m arin agricultur al

L A ND TRUST NE WS
p r e s e r v i n g m a r i n c o u n t y f a r m l a n d
S p r i n g 20 0 8 Vo l u m e 24 N u m b e r 1

Conservation Partnerships Protect

Three Tomales Farms
The close of 2007 brought
good tidings—the protection of three
historic ranches in Tomales covering
more than 1,200 acres. The Marin
ranches—Crayne Ranch, Tomales
Farm & Dairy, and the Eugene
Poncia Ranch—will remain working
farmland due to conservation
easements acquired by Marin
Agricultural Land Trust. MALT’s
public and private partners and the
contributions of our donors, who
provided funding for the $4 million
total easement cost, made these
acquisitions possible.
Protection of these ranches has
long been regarded as vital to the

Dexter Roberts
area’s agricultural heritage. The
easements represent MALT’s con-
tinued dedication to the protection
and enhancement of agriculture Left to right, back row: Dennis Donaldson, Jeff Hughes, Kathy Hughes, Joe Mantua ,Christy Bordessa, Mike Crayne ,Gino Bordessa; left to right,
in Marin County, where escalating front row: Jesus Hernandez, Jake Hughes, Tracy Crayne, Cassidy Bordessa, Jennifer Donaldson holding Megan Donaldson, Mollie Donaldson
land values can make the sale of farmland for non-agricultural uses a tempting alternative to the risks of small-scale farming.

Crayne R anch
With financial assistance from the Department of Conservation’s California Farmland Conservation Program, in October
MALT purchased an agricultural conservation easement on the 291-acre Crayne Ranch, located on Dillon Beach Road in
Tomales. MALT paid the appraised value of $1,020,000 for the easement, funded by an $800,000 Department of Conservation
grant and funds raised from MALT supporters.
The Crayne family has owned this prominent property since 1969. It is part of an historic landscape that has remained
virtually unchanged for 150 years. When Bill Crayne died in 2003, his share of the ranch passed to his four children—Christy
Bordessa, Mike Crayne, Tracy Crayne and Jennifer Donaldson. Two years later, when Bill Crayne’s mother died, her ownership
interests in the ranch passed to other heirs. The sale of a conservation easement to MALT enables Crayne’s children and their
aunt, Kathy Hughes, to buy out the other heirs and continue the ranching business, which they’ve been involved in since the
early 1990s. A former dairy, Crayne Ranch is now a beef cattle operation, with 300 animals on the home ranch and other leased
properties. The ranch is well-suited to grazing because of its productive grasslands, which also provide excellent wildlife habitat.
Without the sale of an easement, the ranch would have been sold and most likely subdivided because of its panoramic
ridgetop views and proximity to Petaluma. Jennifer Donaldson, who helps operate the business and lives on the ranch, says her
grandparents worked hard to buy and then run the ranch. “My grandparents leased a ranch outside of Tomales until they could
afford to buy this property. I still find scribbled notes around that my grandparents wrote, where they were trying to figure out
how to make things work financially—their determination motivates me to keep the ranch going. When my grandmother died,
we explored every way of keeping the ranch in the family; it all started coming together when we contacted MALT in 2006.”
“The Crayne Ranch has been part of the agricultural landscape of Marin County for a very long time,” says MALT Executive
Director Bob Berner. “We’re happy that MALT was able to provide the family with a conservation alternative to the sale of the
ranch, and that it will remain in agricultural use.”
c o n t i n u e d pa g e t w o
 Three Farms Tomales Farm & Dairy
Formerly the Cerini Ranch, the Tomales Farm & Dairy property is the gateway to the
c o n t i n u e d f r o m pag e o n e

