[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E180-E181]
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

                       Tuesday, February 11, 2003

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ellen Straus of 
Marshall, California, who died on November 30, 2002, after a lifetime 
of vision, leadership, and dedication to protecting agriculture and 
assuring its viability in West Marin.
  Ellen was born in Amsterdam in 1927 to a Jewish family. In February, 
1940, fearful of the Nazi threat, they immigrated to New York where her 
father was able to continue his work as a diamond broker. Ellen, a 
bright 13-year-old who knew no English, began attending school right 
away and in 1948 graduated from Bard College with a major in Natural 
Sciences and Mathematics. When she applied for research jobs, she was 
asked if she knew typing and shorthand, so, in order to find work, she 
enrolled in Katherine Gibbs School in New York City to obtain a 
Business Degree.
  In 1949 in New York Ellen met William Straus, a rancher from Marin 
County, California, who, like herself, came from a European Jewish 
family that had immigrated to the U.S. Bill had received a degree from 
UC Berkeley in animal husbandry and bought a dairy ranch near Marshall 
in 1941. Bill and Ellen were married in New York and moved to their 
ranch on Tomales Bay.
  Although the work was hard, Ellen loved the ranch and the beautiful 
Tomales Bay area. She raised four children and taught them what she had 
learned by observing Hitler's rise to power--the importance of 
individuals becoming politically involved to create and preserve what 
is valued in life. Ellen was active in politics, including 14 years on 
the Democratic Central Committee of Marin.
  During the 1960's she was a key supporter of the effort to create 
Point Reyes National Seashore, establishing herself as a visionary who 
understood that ranchers and conservationists need to work together to 
preserve open spaces for both agriculture and recreation. She worked 
hard to develop cooperation between the two groups, and her husband 
Bill became the first rancher to join the Marin Conservation League.
  This vision continued to motivate Ellen and Bill as they fought for a 
new general plan for Marin County in the 1960s to prevent rural West 
Marin from being carved up for subdivisions and freeways. Realizing 
that even this successful effort was not enough, Ellen co-founded Marin 
Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) with Phyllis Faber in 1980.

[[Page E181]]

  MALT was the first land trust in the country focused on the 
protection of agriculture. Under MALT, ranchers are paid for the 
development rights to their land which they continue to own. Under the 
agreement, they can live on the property and farm or sell to other 
farmers, always keeping the land in agriculture. Ellen's energy and 
commitment were key in MALT's success. She served for many years as a 
Board Member and Chair, and today the agency, with 32,000 acres 
preserved, is a national model for developing partnerships to protect 
agricultural land.
  Ellen also understood the importance of educating the public in the 
value of agriculture. In the early 1970s she began hosting school 
groups at the ranch. Soon she was welcoming adults, from politicians to 
budding environmentalists, including visitors from abroad. Along with a 
good education and a up-close look at cows, Ellen served homemade apple 
pie. Today visitor programs to West Marin ranches continue to play a 
key role in informing the public about the role of agriculture in the 
community.
  Ellen cared not only about preserving agriculture but also improving 
it. Concerned about the quality of food people eat and chemical and 
hormone additives, Ellen was a leader in developing organic products. 
She worked with her son Albert, who currently operates the family 
dairy, to produce the first organic milk west of the Mississippi. The 
Straus Family Creamery is now well-known for its high quality dairy 
products and environmental practices.
  Numerous awards are a testament to Ellen's leadership. These include 
the Marin Women's Hall of Fame, the White House ``Points of Light,'' 
and America's highest honor from the American Farmland Trust, the 1998 
Steward of the Land award.
  Ellen was also active in the the Greenbelt Alliance, the Eastshore 
Planning, Group, the Marin Conservation League, the Marin Community 
Foundation Neighborhood Achievements program, the Environmental Action 
Committee, the Tomales Bay Advisory Committee, the Environmental Forum, 
and West Marin Growers.
  Ellen was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. She is survived 
by Bill, her husband of 52 years; sister Anneke Prins Simons; her four 
children: Albert and his wife Jeanne Smithfield; Vivien; Miriam and her 
husband Alan Berkowitz; and Michael; her four grandsons Isaac, Jonah, 
Reuben and Eli . . . and 270 milking cows.
  Mr. Speaker, Ellen Straus will be missed by so many who shared in her 
work and her dreams. It is fitting to recognize her visionary efforts 
in preserving open space in West Marin and helping to create Point 
Reyes National Seashore that have left a legacy that all can enjoy. Her 
pioneering work in organic dairying is creating a new future in 
agriculture. I will always remember Ellen Straus as a wonderful, warm 
friend and committed steward of the land.

                          ____________________