Beyond 51,000 acres: MALT protects Bianchini Ranch

Beyond 51,000 acres: MALT protects Bianchini Ranch

April 4, 2018

On Friday, in another triumph for sustainable agriculture in Marin, MALT finalized a conservation easement on the Bianchini Ranch, 705 acres of rolling hills, productive organic rangeland and forested habitat overlooking Tomales Bay.

Home to Bivalve Dairy, owner-operators John and Karen Taylor sell their organic milk to Clover Sonoma and Cowgirl Creamery. Through Farm Field Studies and private tours, the Taylors will continue to focus on education for the benefit of the broader community.

“Many people think that water comes from a spout, gas from a pump, electricity from a plug and food from a store. What we’ve always tried to introduce is that food comes from a farm,” said John. “People want to know where their food comes from and they pass it along to their friends. That does wonders for the local economy.”

“John and Karen are forward-thinking farmers who work tirelessly for the benefit of the land, the community, West Marin’s agricultural heritage and the future of local food,” said Jamison Watts, MALT’s executive director. “Under their stewardship, the Bianchini Ranch has become a model of sustainable agriculture: community-based farming that is economically and environmentally viable over the long term.”

As with many of the ranches along the east shore of Tomales Bay, the Bianchini Ranch is part of a critical wildlife corridor connecting habitat in Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties. The new conservation easement now extends the block of contiguous MALT-protected land between Point Reyes Station and Marshall to more than 9,000 acres.

This couldn’t have happened without your support. Half of the money for the purchase of this easement was funded by the Marin County Farmland Preservation Program, a sales tax-funded program created when Marin voters passed Measure A in 2012. The other half came from private contributions to MALT from folks like you. On behalf of future generations, we thank you!

If you want to further explore the beauty and bounty of Marin farmland, please join us this spring and summer at our events out on the land. Read on for more!