Conserving land is about safeguarding wildlife habitat and providing clean air and water, but it’s also about maintaining a source of healthy local food. We’re proud to say that protecting farmland has always been part of POST’s mission, and our partnership with Pie Ranch, an educational farm in Pescadero, is a perfect example of that work.
Pie Ranch isn’t the first farm POST has protected, but we recently celebrated a different ‘first’ on the property. With the help of Jered Lawson and Nancy Vail, co-founders of Pie Ranch, POST has completed our first affirmative agricultural easement on the farm. This means that the property not only is permanently protected from development, but is also guaranteed to remain in agricultural production in perpetuity. Easements like these protect both the land and the Coastside’s farming legacy.
The agreement is also the first of its kind in all of San Mateo County, which combines rich soil with a rich agricultural legacy. We look forward to using this tool to help ensure our region will have sources of local foods for future generations. We are excited to make this project happen for Pie Ranch, for POST, and for the land itself.
Learn more about Pie Ranch’s work and the story of our partnership in this short video, where you can take a virtual tour of the land and hear the story of our work together.
This year, we’ll give thanks for great partners like Pie Ranch, local food, beautiful local landscapes, and most of all, a great community of supporters like you! Happy Thanksgiving, and stay tuned – we’ll have more news on preserving working lands as an important part of our conservation vision in the months ahead.