Summer Newsletter, MALT - 2022

Coming Together in the Face of Drought

As we sink into the summer months, our local farms and ranches are bracing for the driest season in another historically dry year. The first three months of 2022, a time when Marin typically receives the bulk of its annual rainfall, were the singularly driest such period on record—exacerbating what has become the West’s most extensive and intense drought in recorded history.

In response to this crisis, we launched our Drought Resilience and Water Security (DRAWS) initiative in the spring of 2021. DRAWS awards grants of up to $15,000 to local landowners to design and implement long-term water infrastructure projects. And, to date, the initiative has been a tremendous success with 49 approved projects, of which 35 have been completed and reimbursed.

Building upon this success and responding to ongoing need, in April 2022, the MALT Board approved an additional $250,000 allocation in funding in order to have even more

impact, bringing the total to $750,000 in funding for DRAWS since spring 2021. As with the first two phases of the initiative, all Marin ranchers and farmers are eligible to apply for DRAWS grants, regardless of whether their property is protected by a MALT agricultural conservation easement.

For many, these timely investments are key to the survival of their small agricultural businesses and provide the support they need to continue producing our region’s food supply. This work would not be possible without the generosity of MALT donors.

DRAWS IMPACT

13 freshwater springs redeveloped 41 water storage tanks installed (141,850 gallons) 19 water pumps connected 60,350 feet of irrigation piping installed

From the Ranchers to You: Thank You

When you donate to MALT, you have an impact far beyond the number of acres protected or stewardship projects completed. You impact the lives of the ranchers and farmers who are part of our community.

Here’s what some ranchers and farmers who participated in our Drought Resilience and Water Security (DRAWS) initiative are saying:

“Last year our ranch went completely dry. Storage ponds dried up. Wells dried up. We were completely reliant on trucked-in water. Thanks to DRAWS, we installed a rain catch ment system and a new 5,000-gallon storage tank. This has been a game changer for us. Thanks!”

“With this funding we tackled an old spring impacted by cattle grazing. We were able to improve production, secure the spring with gravel and a casing, create water storage and install a water trough away from the source. Thank You!”

“Drought is one of the stressful, help less experiences as a farmer. The DRAWS program was vital for us to adapt and continue to provide water for our animals. To know MALT will help during our greatest times of need offers security even in the most desperate situations like a drought.”

–Linda Righetti Judah, Lazy R Ranch

–Terry Sawyer, Hog Island Oyster Company, Leali Ranch

–Marissa Silva, Silva Family Dairy, Thornton Ranch

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DRAWS PROJECTS

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DRAWS projects MALT-protected farmland Farmland protected by Marin County Unprotected farmland National Park Service farmland

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Woodacre Bolinas Nicasio Point

Beach PointReyes Peta luma Rd.

Fresh Water Secured for Point Reyes Station

After more than 140 years of owning and tending to this land, the Gallagher family began receiving attractive offers from developers looking to build luxury estates. Fortunately in 2016, MALT partnered with the Gallagher family to protect the natural resources and agricultural productivity of this ranch through a collection of funding opportunities, including the Marin County Farmland Preservation Program (Measure A funding), a State Coastal Conservancy grant and the Department of Conservation’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) program. Generous donations from MALT supporters provided the funding for our staff to acquire this easement, share its story and ensure an ongoing partnership to steward the land.

Earlier this year, a new source of drinking water for the community of Point Reyes Station was secured from the MALT-protected Gallagher North Bend Ranch. A newly established well installed by the North Marin Water District (NMWD) will soon provide the nearby community with over 600 gallons of fresh drinking water every minute— a game-changing supply for the unofficial capital of West Marin.

“This is just one of the ways we want to give back and support our community,” shared Paul Gallagher, one of the property’s owners. “Our family likely wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for MALT and the generous support of Marin County residents.”

Named for the bend of Lagunitas Creek that runs through it, the ranch comprises 330 acres in the shadow of Black Mountain, just outside Point Reyes Station. At this size, it is a vital asset for all life moving within, across and past its boundaries—including the largest population of Coho salmon on the central coast of California. This land is a regional asset of which we are all beneficiaries.

“None of this would have been possible without the cooperation of this willing landowner,” said Avram Pearlman, NMWD engineer. “Through mutual cooperation we’re able to deliver this water security for West Marin—it’s a win, win for everyone.”

