Education

Core Educational Programs

West Marin draws hikers, bikers, artists, writers, and environmentalists from around the world, and family farms provide a large part of the scenic beauty that attracts them. MALT’s Hikes & Tours program gives outdoor enthusiasts an opportunity to hike on land not usually open to the public.

Throughout the year, MALT sponsors lectures and talks with experts in agriculture-related fields. Past speakers have included Ralph Grossi, President of the American Farmland Trust, and authors Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, Anne Lamott, and Verlyn Klinkenborg.

For information about our Outreach and Education Programs, contact Constance Washburn at 415-663-1338 or cwashburn@malt.org.

Farm Field Studies Program

Marin Agricultural Land Trust offers the Marin Farm Field Studies Program to Bay Area schools. Our aim is to help broaden students’ understanding of the value of local sustainable agriculture, and the links between the farms, soil, environment, school gardens, nutrition, and health. On farm field trips, students have the opportunity to travel to a local farm or ranch where they engage in hands-on learning about where our food originates. They meet the farmers and ranchers who grow our food, find out about how certain animals are raised, and how crops are grown; they participate in farm activities and gain an appreciation of the skill and hard work that goes into producing food.

We invite your school to participate in the Farm Field Studies Program.  Fifty percent of Marin’s land-use base is tied to agriculture, yet many Bay Area children have never set foot on a working farm.  Our program offers an opportunity for hands-on learning about the natural world, our food supply, nutrition, the local economy, and our rich California history.

Teachers easily can connect farm field trips with their classroom curriculum.  We offer curriculum aids, including maps of Marin agriculture, science and nature activity kits, and lesson plans which correlate to the California Department of Education Frameworks for math, science, history-social science, and English-language arts.   In addition, students who go on farm field trips may submit related art work, photography, or essays to the Marin County Fair held annually during the July 4th holiday period.

The fee is $150 per field trip. The fee goes directly to the host farmer; financial assistance is available by request.   Participating schools are selected on a first-come, first-served basis. We also offer agricultural education and visits to farms for teacher in-service training.

For a list of participating ranches, farms, and schools and some participant comments, please view the attached document. This list is currently in PDF format (84KB), and you will need the Acrobat Reader® to view. Click on this button if you need to download the Acrobat Reader to your computer.

More facts about agriculture in Marin County, California, are found in the Amazing But True fact sheet (PDF 32KB).

To gain an understanding of the size of agricultural lands in Marin, download a map of Marin County here. (PDF 3.1MB)

For a copy of the Farm Field Studies Program application, download a PDF here. (PDF 105KB)

For additional information on our Farm Field Studies Program or to receive an informational flyer, contact Sandy Dierks at 415-868-0205 or sdierks@malt.org or Constance Washburn at 415-663-1338 or cwashburn@malt.org. 

We look forward to seeing teachers and their students on the farm!

Collaborative Educational Programs

1. University of California Cooperative Extension Diversification Workshops

   Panel discussions with researchers in the field of livestock, agriculture and water quality are held in collaboration with U.C. Cooperative Extension and Marin Organic. Sessions have included such topics as alternative energy sources being used to power farms and ranches in the Bay Area, organic strawberry production, and the growing of medicinal herbs. Each session includes a tasting of Marin farm products.

   For more information, contact Steve Quirt at 415-499-4204 or www.growninmarin.org.

2. Taste of Marin

   The food from our farms can also become part of delicious cheeses, wines, preserves, and more. MALT founded the gourmet food event Taste of Marin which has introduced many people to the joys of eating local food and supporting Marin farmers. This celebration of the agricultural bounty of Marin County and the people who bring it from the field to the table is now a joint venture with Marin Organic. Every Fall, world renowned farmers, ranchers, cheesemakers, bakers, and vintners, as well as the best of local restaurants and celebrity chefs gather for one fabulous Indian summer evening to offer a variety of specialties made from organic produce, grass-fed beef, cheese, seafood, local wines, and even locally produced organic ice cream.

   For more information contact Constance Washburn at 415-663-1338 or cwashburn@malt.org.

3. Marin Food Systems Project

   Saving family farms can also impact our health. MALT supports the Marin Food Systems Project in its efforts to promote local food in the schools. The Marin Food System Project works to integrate healthy, locally-grown and produced foods into the Marin County School’s food service programs as well as integrating agriculture, nutrition, and gardening into the school’s educational programming.

   For information on the Marin Food Systems Project, go to www.eecom.net/mfsp.
   

Laurel Dell School students proudly wear their
MALT T-shirts.

Listen to them singing
Thanks to the Farmers

Home | Site Map | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy