Marin Agricultural Land Trust

What Marin Agricultural Land Trust does

Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agricultural land trust headquartered in Point Reyes Station, California. Founded in 1980 by Ellen Straus and Phyllis Faber, it is the nation's first agricultural land trust. MALT's core function is the acquisition of perpetual agricultural conservation easements — voluntary legal agreements that permanently restrict non-agricultural development on farmland while landowners retain ownership and management rights — and ongoing stewardship of those easements to keep working lands in production. The organization has closed 99 easements protecting 59,028 acres (nearly half of Marin County's privately-owned productive agricultural land) and has cumulatively invested $112,364,595 in farmland protection since inception.

MALT's product surface includes the core Agricultural Conservation Easement product, a Stewardship Assistance Program (SAP) providing grants and technical assistance to easement-holders for conservation, water, and carbon-farming practices, a Small Grants Program offering competitive awards up to $50,000 for Marin agriculturalists, the Drought Resilience and Water Security Initiative (DRAWS) launched in 2021 as an emergency water-infrastructure program, the Buy Local Program connecting consumers with protected producers, and direct technical assistance for generational land transfers and invasive species management. Operational scope is geographically bounded to West Marin County.

The business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. MALT operates six revenue streams: individual donations (one-time and monthly giving), corporate business partnerships at six tiers ranging from $1-$999 up to $20,000+, legacy and planned giving through the Phyllis Faber Legacy Giving Circle, government grants (primarily Marin County Measure A, California Coastal Conservancy, USDA NRCS ACEP, and California's SALC program), and tax-efficient giving vehicles including donor-advised funds, appreciated stock gifts, and IRA qualified charitable distributions. The public-private funding mix is approximately 71% public and 29% private, with MALT leveraging roughly $2.50 in public co-investment for every $1 of private contribution. Pricing/tier structures are disclosed for corporate business partnerships but MALT does not sell products in the commercial sense.

Name

Marin Agricultural Land Trust

Legal name

Marin Agricultural Land Trust

Website

https://malt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that permanently protects West Marin County farmland through 99 conservation easements covering 59,028 acres, combining easement acquisition, stewardship grants, and a public-private funding model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (5331)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural land trust
• Farmland conservation easements
• Agricultural stewardship grants
• Working lands protection
• Climate-smart agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Point Reyes Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting farmland conservation, including monthly giving circle members and major gift donors.
2. Business Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships at various tiers (Visionary $20,000+, Guardian $10,000–$19,999, Steward $5,000–$9,999, Conserver $2,500–$4,999, Benefactor $1,000–$2,499, Sponsor $1–$999) providing both cash and in-kind support.
3. Monthly Giving Circle: Recurring monthly donations providing steady year-round support with benefits including early event access and annual donor recognition.
4. Legacy/Planned Giving: Planned gifts including wills, living trusts, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts recognized through the Phyllis Faber Legacy Giving Circle.
5. Government Grants: Funding from public sources including Measure A (Marin County farmland preservation), California Coastal Conservancy, USDA NRCS ACEP, and California Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC).
6. Donor-Advised Funds & Stock Gifts: Tax-efficient giving vehicles including DAF grants, appreciated stock donations, and IRA qualified charitable distributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marin Agricultural Land Trust purchases and holds agricultural conservation easements on private farmland in West Marin County, permanently restricting non-agricultural development while landowners retain ownership and farm management rights. The trust supplements this core activity with a Stewardship Assistance Program, Small Grants Program (up to $50,000), and a Drought Resilience and Water Security Initiative that fund conservation practices, water infrastructure, and climate-smart agriculture on protected lands. A Buy Local directory connects consumers to MALT-protected producers, and technical assistance helps landowners navigate conservation funding and generational land transfers.

Product overview

Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) is a nonprofit land trust that operates as a single integrated offering focused on farmland protection and stewardship. The core product is the Agricultural Conservation Easement program, which permanently protects farmland through voluntary legal agreements. Supporting this are the Stewardship Assistance Program (SAP) and Small Grants Program, which provide funding and technical support to help farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices. The Drought Resilience and Water Security Initiative (DRAWS) addresses emergency water needs. The Buy Local Program connects consumers with MALT-protected producers. Together, these programs form a comprehensive approach to protecting and stewarding Marin County's agricultural land for generations to come.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Conservation Easements Voluntary legal agreements by which MALT compensates landowners to permanently restrict non-agricultural residential and commercial development and subdivision on their farmland, while the landowners retain ownership and management rights. For West Marin County farm and ranch owners seeking to keep land in agricultural use across generations.
• Stewardship Assistance Program (SAP) Grants provided to farmers and ranchers operating on a MALT easement to plan, design, and implement conservation practices that increase agricultural productivity, improve soil and water quality, and build ecological health. Targets easement-holding agriculturalists within MALT's protected portfolio.
• Small Grants Program Competitive grant program funding projects that preserve agriculture, protect biodiversity, connect community, and build climate resilience. Awards of up to $50,000 are available for Marin County agriculturalists, with recipients required to provide cost-share contributions.
• Drought Resilience and Water Security Initiative (DRAWS) Emergency small grants program launched in 2021 in response to historic drought, providing funding for water infrastructure and drought resilience projects across MALT-protected and Marin County farmland.
• Buy Local Program Directory connecting consumers with local farmers and ranchers, featuring MALT-protected farms producing meats, cheeses, milk, fruits, vegetables, wool, and other products from West Marin County.
• Technical Assistance Staff-provided consultation helping landowners access government funding, navigate generational land transfers, manage invasive weeds, and implement conservation practices on MALT-protected lands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59,028 acres permanently protected - area almost twice the size of San Francisco
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Northern California Regional Land Trust: Regional land trust serving Northern California with conservation easement and stewardship services. MALT's Director of Land Protection Zach Mendes previously worked at this organization, indicating direct operational comparability.
• Sonoma Land Trust: Adjacent California land trust operating in Sonoma County with similar conservation easement programs protecting working lands, natural habitats, and open space. Highly comparable geographically and operationally to MALT.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on farmland protection and agricultural viability through conservation easements, policy advocacy, and stewardship programs. Directly comparable to MALT in mission and methodology, but operating at national scale rather than regionally.
• Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Bay Area regional land trust protecting open space and natural resources on the San Francisco Peninsula. Operates a comparable conservation easement and land stewardship model in an adjacent California geography.
• California Farmland Trust: Statewide California nonprofit focused exclusively on farmland conservation through agricultural conservation easements. Directly comparable mission and easement-based model, though operating at broader California scale.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization that accredits and supports land trusts across the US, including MALT. Not a direct competitor but a key industry infrastructure organization that shapes the standards MALT follows.
• Coastal Quest: Oakland-based nonprofit building climate resilience for vulnerable coastal communities. Not directly comparable in mission, but MALT's Executive Director Lily Verdone served as Senior Director here, indicating adjacent nonprofit ecosystem in the Bay Area.

Broad incumbents

• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that protects land for public access and conservation. Comparable in conservation easement methodology and donor-funded model, but with a broader conservation portfolio including parks and recreation land.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit with extensive land conservation programs including conservation easements. MALT's Executive Director Lily Verdone previously worked at TNC, and TNC operates overlapping land protection programs at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Vermont Land Trust: Statewide land trust in Vermont that pioneered farmland conservation easements in the 1970s and uses a similar model of permanent agricultural land protection. Comparable methodology and mission, but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/marinfarmlandtrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/MALTCommunity
• Instagraminstagram.com/malt_ag
• Xx.com/MALT_AG

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marin Agricultural Land Trust