town of Tomales along scenic Highway 1. In 2006, MALT acquired an easement on a 178-acre
portion of the ranch on the east side of Tomales through a combination of MALT funds and a generous donation of part of the
easement value by the owners. In December 2007, MALT acquired a second easement on an additional 243 acres. This new easement
prevents development on six of seven potential building sites.
Subdivision and development of the land could have had a
drastic effect on the character of the town. Now, the property
will remain working farmland.
Tomales Farm & Dairy’s principal owners are John
Williams and Long Meadow Ranch, owned by Ted, Laddie,
and Christopher Hall. MALT acquired the second easement
at a significantly reduced cost of $1 million, as Tomales
Farm & Dairy donated $1 million of the easement’s
$2 million value. This donation was made possible in part
by the increased tax incentives provided by the Pension
Act of 2006. The State Coastal Conservancy provided
$750,000, with MALT donors contributing $250,000. In
addition, MALT received a $15,000 grant for project costs
from the California Council of Land Trusts.
Jeff Stump

“With the protection of these properties we are pleased

to be preserving and enhancing the historic agricultural
View of the Tomales Farm and Dairy character of the Tomales community,” says Ted Hall of
Tomales Farm & Dairy. “While we still have many hurdles to overcome, our dream is to make cheese from milk produced by
seasonally grass-fed cows.” Currently, the ranch is the home for Tomales Farm & Dairy’s herd of Shorthorn cattle part of the year.
Co-owner John Williams also owns Frog’s Leap Winery, a Rutherford-based family operation that is solar-powered and
organically farmed. The Hall family’s Long Meadow Ranch is an organic-farming operation located above the Napa Valley in the
Mayacamas Mountains, where it produces wines, extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef, eggs, and heirloom fruits and vegetables.

Eugene Poncia R anch

The 750-acre Eugene (Gene) Poncia Ranch has been in the family since 1915, and was operated as a dairy until 1991. The ranch,
visible from Highway 1, borders Walker Creek, a major tributary to Tomales Bay. The property’s expansive views extend across Tomales
Bay to the Pacific Ocean.
Gene Poncia lives on the ranch and raises beef and dairy
replacement cattle with help from his son. He currently has
125 cattle. Gene owned only a 50 percent interest in the ranch
on which he was born and wished to pass the property on to
his son. The income from MALT’s easement purchase
enabled him to acquire the property’s full interest and ensures
the agricultural future of the ranch. “Four generations of
Poncias have lived here,” says Gene. “My great-grandparents
lived in West Marin and my great-grandfather milked cows at
the Pozzi Ranch. My grandparents bought this ranch and the
family has lived and worked here ever since. The agreement
with MALT keeps the ranch in the family.”
Dexter Roberts

MALT raised $2 million to preserve the historic ranch.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the State
Coastal Conservancy both contributed $750,000, and the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Farm
and Ranchlands Protection Program provided $500,000 Left to right: Dominic Poncia and his parents Vickie and Gene Poncia

for the purchase. This federal program protects farms having prime and unique soils or historical or archaeological resources.
“This unprecedented level of support by state and federal agencies and private philanthropy represents an outstanding
commitment to the conservation of important agricultural lands and a high degree of confidence in MALT’s ability to work with
landowners to preserve Marin County farmland,” says MALT Executive Director Bob Berner.
2 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
 New Book Celebrates Farmland, Preservation, and Art
Ranches & Rolling Hills:
Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust
For the first time ever, you can keep alive the art and vision you experience
at Marin Agricultural Land Trust’s annual landscape art show and sale with the
purchase of a beautiful new book, Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land
in Trust. This elegant hardcover publication is a 160-page, large-format book from
Windgate Press of Sausalito, and features more than 135 full-color works of art
selected from the Ranches & Rolling Hills art show’s decade-long history. Authored by
MALT Associate Director Elisabeth Ptak, the book also features essays by Jean Stern,
Executive Director of the Irvine Museum, and by the show’s co-founder and curator,
Michael Whitt. Their essays add context to the stunning visuals of this collectable edition.
Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust is a compilation of fine contemporary artworks in the great tradition
of the plein-air artwork of the mid-nineteenth century, created during the period of American westward expansion. The images
also stand on their own as representative of an emerging movement—the artist as conservationist.
“What the art of Ranches & Rolling Hills artists and others who are part of this conservation movement reminds us,” writes
Ptak, “is that something valuable can be preserved, not just as a painting, not just as a memory, but also in real life—if we set our
minds, our hands, and our hearts to it.”
For information and to preorder Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust, visit malt.org or phone 415-663-1158.
Proceeds from both the art and book sales benefit MALT’s farmland preservation program. — Pamela Biery
Watch for news about our book launch party coming up in April!

