Summer 2006 Marin Agricultural Land Trust Newsletter
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S u mmer 20 0 6 V o l u m e 2 2 Num b e r 2 The renowned Greek philosopher Anaximander ofMiletus was the first person to draw a map of the known world, and is therefore considered by some to be the first mapmaker. We’ve come a long way since the 6th century b.c.e. when Anaximander’s writings on geography, astronomy, and cosmology were departures from the think- ing of the time. Today, he himself might be thrilled to see what inno- vative mapmak ers can do with computer technology like Geograph ic Information Systems (gis). “Geographic Stories of West Marin,” a conference to be presented by the Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center this spring, will be a great opportunity for the rest of us to see the power and versatility of today’s maps to describe our world. A number of organizations in West Marin produce maps to plan, analyze, and describe the human and natural environments here. Malt has relied on such maps as educational tools for many years. You may have noticed them on our Hikes & Tours, in our malt booth which travels to fairs, farmers’ markets, and schools, or dis- played at special events like Taste of Marin, Harvest Day at the Farm, or the Ranches & Rolling Hills Landscape Art Show . While malt easement and stewardship program staff have been creating maps in-house for some time, we recently expanded our gis mapping capacity with assistance from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center staff, and especially the generous time and support ofcartographers at the Marin County Community Development Agency. We now have greater flexibility to create and adapt maps that can tell the story of our mission, successes, and challenges, and the importance of agriculture to our county. How now, brown cow—but why so few of them in Marin County? The answer involves economics, environment and, to a degree, successful marketing. The cattle dotting our rolling hills are mostly black-and-white Holstein-Friesians, the chief dairy animal in California. There are many Black Angus, too, raised for beef and cross-breeding. You’ll spot brown-and-white Herefords, also raised for beef, and every once in a while someone experiments with an exotic breed—T exas Longhorn, Brahman, Charolais, or Limousin. What we seldom see in Marin are the “classic” picture-book dairy breeds of Guernsey and Jersey. There’s a reason for that. Holstein-Friesian is a Dutch breed, large and rugged and sturdy. A market-weight cow will be as much as 1,250 pounds, and a full-grown bull weighs nearly a ton. These typically P a i g e G r e e n THE COLOR OF COWS CONTI NUED P AG E FOUR CONTINUED P AG E TWO marin agricultural L A ND TRUST N EW S P R E S E R V I N G M A R I N C O U N T Y F A R M L A N D G EOGRAPHIC S TORIES OF WES T MARIN ON DISPL A YA T P ARK HEADQUARTERS Farmland Protected by MAL T Conservation Easement Farmland Protected by Marin County Conservation Easement Agriculturally-zoned parcels greater than 20 acres Public Lands Non-agriculturally-zoned land
