[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 6 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E94]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ELLEN STRAUS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 1998

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, last week, I had the privilege of taking 
part in a ceremony to honor a true American hero. Ellen Straus, and her 
family, were named the recipients of the 1998 Steward of the Land award 
by American Farmland Trust. Ellen was selected because of her tireless 
efforts in promoting responsible land stewardship, farmland 
conservation policy and the use of environmentally and economically 
sustainable farming practices. This national award could not have gone 
to a more deserving person.
  Born in Amsterdam, Holland, Ellen came to the United States in 1940. 
She met and married Bill Straus in 1950 and moved to his dairy on the 
Tomales Bay, in Marin County, where they have been farming ever since. 
In 1993, the family converted their traditional dairy to an organic 
operation. The Straus Family Creamery, the first organic dairy and 
creamery west of the Mississippi, now sells over one million bottles of 
organic milk per year, in addition to cheese, butter and yogurt.
  Their commitment to environmentally sound practices dominates their 
operation. Their cows are fed 100 percent organically grown feed and 
are not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Their milk is sold in 
reusable glass bottles. A windmill pumps water to cows pastured uphill 
to reduce land erosion. Their bottle washing equipment has been 
redesigned to use 90% less water than originally designed, and the 
reclaimed water is used to wash floors. Wastewater generated at the 
creamery is treated in containment ponds and is later used to irrigate 
pasture lands. And, they are the first ranch in the area to use a no-
till drill for seeding crops. The Straus family's farming practices 
have been a model to ranchers throughout Marin County and serve as a 
standard for organic farming nationwide.
  One of Ellen's greatest legacies is the organization she co-founded 
in 1980, the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). MALT was the first 
land trust in the country to focus exclusively on the protection of 
farm and ranch lands. Through her efforts, Ellen was able to build a 
consensus among the agricultural, environmental and political 
communities to protect the farmland which is such an important part of 
the heritage of Marin County. Currently, MALT holds easements on over 
25,000 acres of land, protecting 38 Marin County farms from 
development. Ellen's vision has served as a model for other land trusts 
which have been developed across the country.
  As a Member of the House of Representatives, I have the good fortune 
to represent some of the greatest constituents in the country, and 
Ellen Straus is one of these people. She and Bill have advocated for a 
lifestyle in which they truly live and believe. Ellen has been an 
inspiration to me for her vision, her dedication, and her desire to 
protect the environment and agriculture as a way of life. Without her 
efforts, the agricultural heritage of West Marin County would have 
disappeared to development and urban sprawl many years ago. Instead, 
Ellen Straus has protected the peace and beauty of the West Marin hills 
for generations to come.

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