Ranches & Rolling Hills

L andscape A rt S how & Sale
MALT’s annual Ranches and Rolling Hills landscape art show and sale takes place on Saturday, May 17, and
Sunday, May 18, at Druid’s Hall on the Village Square in Nicasio. The show will feature more than 250 paintings,
prints, and photographs of natural and working landscapes in West Marin. The images depict farms protected by
MALT easements, as well as ranches located on other private farmlands and in Point Reyes National Seashore—all
of them reflecting the human and natural history that make West Marin such a special and beloved place. Now in
its eleventh year, this significant West Coast exhibit will include the work of 39 outstanding artists.
The Ranches & Rolling Hills exhibit is open to the public at no charge from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. The special preview luncheon that precedes the public show sells out
quickly, so watch your mailbox for the March announcement. — Pamela Biery

Geography of Hope Conference For three days during early March, the small coastal town of Point
Reyes Station (population 818) will be the center of one of the most
Explores Stegner and Place exceptional literary conferences ever held in Northern California.
Sixteen writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books; newspaper and magazine journalists; and literary agents, attorneys,
book critics, and academics from the West Coast, New York City, and Canada will gather in Point Reyes Station from
March 7 to 9 to talk about Wallace Stegner and his concept of the “geography of hope.”
MALT is one of the sponsors of the conference, and our new book, Ranches & Rolling Hills:
Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust, will be on sale there for the first time. It will be spotlighted
along with the just-published Selected Letters of Wallace Stegner edited by Page Stegner, the
upcoming Wallace Stegner and the American West by Philip Fradkin, and the West Marin Review,
a new literary journal focusing on coastal Marin and featuring local writers.
Robert Hass, two-term U.S. Poet Laureate and professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley, is the conference
chair. Geography of Hope covers Stegner’s career and extends to the present, including a discussion of Stegner’s writing legacies. Art
installations will reflect Stegner themes and locally grown food will be featured at the various dining events. Book signings and field
trips to family farms, wilderness areas, and wetlands in the Point Reyes area are scheduled throughout the weekend.
Proceeds from the conference will help fund a Writer-in-the-Schools program in West Marin. For details on the Geography of
Hope conference, visit www.ptreyesbooks.com, email geohope@ptreyesbooks.com, or phone 415-663-1003. — Pamela Biery
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 3
 MALT Gets “Green” Light
For an organization that is all about preserving land, being “green” is only logical.
After working toward this goal, it’s official—we now have our green business certification
from the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Along with thirty-four other Marin County
businesses, MALT became certified at a Green Business Recognition Ceremony on
December 4.
Certification is administered by the Green Business Program, a voluntary partnership
among business leaders, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The program
recognizes and promotes businesses and other organizations that demonstrate continuous
compliance with applicable environmental regulations. Compliance involves conservation
of energy, water, and other materials, as well as implementation of sound environmental
practices that prevent pollution and waste generation, and the sharing of environmentally
responsible practices with other businesses in our community.
Last fall, MALT began the certification process with the Bay Area Green Business
Program and worked with Dana Armanino, coordinator for the Marin County Community Development Agency. As a first
step, we filled out a lengthy questionnaire about overall office practices, especially those related to conservation, resource
management, and energy. While answering the questions, we realized that MALT already practices environmental responsi-
bility that is both employee- and organization-driven. Some of us drive hybrids and bio-diesels, some of us carpool, and a few
even telecommute. We use plates and mugs instead of paper or Styrofoam dishes and recycle all we can.
After Dana Armanino visited MALT’s office and reviewed our policies, practices, and plans for continued energy savings,
she recommended that we become green-certified upon completion of an energy audit with PG&E. We finalized our
certification after this audit.
Mia Pelletier, MALT Volunteer Program Manager says, “One of the main reasons I wanted to work for MALT was so I
could work for something that was beneficial to the environment. Being able to grow our food locally, rather than importing
it from hundreds or even thousands of miles away clearly is an important step toward becoming more sustainable, and MALT
is helping to make that happen. Now, I am so glad that we are taking steps here at the office to become greener as well.”
We are now researching the possibility of converting our two buildings to solar power. With guidance from Point Reyes
Station’s Dance Palace Community Center, which recently converted to solar, we hope to locate funding sources, as well as
incentive programs, that make it economically feasible for nonprofit organizations like MALT to install a solar system.
In addition, MALT staff will continue to find ways to do its part in reducing global climate change, and will study how
agriculture affects global climate change. —Hope R atner

