Marin Agricultural Land Trust(MALT) was the first land trust in the United States to focus on farmland preservation. Founded in 1980 by a coalition of ranchers and environmentalists to preserve farmland in Marin County, California, MALT acquires agricultural conservation easements on farmland in voluntary transactions with landowners. The organization has so far permanently protected 32,000 acres of land on 47 family farms and ranches. It also encourages public policies that support and enhance agriculture. It is a model for agricultural land preservation efforts across the nation.

In the early 1970s, increased coastal development and plans for a city with a population of 125,000 people on the shores of Tomales Bay were just some of the ideas being proposed for the future of western Marin County, located about 40 miles north of San Francisco. The developments would have ended a 150-year-old tradition of family farming and permanently degraded many of the natural resource treasures of the area, but change seemed inevitable.

In a unique alliance, Marin County ranchers and environmentalists came together to fight the development proposals. Ranching was given a second chance through a combination of restrictive zoning, land use regulations, active support for ranching by County government, and the establishment of Marin Agricultural Land Trust's (MALT) agricultural easement program. "We felt MALT was an opportunity to be part of something really important to the future of Marin County," said MALT founder and dairywoman Ellen Straus.

"What we've learned," adds wetlands biologist and co-founder Phyllis Faber, "is that you can have a vision of what you want the future to look like, and you can make it happen." Former Marin County Supervisor Gary Giacomini, who served on the founding board of directors would agree, "It's glorious to be involved in an effort that lasts forever," he said.

– Elisabeth Ptak, Associate Director, MALT