October 2009 Marin Agricultural Land Trust Newsletter

If it's October, those must be Cucurbits!

What's everyone's favorite cucurbit? The pumpkin, of course, and where better to find one than at Nicasio Valley Farms' annual
Pumpkin Patch on the Lafranchi Ranch which is protected by a Marin Agricultural Land Trust conservation easement. The patch
opens on October 3 and runs through Halloween. Meet the farm animals, and enjoy daily family activities like hayrides and mazes.
Or come on the weekend to catch performances by children's musician Tim Cain. Time it right and you can join Marin's 4-H
members on October 11 when they show the animals they have raised. School groups please call 415-662-9100 to reserve.

MALT Day at the Pumpkin Patch: Saturday, October 18

On October 18,10% of all pumpkin sales go to MALT. So visit our booth, where you can pick up a map to follow the scarecrow
trail, guess the pumpkin's weight to win great prizes, and explore educational displays by Marin Organic and Marin County
Farmers Markets. Local food and beverage will be for sale and admission is free, so don't miss this Fall event! Visit www.malt.org
for details.

Forward to a friend Photo by Paige Green

Hike a West Marin Landmark

Saturday, October 10

MALT's board & staff, volunteers, ranchers, historians, and naturalists share an annual tradition of making the strenuous and
satisfying climb to the top of Black Mountain, located on the Nobmann Ranch, one of the largest properties protected by a MALT
easement. Please join us in our 13th year as we hike to the summit of this landmark, contemplate the gorgeous vista, enjoy a
picnic lunch, and learn about MALT's stewardship efforts from our staff. We will also be joined by local historian Dewey Livingston
who will relate information on the property's history as well as stories of those who have ranched in the area.

There is no better way to fully grasp the importance of MALT's work than to peer from above upon the beauty of the land,
encounter grazing cattle, and hear personal stories of ranch life as told by someone intimately familiar with the history of West
Marin. Visit www.malt.org for details.

Forward to a friend Photo by Paige Green

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

MALT has been working in collaboration with Marin County ranchers and University of California Cooperative Extension, Marin
Organic, Marin Resource Conservation District, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Point Reyes National Seashore
on several innovative projects that help protect water quality and other natural resources.

Conditional Grazing Waiver

In July 2008, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board passed new regulatory
requirements for grazing operators in the Tomales Bay Watershed which includes 34 farms and ranches
protected by MALT agricultural conservation easements. MALT Stewardship staff is working one-on-one with
these landowners to develop and implement conservation ranch plans for soil and water quality
improvements by the November 15 Conditional Grazing Waiver deadline. Given the current economic crisis
and declining commodity prices, agricultural producers will need continued community support as they work
to restore stream corridors, reduce sediment and manure runoff, and manage existing grazing operations to
prevent erosion.

The Marin Carbon Project

Joining the national and international community, West Marin's farmers and ranchers are asking what they
can do to help stop global warming.The Marin Carbon Project is helping to answer that question by
investigating the potential for specific land management practices to enhance sequestrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide as
organic matter in rangeland and agricultural soils here. This effort is timely with International Climate Action Day approaching on
October 24. Working with local farmers and ranchers, the Marin Carbon Project has embarked on a program of scientific research
that will, hopefully, contribute to the growing body of literature on soil carbon sequestration in managed ecosystems. MALT's
Executive Director Bob Berner and Stewardship Director Patricia Hickey serve on the steering committee. Read more.
Forward to a friend Photo by Richard Blair

From Farm to Table

Directors BBQ
Spirits (and the temperature!) soared last Saturday at the annual Fall barbeque for MALT donors at
the Directors' Circle level. This year our hosts were Kitty and Doug Dolcini of Red Hill Ranch,
protected by a MALT conservation easement in 2008. (That's Doug in the photo...you can see why
we had fun!) Farmer David Retsky, who leases 25 acres on the ranch, gave a tour of his County
Line Harvest organic row crops. Attendees got an "in-the-field" perspective on the bounty of his
donated produce which also graced the tables. Chef Pamela Ferrari served it up in many ways,
including a spicy compote created with David's "Toy Box" tomatoes. Pam has generously shared
the recipe, and we've posted it on our Facebook page. Enjoy!

For more information about joining MALT's Directors' Circle, please contact Deborah White, Annual
Giving Officer, at 415-663-1158, ext. 312, or dwhite@malt.org. Or join online at www.malt.org.

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