Art Rogers took this extraordinary photo at the

MALT annual holiday party, which the ever-
inventive MALT staff turned into an amazing
80th birthday celebration for me. The wide array
of friends and colleagues from near and far sang
songs for the occasion, made speeches, told
stories, and presented a giant birthday cake. Per-
haps best of all, as seen in the front row, several
former MALT board members gathered with
their children, who are now second-generation
boardmembers. Ellen Straus’s spirit was ever-
present and it was certainly a lifetime high for
©2007 Art Rogers/Point Reyes

me. Thank you so much one and all for a very

special party.
—Phyllis Faber, MALT Co -founder

Marin Agricultural Land Trust News© is published

quarterly by Marin Agricultural Land Trust, a nonprofit,
tax-exempt organization.
Marin Agricultural Land Trust
PO Box 809, Point Reyes Station
California 94956-0809

4 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
 MALTHIKES & TOURS & TALKS
Artists are out painting the West Marin landscape in preparation for MALT’s Ranches & Rolling Hills art
SPRING
2008
show and sale. To celebrate the publication of the art book inspired by the show, Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land
in Trust, we are offering a varied selection of art activities and classes on the farms for adults and children. Our Food and Farming on
the Urban Edge talk series continues, and we have MALT’s first-ever cooking class on the farm. Yummy!
M ar in Agr icultur al L and Trust
Post Office Box 809 Point Reyes Station, California 94956 415-663-1158 hikesntours@malt.org malt.org

CALIFORNIA’S ARTISAN
CHEESE FESTIVAL
Sheraton Hotel, Petaluma
Friday, March 7 to Monday, March 10
Marin cheeses produced on land protected by
MALT will be featured at this gourmet event.
Meet celebrated cheesemakers and sample
artisan cheeses. The opening panel, emceed
by Michael Krasny, features Jill Giacomini
Basch of Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese. Also:
cooking demos, cheesemaking classes, and
special cheese-country tours. MALT benefits
from event tickets sales. For more information
and to register, visit www.artisancheesefestival.
com or phone 707-283-2890.
Due to ongoing concerns about Foot-and-Mouth
FOOD AND FARMING
ON THE URBAN EDGE:
Old and New Agriculture in Tomales
Sunday, March 16
Tomales has a long farming history and is also a
center for new agricultural businesses. Start with
a tour of the Tomales History Center, then meet
at Town Hall to carpool for a driving tour before
returning for presentations on new agricultural
operations and local history. Hear from: Ted Hall,
co-owner of Tomales Farm & Dairy; Dr. Tamara
Hicks, co-owner of Toluma Goat Dairy; and
Jennifer Donaldson of Crayne Ranch. Learn about
new MALT easements on more than 1,200 acres
in Tomales. Tea & snacks provided.
Time: 1 p.m. Tomales History Center tour
2 p.m. driving tour
3 – 5 p.m. Town Hall presentation
Where to Meet: Tomales Regional History Center,
26701 Hwy 1; Tomales Town Hall, 27150 Hwy 1,
Tomales Cost: Free
M A R I N A G R I C U LT U R A L L A N D T R U S T
Preregistration required unless otherwise noted
from Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust
Detail from Black, White and Green by Meredith Brooks Abbott
STEWART RANCH WILDFLOWERS
Saturday, April 5
Hike up the Bolinas Ridge through fields of wild-
flowers. The Stewart/Truttman Ranch is located
in the Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden
Gate National Recreation Area and is renowned
for its certified Black Angus herd. Joanne Stewart
and her daughter Amanda run the beef operation
as well as raise horses and organic chickens. Hike
with Amanda on the Truttman Ranch, leased by
the Stewart family. MALT founder, board member,
and naturalist Phyllis Faber will be along to help
identify wildflowers and native grasses.
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where to Meet: Truttman Ranch, Hwy 1 (1.2
miles south of Olema, turn left at corrals)
What to Bring: Water, hiking shoes, picnic lunch,
layered clothing, binoculars, field guides, camera
Degree of Difficulty:
Cost: $25 / $30 non-member
Hikes & Tours Registration Form

