Organic and Sustainable Agriculture

As the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator for Marin, Steve Quirt works with farmers & ranchers, helping with creating farm and ranch diversification programs, and connecting people to promote the growth of all of the counties agriculture.

Steve comes to this position with a combination of skills from different disciplines within agriculture and small business development. A resident of West Marin for 38 years, he has strong relationships within the ranching and farming communities, especially in the Tomales and Point Reyes areas. He has done small-scale market farming, managed orchards and consulted for small farm operations.

Steve also ran a successful marketing communications business in Sonoma County for twenty years where he worked mostly with the wine industry. His marketing and communications experience provide a practical resource for helping ranchers and farmers remain viable and reach out to new diversified markets.

As the Community Development Advisor for Marin, Ellie Rilla's work focuses on land use policies and programs about diversification, farm succession, and long-term sustainability of the working landscapes of Northern California. For 23 years she served as the County Director working closely with the Marin Master Gardeners building a dynamic volunteer program. She co-facilitated the development of Select Sonoma in 1992, Marin Organic in 2000, and the Indian Valley Organic Farm with the College of Marin and the Conservation Corps North Bay in 2007.

Ellie has co-authored UC books about agritourism and building an artisan and farmstead cheese business, and written many research and economic development reports about agriculture in the North Bay available here. Currently is she working on piloting an artisan cheese certificate program with the California Artisan Cheese Guild and the College of Marin Community Education program. Her BA is in field biology, and MA is in political science and public administration.

The Organic & Sustainable Agriculture program serves the Marin County Agricultural Community by producing educational workshops, organizing working producer groups, publishing the Grown in Marin News, and offering consultation and assistance with farm diversification, organic transition, organic certification, and farm planning.

Our companion website, www.growninmarin.org, is a rich resource of information offering a complete farm listing for organic and sustainable producers who market to the public, current articles and press relating to sustainable agriculture, a regularly updated events calendar, historical profiles of Marin County agriculture, a partner listing, archived "Grown in Marin" newsletters, and a workshop resource listing. This website is the most comprehensive resource available for agriculture.

View the 2011 Marin Agricultural Summit Action Plan and other resources from the 2010 Marin Agricultural Summit.

Contact: Steve Quirt, Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, (415) 473-4204, wsquirt@ucdavis.edu, and Ellie Rilla, Community Development Advisor, (415) 473-4204, erilla@ucdavis.edu.