I’ve grown up in the rolling hills of west Marin, and I must admit that I am so grateful my great-grandfather, and my husband Tony’s great great-father, both chose to settle here back in the early 1900s. What a welcome sight it must have been, the hills and dramatic coastline of the beautiful land, after a long journey from the mountains of Switzerland! I’ve taken it as my personal responsibility to do all I can to ensure that this land is preserved so that it may be enjoyed for generations to come—I would love to know that my son and his children’s children will always have this gracious land to come home to.
And this is part of the reason why we raise animals the way we do. You know that sustainable, pasture raised veal is great for your health and great for the animals—but did you know that is also great for the environment? Our pasture raised veal and goats are an integral part of the dynamic life cycle of the land.
We take great pride in being good stewards of the land, and we place a very high value on sustainable practices that promote biodiversity in our pastures and riparian areas. Most of our pasture is Certified Organic, and our beef cattle that we raise for veal are 100% grass fed on open coastal pastures.
Working with Mother Nature keeps the land and the animals healthy and happy. We’ve worked hard to restore natural watershed areas, and to protect sensitive riparian areas, by fencing off them off to allow for seasonal grazing. We utilize rotational grazing techniques and practices to maintain healthy forage in our pastures. Our goal is to give each pasture rest between rotations while our cattle provide natural fertilizer as they graze.
I also do some work with the Agricultural Institute of Marin, which manages the farmers market we are a part of every Sunday. Additionally, I am on the board of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which works to preserve Marin County’s historic farmland. It is only through giving back and working together as a community that we can preserve the pastures, farms, and protected areas that make up our land for generations to come.