Disease, we ask that individuals who have visited farms I would like to sign up for the following MALT Hikes & Tours:
outside the U.S.A. up to 10 days prior to events not Hikes & Tours title # people date cost

participate in farm tours. Weather can change quickly $

in West Marin. Bring a jacket for warmth, a hat for pro-
! cut here !

tection from the sun, and a daypack for food & drinks.
Most tours are not appropriate for young children.
Please check with malt. For more detailed directions
to a Hikes & Tours meeting place, phone 415-663-1158,
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. or visit www.malt.org
Easy: Flat or very little slope in a
distance of less than one mile
Moderate: Varied, mild terrain for
one–five miles
Difficult: Steep terrain and/or over
five miles
Family Tour: Activities appropriate
for a family
$
$
$
Registration is by mail only. Space is limited, and tours fill up at different rates. Please enclose a separate
check for each tour, or charge tours & memberships to your VISA, Mastercard, or American Express. Full
payment is required, and all participants must preregister five days prior to event. Confirmations will be
sent. Refunds only if MALT cancels a tour or if tour is already full. Please be prompt. Events are timed
around the farm’s or dairy’s work schedules. Hikes & Tours are on private property; you have permission
to enter for the MALT event only. You may not re-enter at another time. Absolutely no pets allowed.
Please complete other side of form.
 HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO. &
STRAUS DAIRY
Thursdays, April 17 and May 22
Join local oystermen for a tour of their oyster-
growing operation. Taste oysters grown in
Tomales Bay while enjoying great views. Eat your
own lunch or order one from Tomales Bay Foods.
After lunch, carpool to the Straus Dairy where
Albert Straus will talk about keeping the dairy’s
organic feed free of genetically modified corn.
Learn about the methane digester and other
energy-producing and -conserving techniques
used at the ranch, and watch cows being milked.
Time: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where to Meet: Hog Island Oyster Co., 20215
Hwy 1, Marshall (10 miles north of Point Reyes
Station). Carpool to dairy.
What to Bring: Water, picnic lunch, shoes that
can get dirty, layered clothing
Degree of Difficulty:
Cost: $30 / $35 non-members ($20 additional
for local-foods lunch.)
McEVOY OLIVE RANCH
Friday, April 18
Tour Nan McEvoy’s 550-acre organic olive
ranch located in a spectacular valley near the
Marin-Sonoma border. Walk through flowering
orchards and learn how olives are grown. Tour
the olive-pressing facility and sample the oil. If
you like, purchase a variety of products made
with this wonderful farm product.
Time: 10 a.m. – noon (please arrive on time.)
Where to Meet: McEvoy Ranch, 5 miles south
of Petaluma at 5935 Red Hill Rd. (aka D St. or
Point Reyes-Petaluma Rd.)
What to Bring: Water, walking shoes
Degree of Difficulty:
Cost: $15 / $20 non-member
ART FROM THE EARTH:
SPIRIT ROCK
Pastels with Artist Ane Carla Rovetta
Saturday, April 26
Learn to make chalk pastels from the earth
beneath your feet. Ane will demonstrate how
Leonardo da Vinci made his “pastellos,” then you
will grind the dirt and make your own chalk. Us-
ing Ane’s chalks and prepared paper, participate
in a pastel art lesson and capture the beauty of
nature at Spirit Rock. Ane is an artist, zoologist,
and storyteller specializing in handmade and
non-toxic art materials. She has participated in
M A R I N A G R I C U LT U R A L L A N D T R U S T
name
street
city state zip
! cut here !
telephone email
I’d also like to become a MALT member.
$250 Sponsor $100 Associate $75 Supporter $40 Individual Other $
Separate checks for each tour are enclosed. Charge my credit card Total Enclosed $
Absolutely no pets allowed.
card# expiration date
signature
Mail completed registration form with checks made payable to MALT.
Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Post Office Box 809, Point Reyes Station, California 94956 . 415-663-1158
Please complete other side of form.
MALT’s Ranches & Rolling Hills art show for
many years.
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Where to Meet: Spirit Rock Meditation Center,
5000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Woodacre
What to Bring: Water, picnic lunch, layered
clothing, sun protection, folding chair, drawing
tablet (min. size 12” x 18” to also be used as
drawing board)
Cost: $65 / $75 non-members
WINDRUSH FARM FAMILY DAY
Saturday, May 3
Bring your children for a farm visit to see baby
animals bounding over spring-green fields. Feed
the lambs, llamas,
cows, and goats.
Hunt for nature’s
treasures, create
a work of art, and
walk around the
pond to hunt for
tadpoles. Mimi
Luebermann
breeds and raises a variety of sheep. She’ll show
us various fleeces and wool products and teach
us how to card and spin wool. Bring a picnic and
enjoy lunch in the garden or fields.
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where to Meet: 2263 Chileno Valley Rd., just
south of the Sonoma border. From Marin, take
Hicks Valley Rd. Turn right onto Marshall-Peta-
luma Rd. and continue onto Chileno Valley Rd.
From Petaluma take Western Ave. west 2 miles,
take a left onto Chileno Valley Rd., then travel
3.6 miles to the farm.
What to Bring: Water, picnic lunch, shoes that
can get dirty and wet
Degree of Difficulty:
Cost: $15 / $20 non-members ($10 for children,
$55 for a family of four or more)
RAISER/BACON & PONCIA
RANCHES
Sunday, May 11
Join Naturalist David Wimpfheimer for a long
hike along Walker Creek on two ranch properties
protected by MALT easements. Learn about the
riparian habitat and identify a variety of birds.
There have been sightings of tropical migrants
like Wilsons’ warbler, black-headed grosbeak, and
warbling vireo. On the top of the ridge enjoy the
views of Tomales Bay and learn about the beef
operations from third-generation ranchers Mike
Crayne and Gene Poncia.
Hikes & Tours Registration Form
Time: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where to Meet: Keys Creek Public Fishing
Access, Hwy 1 (15.5 miles north of Point Reyes
Station and 1.5 miles south of Tomales)
What to Bring: Water, picnic lunch, hiking
boots that can get dirty and wet, layered clothing,
binoculars, field guides, camera
Degree of Difficulty:
Cost: $25 / $ 35 non-members
FARM-FRESH COOKING
COW TRACK RANCH
Saturday, May 31
Thanks to Environmental Forum volunteers
we are starting to offer a series of cooking
classes using seasonal produce and products
from Marin, a delicious way to support Marin
agriculture. Our first class will feature Thai chef
Usanee of Maikham Catering. She was born
in Thailand and has been cooking in the U.S.
for 20 years, specializing in the imaginative use
of fresh local ingredients to create a Thai taste
experience. Our menu could include spring rolls
with a salad of spring greens and broccoli picked
from Liz Daniels’ garden at Cow Track Ranch,
chili-spiced oysters, curries, and local beer,
followed by a handmade dessert.
Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where to Meet: Cow Track Ranch, Nicasio (1
mile north of Nicasio Square; turn right just after
county corporation yard; continue on dirt road
1.25 miles, bearing right through iron gate. Park
near barns.)
What to Bring: Chef knife, paring knife,
cutting board, apron
Cost: $95 / $110 non-members
PAINTING ON THE FARM
with Artist Tim Horn
Saturday, June 7 & Sunday, June 8
This two-day workshop, open to beginning and
intermediate students, will be held at a scenic
ranch in West Marin. Tim has painted for MALT’s
Ranches & Rolling Hills art show since 2004.
Outdoor classes include demonstrations and
discussions on materials, scene selection, com-
position, value, and brushwork, with critiques
and individual attention throughout the day. For
more information, visit www.horndesign.com.
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where to Meet & What to Bring: Directions
to farm and list of suggested supplies and color
palette will be sent upon receipt of payment.
Cost: $240 / $280 non-member
Medicine Man by Tim Horn from Ranches & Rolling
Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust
 A New Generation of Philanthropy
In the last six months, Marin Agricultural Land Trust received two
unusual gifts from donors under 10-years-old. These two young men—Alex
Hoskins-Frame and Adam Friedman—asked their friends to give donations to
MALT in lieu of giving them birthday presents.
Because of their young age, we were especially touched by their generosity, as
well as their leadership. By encouraging their friends to donate to MALT, Adam
and Alex helped create awareness of both our organization and the importance
of protecting family farms in West Marin.
Alex and Adam’s parents have often brought their children to West Marin to

