MALT-protected lands.

Spring Valley Ranch: Protected Forever

1,179 ACRES ARROYO SAUSAL, CA

CO2

It’s difficult to comprehend the size of Spring Valley Ranch. Standing at its center, south of the Soulajule Reservoir, the entire viewshed comprises the ranch’s verdant grasslands, Douglas fir forests, and seasonal creeks. You can walk in any direction for hours without meeting a fenceline, and even that is only a boundary to more expansive rangelands.

At the same December meeting the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved Measure A funding for MALT’s conservation of the 592-acre Bivista Ridge Ranch (previous page), $1.8 million in grant funding was approved for the protection of Spring Valley Ranch. Matching this public funding from the county with private donations to MALT, we have now secured this 1,179-acre ranch with an agricultural conservation easement, ensuring this landscape will forever remain as protected farmland.

Safeguarding ranches like Spring Valley Ranch, one of the largest in the county, is essential for our efforts to preserve Marin’s agricultural economy and improve the well-being of our local ecosystem. Protecting this ranch builds upon a 13,895-acre, contiguous block of protected agricultural land, one of the largest areas of conserved land in the Bay Area.

In addition, more than 200 acres of this ranch lie within the Critical Habitat Linkage identified by the Conservation Lands Network, an area of vital importance for the

movement of plants and animals across the region

With climate change adding stress on our ecosystems, conserving these habitat linkages is increasingly important to maintaining the wildlife corridors that support bobcats, fox, deer, mountain lions, and many other species as they graze, hunt, and mate.

With these two easements now secured at Bivista Ridge Ranch and Spring Valley Ranch, MALT and our partners have invested more than $100 million in Marin County land conservation. This historic milestone is only made possible through the commitment of our generous donors and Marin County taxpayers, we are deeply grateful for this continued support.

Learn more: malt.org/spring-valley-ranch

Expansive ranches like the Spring Valley Ranch are vital for local agriculturalists. Large areas of land allow ranchers to rotate their herds among pastures, preventing overgrazing, and ensuring animals have access to fresh, nutrient-rich forage.

A Spotlight on Our Community

Having grown up in Mill Valley, Amanda Mallory has always had a connection with the landscapes of Marin County. When Amanda was a child, her parents were close friends with Phyllis Faber, one of MALT’s founders. As Amanda got older, she too developed a friendship with Phyllis—the roots of Amanda’s West Marin connection run deep.

“As far as I can remember, certainly since MALT has existed, we’ve been involved,” Amanda shared. Today, Amanda and her husband Ron show their commitment to protecting agriculture in Marin by contributing monthly and annually in addition to designating MALT in their estate plan.

“We see the value of a thriving agricultural community, it’s the best way to sustain the quality of our local environment.”

Like so many donors, the Mallorys have been paying attention to MALT’s innovative use of small grants to address climate change, support biodiversity conservation, and build healthy ranches and farms. “We’re excited about the organization’s current efforts to go beyond preserving agriculture and its work to support local ranchers and farmers with more sustainable practices,” Amanda shared.

The couple’s interest in environmental protection is complimented by Amanda’s prior work in education. After retiring from careers in educational consulting and public accounting, the Mallorys moved to Point Reyes Station from Larkspur to live in West Marin. Soon after, Amanda became board chair of the West Marin Scholarship Fund, a local nonprofit organization that provides college scholarships to West Marin students. Ron is on the board of the Tomales Bay Foundation, which helps steward the Tomales Bay watershed. He also helps with bird and other wildlife surveys.

We are tremendously grateful for the Mallorys’ dedication to our community and for their sustaining support of MALT’s mission. Their legacy will be cherished for generations.

While there’s much to celebrate, our work is far from over. Nearly half of Marin County’s working landscapes remain without conservation easements and the vitality of agriculture here remains threatened by rising costs, changing weather patterns, housing shortages impacting our labor force, and much more. In the coming years, we are committed to doubling down on our land conservation and stewardship efforts—bolstering our local economy, community well-being, and natural resilience to climate change.

Learn more: malt.org/100-million

$100M Milestone Reached for Agricultural Land Conservation (Continued)

Small Grants for Biodiversity Conservation

In the summer of 2023, we introduced a new small grants program aimed at enhancing the agricultural landscapes of Marin County. MALT now offers two rounds of small grant funding each year focused on strategic themes that further our mission.

Our first round of small grant funding was focused on Building Climate Resilience, funding climate-smart agricultural practices that improved water security, promoted emissions reductions, and improved livestock welfare. This fall we awarded five $40,000 grants to local

Out & About

We'd love to see you at one of our many events on MALT-protected farms and ranches.

Learn more: malt.org/events

producers totaling $200,000 to empower this type of land stewardship.

Biodiversity conservation in agricultural working lands is the focus of our next round of small grant funding. Marin County is renowned for its rich biological diversity—with one of the greatest varieties of plants, animals, fungi, algae, and microorganisms—of any corner on the planet. With this tremendous natural wealth comes an oversized responsibility to tend to this landscape, something we can only do in partnership with our ranching community.

This spring we are awarding a total of $200,000 to local agriculturalists focused on projects that enhance our landscape’s biological diversity and the well-being of imperiled wildlife. We are looking to fund projects that support rotational grazing, cover crops, hedgerows, pasture seeding, tree planting, conservation tillage, and more—innovative projects that improve habitat for a wide range of life while also promoting agricultural resilience.

Over our history, we have learned the value of well-targeted and well-timed land stewardship efforts that address both the needs of our community and improve the health of our local landscapes. This small grants program builds upon that success—a practical approach rooted in on-theground understanding. Stay tuned for this round’s awardee announcements in early June.

Discover more: malt.org/small-grants

Protect Marin’s Future. Give Today!

Your support helps MALT safeguard critically important landscapes that are key to the resilience of our local communities as well to the stability of the planet’s climate. It’s time for us to act.

Act now at malt.org/donate or call (415) 663-1158 ext. 306

Marin Agricultural Land Trust is a member-supported, nonprofit organization created in 1980 to protect Marin County farmland. Some of the Bay Area’s most highly acclaimed meats, dairy products and organic crops are produced on farmland protected by MALT's 95 agricultural conservation easements, totaling more than 57,492 acres.

To learn about Marin’s working farms and ranches and the food they produce, visit malt.org