12 for '12      

Twelve Great Ways to Connect to Your Food, Connect to Your Farmer, Connect to Your Life in 2012   

1. Get Outside: Explore the stunning farms and ranches of West Marin. This season you can be among the first to hike across the spectacular Thornton Ranch, the newly MALT-protected 1,000-acre sheep and cattle ranch overlooking Tomales Bay. Get an up close look at local owls during our special Owls of Nicasio talk and night hike. Walk through fields of flowers in bloom during our annual Wildflower Hike. If you like to bike, join MALT for our 3rd Annual Biking, Beef and Beer tour. Events sell out quickly so keep an eye out for our announcement of the spring schedule in February. In the meantime, visit the MALT website to see a sample of recent events.

2. Feed Your Mind: Join us for conversations with leading authorities in food and farming. On April 15, MALT will co-present farmer and author Joel Salatin with Marin Organic and Point Reyes Books. Hailed by The New York Times as the "high priest of the pasture," Joel Salatin is author of several books including The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer and his most recent book, Folks, This Ain't Normal.  Details to be announced in February.   

3. Eat More Cheese:  You don't have to travel to France to sample some of the best cheese in the world. Visit West Marin, where artisan cheeses have helped the region earn the recognition by The New York Times as a "New Normandy, North of the Golden Gate." Celebrated seasonal cheeses produced on MALT-protected farmland will be featured at our Artisan Cheese Tasting at The Fork. The first on March 17 will feature cheeses that show off Marin's bright and herbaceous spring cow, goat and sheep milk. Can't wait until March? Then tour the heart of Marin's cheese country with the Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail map. Visit our website to get your free cheese map!

4. Exercise Your Creativity:  Do you love to photograph, paint or write about the beauty and bounty of West Marin? How about your children? We want to hear about it! Share images, art or words with us for possible use in our publications and on our website. Please contact our Communications and Outreach Department at outreach@malt.org.      

5. Explore Marin Wines:  "It was a 'killer bottle of pinot' that really ignited interest in Marin vineyards" according to the Marin Independent Journal.  Since then, their reputation has only grown. Taste all the varietals Marin has to offer this June at the 8th Annual Marin County Wine Celebration at the historic Escalle Winery in Larkspur. Proceeds benefit MALT; date to be announced this spring.   

7. Start Reaping the Rewards of Membership: If you are not a MALT member yet, join today!  Not only will your donation help preserve Marin's farmland, but you'll also receive discounts of up to 25 percent on all our Hikes, Tours & Talks. You'll be the first to know about them, too, when they are announced in the quarterly newsletter.  (And, if you are already a member, thank you!)

8. Volunteer: Connect to the land you love by becoming a MALT volunteer. Help lead hikes, staff our great special events, or teach children about the wonders of the farm. Our annual training will be held in late February - don't miss out!  Please visit our website for more information and to download an application.

9. Live Locally? Then Buy Locally: Marin's farms and ranches not only make this a beautiful place to live, work and play, but they provide nourishing, high-quality food and drink. Marin's farms thrive with the support of the local community.  Look for Marin producers of meat, veggies and dairy products at your grocery store, farmers' markets and restaurants.  Stay tuned to our monthly eNews for profiles of products grown on MALT-protected properties.      

10. Bring More Art into Your Life:  Mark your calendars for the 15th anniversary of MALT's Ranches & Rolling Hills Landscape Art Show and Sale taking place May 19 and 20 in Nicasio.  Join us for our Preview Luncheon on May 19th to get an exclusive preview of the art.  Visit our website for more information and to view a slide show of last year's one-of-a-kind artwork, including Zee Zee Mott's Hidden Treasure, at right.

11. Be More Social:  Help spread the word about MALT and farmland preservation in Marin. If you "do" Facebook, be sure to let friends and family know that you support MALT by "Like"ing MALT.  Prefer to 'tweet"?  

12. Pssst! Pass It On:  According to American Farmland Trust, since 1990 more than 45,000 acres of Bay Area farmland has been lost to urbanization.  But here in Marin, the support of our members is making a difference.  Since MALT started its work 32 years ago, more than 44,100 acres of Marin farmland have been preserved.  It's a great start, but there's more work to do and we need your help. Help us grow our circle of support by forwarding this email to a friend.  Thank you!