Lynne Frame
experience the natural world and see working farmland. Through this exposure,
the boys became aware of threats to the West Marin landscape they love, and
this inspired their generosity. Alex Hoskins-Frame presents his
Their spontaneous gifts encourage us all to share our wealth and help pre- donations to MALT’s Development
Director Rita Cummings
serve what we care about most. Thank you, Adam and Alex and all your friends,
for your gifts!
MALT regularly offers “kid-friendly” tours, as well as events specifically designed for children, like
Windrush Farm Family Day, our Ice Cream Social, and Harvest Day at the Farm. Please check our website
and this newsletter for events for children and families.

Thank You for Giving

Your gift to MALT is not only appreciated by all of us here, but it will also appreciate by helping to preserve this
spectacular rural landscape that we all treasure in West Marin. At the end of 2007, we were impressed and touched by
the gifts we received, many accompanied by words of encouragement to keep up our good work of preserving Marin
County farmland. Zuni Restaurant in San Francisco wrote: “Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for all the hard
work that MALT does to keep the Bay Area in the forefront of the environmental leadership in our country. At Zuni,
we are very fortunate to be first-hand recipients of your efforts by having access to exceptional produce and wild and
farmed animals.”
MALT couldn’t achieve so much without the active support of our donors, many of whom have been giving for
10 years or more. Your gift not only helps to protect the landscape from development in the future, it allows us
continued access to fresh, local food in our grocery stores and farmers’ markets throughout the Bay Area.
As you drive through West Marin, you can know that your MALT membership has helped to preserve this
beautiful place now, and for future generations. Thank you! —R ita Cummings

