Marin Organic is committed to creating the first all organic county in the nation; a county that acknowledges the inter-relationship between food production, environmental health and human health, social justice and the economic viability of small farms and ranches.

By maintaining organic integrity and going beyond the federal organic standards, Marin Organic presents a model of sustainable food production which guarantees a healthy future for the environment, local food producers, and county residents. By helping Marin County become the first all organic county in the nation, Marin Organic is addressing the following four areas:

• Environmental - All Marin Organic members are certified organic. Using the national organic standards as a baseline, Marin Organic growers go beyond the National Organic Program to continuously improve their production practices. Some of their efforts include watershed restoration efforts which have resulted in the return of the Coho Salmon to Marin, implementing alternative energy sources, and enhancing biodiversity on the farm.



• Economic – The number of consumers demanding tasty, locally grown, organic products increases every week. The Marin Organic label makes it easy to find them, thus insuring the economic viability of Marin County’s farms and ranches.



• Social – Local organic food production feeds and supports not only the local infrastructure directly connected to farming, but many other small businesses as well. This ultimately contributes to the overall health and wealth of the county because a dollar spent in a community circulates an average of 7 more times before it leaves that community. In addition, Marin Organic carries out socially-oriented projects such as our Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program and CSA (box program) in low income neighborhoods.



• Political – Marin County is fortunate enough to have a Board of Supervisors (and other local governmental agencies) who wholeheartedly embrace local and organic agriculture through policies that protect it and direct financial support. This is in large part due to the dedication and commitment of local advocates such as Ellen Straus who co-founded Marin Agricultural Land Trust and Warren Weber, owner of Star Route Farms in Bolinas, the oldest continuously certified organic farm in California who, for years were in the forefront of both the agricultural and environmental movements. Ellen and Warren’s efforts laid the groundwork for the political decision makers of today who now value and protect our precious agricultural heritage.