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Amid Declines in Marin Crop Values, Organic Milk Shines

Published

9 years ago

June 29, 2017

Steep dives in the values of cattle, hay, fruits, vegetables and aquaculture values in 2016 led Marin County’s Agriculture Commissioner to report a 13 percent decrease in the value of all crops and livestock in his annual report to the Board of Supervisors. The value of cattle decreased 53 percent to $10,543,000, the largest value decrease for a commodity in 2016. The decline is largely attributed to the reduction in the price paid per pound as it recedes from historic highs, Carlsen said. Despite a slight increase in headcount, cattle was valued at $724 a head, down from $1,596 in 2015.

“Ranchers don’t set prices, so they have a difficult time when a particular commodity price drops across the state or in many cases across the nation,” Carlsen said. “In this particular case the impact was most notable with our livestock, with beef pricing.”

Marin’s cattle figures were not unique. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) office in Sacramento, cattle prices nationally were over $200 per 100 pounds before suffering a $50 price slide on the market exchange starting in late 2015. As more California counties turn in their official crop reports, the price trend probably will prove that Marin’s decline was typical, according to NASS.

Milk accounted for 45 percent of the total gross value of Marin livestock and crops, up from 40 percent a year earlier, with a 2016 value of $43.1 million. Production of both conventional and organic milk was down 5 percent to $39.1 million, but Carlsen was pleased about the trends in organic farming and ranching. The value of organic milk today represents virtually Marin’s entire value of milk in 2006, and prices of organic milk are now over double what they are for conventional milk ($36.85 per 100 pounds vs. $15.03).

“It’s having a positive effect on our environmental resource protection while giving us an economic bonus of value added,” Carlsen said. “There’s no downside to trying to protect the environment.”

Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who represents District 4 and agricultural West Marin, called organic milk “the savior” of dairy farming in Marin and acknowledged the popularity of the Agriculture Department’s program called Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA). There were 65 registered organic producers in Marin in 2016 accounting for 46,321 acres (almost all pasture) and worth a total gross value of $66.1 million.

Among the good news Carlsen reported was poultry production jumping from a gross value of $5.3 million to $19.1 million, accounting for 20 percent of the county’s new total. Wine grape production worth $867,000 was up 150 percent, one year after a 51 percent dive during drought conditions. Some vintners harvested no grapes at all in 2015. Wool values were up 49 percent.

Carlsen’s report acknowledged the contributions of retired County Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who stepped down from his District 4 post in December 2016 after 20 years. The gross value of crops doubled in value during Kinsey’s two decades on the Board of Supervisors.

“Kinsey was a visionary who helped the agricultural industry grow and evolve into what it is today,” Carlsen said. “He was steadfast and passionate in his pursuit to protecting the agricultural landscape and historic ranching community in West Marin.”

Other key points in the report were:

Hay crop values dropped 47 percent because of the decrease in reported values per ton and the number of tons harvested. Fruit and vegetable values were down 29 percent because of lower market values. Aquaculture, including oysters, experienced a 26 percent drop in value because of decreased harvest.

Sheep values were up 16 percent.

Looking back at the 10-year trend in agricultural values, the 2016 total was still nearly $15 million more than the year-by-year average.

All Marin County Livestock and Crop reports are online, including the new one.

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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.