Grown In Marin 

From Marin Agricultural Land Trust News, Spring 2006

 

The much-heralded visit of the Prince of Wales to West Marin last fall brought this area's organic and sustainably farmed agricultural operations to international prominence. To most observers, it was a surprising field trip for the heir to the British throne, though properties in his own Duchy of Cornwall have been farmed organically for more than 20 years. He also is a dedicated spokesperson for other sustainable agricultural practices. Still, one might ask, why Marin?

 

 

Organic agriculture is the fastest growing segment of the farm economy in the United States, and Marin County has been at the forefront of the movement since at least 1974 when Warren Weber's Star Route Farms in Bolinas became the first certified organic farm in California. In 1994, the Straus Family Creamery was certified as the first organic dairy west of the Mississippi. In 1999, a group of producers and organic advocates formed Marin Organic to foster environmentally sound agriculture and support local food production. And in 2000, Agriculture Commissioner Stacy Carlsen established the first local government organic certification agency in the United States right here in Marin.

 

 

"The visit of the Royal Highness and his wife was such n amazing honor and confirmation that our work here is of critical importance far beyond our county line," said Helge Hellberg, Executive Director of Marin Organic, which coordinated the event in Marin.

 

 

However, traditional livestock agriculture is still the mainstay in Marin County, contributing $45 million to the economy. These beef, sheep, and dairy businesses form the backbone of farm operations on most malt-protected properties. But a century and a half of good farming practices and responsible grazing have created pastures with great biological diversity, allowing them to be natural neighbors for organic operations. And, in some cases, owners have leased portions of their land to organic growers or transitioned to organic in whole or part themselves.

 

 

Nearly a dozen farms or ranches with malt easements now support organic businesses, including the Straus Dairy, the Sartori Ranch, the Gale Ranch, the Lafranchi Ranch, the Poncia Ranch, the Cerini Ranch, the Maloney Ranch, the Volpi Ranch, and the Stubbs Ranch. In most cases, the landowners are combining a traditional undertaking like the pasturing of livestock on Marin's rolling hills with growing certified organic row crops.

 

 

Steve Quirt, UC Cooperative Extension Organic & Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, works with traditional operators, organic farmers, and those who are considering diversifying their farm businesses to reach new markets. He says that the cultivated system complements the wild system, both agriculturally and economically. "The row crops, most of which are sold directly to restaurants or to consumers at farmers' markets, may provide a financial safety net for commodity producers whose income can be unpredictable," he says. "It's a way to add on to their operation as an insurance against commodity market fluctuations," he says. "It's the perfect diversification."

 

 

Today, West Marin seems poised to enhance its reputation as both a stronghold for mainstream agriculture and an innovative leader in the organic arena. Stewardship by local ranching families has kept thousands of rural acres viable and productive over the course of a century and a half of use. As organic products become more mainstream, the transition to organic may become more inviting to local producers. With your help, malt—the first agricultural land trust in the United States—will continue its efforts to preserve the land that enables sustainable agriculture of every sort to continue in Marin County.

 

—Elisabeth Ptak