At malt.org , Information Our website is a terrific resource. Besides informing you about MALT
Is One Click Away and our mission, the site also includes recent press articles, stories about
our easements, copies of our newsletters, and historical and current information about the importance of saving farmland.
Additionally, recent upgrades to the website make it easier than ever to make donations, explore planned giving opportunities,
and purchase MALT merchandise.
One click on Become a Member/Renew/Donate or How to Help takes you to our improved donation page. Here you can give a
gift of a MALT membership to yourself or to a friend, renew your membership, or make additional donations. Should you wish
to explore the various planned giving opportunities, an additional click in the How to Help section on Planned Giving takes you to
a page that provides a wealth of information.
Need a MALT t-shirt, hat, tote bag, or box of note cards, or wish to preorder the exciting new art book, Ranches & Rolling Hills:
Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust? Visit the MALT Shop section! Here you will find all the MALT merchandise available for sale.
Orders are fulfilled within a week. All online transactions on our site are secure.
Of course, the option to contact us personally is always available to you. Contact numbers are provided on the website. A
future upgrade to our site will include online registration for our popular Hikes & Tours program. Stay tuned! —Cindy Jordan
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 7
 Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Marin
Agricultural
Land Trust
p r e s e r v i n g m a r i n c o u n t y f a r m l a n d

M a r i n A g r i c u lt u r a l L a n d T r u s t
Box 809 Point Reyes Station California 94956

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

MALT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Loren Poncia, Chair Rancher, Tomales

The MALT Shop Lynn Giacomini Stray, Vice-Chair

During the era of America’s westward expansion in the
mid-nineteenth century, countless artists were inspired
by the luminous beauty of California. Prominent painters
visited the state at that time and illustrated both the
native beauty and, later, the agrarian life that became
an integral part of the landscape. Ranches & Rolling
Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust is a collection
of contemporary artworks in that tradition, but the
images also stand on their own as representative of a
new tradition, that of the artist as conservationist.
Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin—A Land in Trust Books @ $50 =
published by Windgate Press of Sausalito 160 pages, 135 full-color art plates
by Elisabeth Ptak with essays by Jean Stern and Michael Whitt
Shipping/Handling: Add $15.00 per book
Total
Shop for this &
other items at Every MALT Shop purchase increases awareness of our
malt.org farmland conservation efforts & raises funds for MALT.
My check payable to MALT is enclosed Charge my VISA Mastercard American Express
name Marin Agricultural Land Trust
street
Post Office Box 809
Point Reyes Station, California 94956
city state zip 415 663 1158
farmland@malt.org
telephone: email through the acquisition of conservation easements
card # exp. date
malt.org
Printed on recycled paper,containing
signature 30% post-consumer waste.
Farmstead
Cheese Producer, Point Reyes Station
Anne Flemming, Secretary Community
Volunteer, Ross
Bob Bingham Treasurer Investment Advisor,
San Francisco
Sue Conley Artisan Cheesemaker, Point Reyes Station
Sam Dolcini Rancher, West Marin
Phyllis Faber Biologist, Mill Valley
Tony Gilbert Lawyer, Marshall
Joe Gillach Businessman, San Francisco
Stan Gillmar Attorney, Inverness
Dominic Grossi Dairyman, Novato
Steve Kinsey Marin County Supervisor, 4th District
Rick Lafranchi Businessman, San Anselmo
Jim McIsaac Rancher, Novato
Doug Moore Businessman, San Francisco
Sabin Phelps Conservationist, Stinson Beach
Bill Zimmerman Rancher, Marshall
STAFF
Robert Berner, Executive Director
Kelly Brown, Development Associate
Rita Cummings, Development Director
Christine Harvey, Membership & Database Manager
Allison Kiehl, Stewardship Associate
Katie Medwar, Development Associate
Mia Pelletier, Volunteer Program Manager
Barbara Petty, Director of Administration & Finance
Elisabeth Ptak, Associate Director/Director of Outreach
Hope Ratner, Office Manager
Nick Rohan, Accounting & Benefits Administrator
Jeff Stump, Easement Program Director
Matt Wacker, Stewardship Director
Constance Washburn, Education Director
M arin Agricultur al L and Trust is a
private, member-supported, nonprofit organiza-
tion created in 1980 by a coalition of ranchers
and environmentalists to permanently preserve
Marin County farmlands for agricultural use. MALT
eliminates the development potential on farmland
in voluntary transactions with landowners. MALT
also encourages public policies which support and
enhance agriculture.