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Tomales Farm & Dairy–West, Tomales Formerly the Cerini Ranch, the Tomales Farm & Dairy property is the gateway to the town of Tomales along scenic Highway 1. Last year MALT acquired an easement over a 178-acre portion of the ranch on the east side of Tomales through a combination of MALT funds and a generous donation of easement value by the owners. In December 2007, MALT acquired a second easement on an additional 243 acres for $1 million. This easement precludes development on six of seven potential building sites that could have had a drastic effect on the character of the town and environs. Now, the property will remain working farmland. Tomales Farm & Dairy already has installed 9,000 feet of new fencing to protect and enhance seasonal water quality in Keyes Creek, which transects the property and flows to Walker Creek. The property is currently the seasonal home for Tomales Farm & Dairy’s herd of Shorthorn cattle. Tomales Farm & Dairy’s principal owners are John Williams and Long Meadow Ranch, owned by Ted, Laddie, and Christopher Hall. MALT acquired the easement at a significantly reduced cost, as Tomales Farm & Dairy donated $1 million of the appraised value of the easement. 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 members and donors contributing $250,000. In addition, MALT received a $15,000 grant for project costs from the California Council of Land Trusts. This grant was made possible by the generous support of the Department of Conservation’s California Farmland Conservancy Program. ”With the protection of these properties we are pleased to be preserving and enhancing the historic agricultural character of the Tomales community. While we still have many hurdles to overcome, our dream is to make cheese from milk produced by seasonally grass-fed cows,” said Ted Hall of Tomales Farm & Dairy.
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