Discover more by visiting: malt.org/stewardship/fresh-water-for-point-reyes-station

Employees of the North Marin Water District secure the new water main for Point Reyes Station and surrounding communities.

DID YOU KNOW?

Native grasses are the key to summer survival

As we move deeper into the dry season, all life in the greater Marin ecosystem is navigating the intensity of the ongoing drought conditions. Pushed, at times, to the brink of their physiological limits, both wild and domestic animals will increasingly depend on one of our landscape’s most important resources: native plants.

With deeper, more robust roots systems, native grasses are better adept at weathering California’s seasonal extremes, providing forage (feed for animals) longer into the summer dry season. These plants also support healthy insect populations, the primary food source for our avian friends.

New initiative to protect farmland

In the last year, both the federal government and the state of California committed to protecting 30% of all land and water by the year 2030—what is now commonly referred to as the “30x30 initiative.” This initiative is part of a growing acknowledgment of the importance of local land conservation, the work we have been leading for more than 40 years, and the significance of these efforts in helping stabilize the planet’s climate.

The 30x30 initiative is specifically looking to support “locally led” efforts that can help conserve key areas for biodiversity, trap and store carbon from the atmosphere and help address inequalities in who has access to nature and the outdoors. MALT believes that ranchers and farmers are key partners in this larger effort to protect biodiversity and mitigate climate change, and that protecting agricultural land is an essential component of a successful 30x30 initiative.

A Spotlight on Our Donors

Arthur and Marilyn Strassburger: Honoring a Family’s Love of Place

Marilyn Strassburger and her husband Arthur, MALT supporters for over 30 years, shared a deep love of the outdoors and West Marin with their family. When Marilyn passed away in October 2021 at the age of 95, her children wanted to do something special and impactful to honor their mother’s love of Marin.

In January of this year, Marilyn’s daughter Marie approached MALT about making a special gift to commemorate her

mother’s support of agricultural land protection and love of the outdoors. Together with her siblings, they contributed $10,000 for a creekside restoration on MALT-protected land.

This past Earth Day, the Strassburger siblings offered their donation as a challenge gift and successfully inspired others to match their gift and increase their impact.

Marilyn and Arthur not only had a strong connection to the lands of Marin, but they also were very much a part of the fabric of the community. MALT is grateful to the Strassburger family for their gift and love of this special place.

To learn more about making a gift in honor of a loved one, please contact Harriet Lehmann: hlehmann@malt.org | (415) 663-1158 ext. 309

Find

Meet Our Newest Staff Members

We’re thrilled to have welcomed some friendly faces to the team here at MALT. Meet our newest staff members and hear why they’re excited to be on the team:

KELLI FINLEY Senior Manager, Community Engagement

“As a longtime nonprofit professional, I am excited to be part of such an enthusiastic and dedicated team with a wide range of experience. It’s an honor to join a community with such a rich history and important mission. I look forward to learning from the entire MALT community as we seek to build community together.”

ANGELINA SOLDATOS

Annual Giving Manager

“Having grown up in Novato, I’ve known of MALT for a long time and am excited to help build upon its more than four-decade-long history. It feels so good to be contributing to the well-being of Marin’s agricultural community.”

BECKY WIEGAND Manager, Digital Communications and Community Engagement

“Growing up on my family’s farm in rural Michigan, I know firsthand what it takes to run a successful agricultural business and the day-to-day challenges of farm life. I’m excited to help connect our communities with these realities and the beauty of the West Marin landscape.”

MATT DOLKAS

Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications

“As regional land trusts go, MALT is the cream of the crop (pun intended). I’ve come to MALT to be a more active member of my local community. For me, working to support the hardworking families on Marin’s farms and ranches —the folks securing our local food supply and stewarding these critical landscapes—is what it’s all about.”

Post Office Box 809

Point Reyes Station California 94956

Protect Marin’s Future. Give Today!

Climate change threatens our global food supply and the resilience of the earth’s natural systems. But you can make an impact by helping protect and steward our local landscapes.

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

Visit malt.org/donate or call (415) 663-1158

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 91 agricultural conservation easements, totaling more than 54,000 acres.

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

MALT news is published quarterly by Marin Agricultural Land Trust, a nonprofit tax-exempt organization.

Editor: Matt Dolkas

Graphic Design: shirleycreative.com

Printer: ThirdBay Letterpress Inc.

Photos: malt.org/photo-credits

Printed on recycled paper containing soy inks