The February 17 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered one of the most emotional and urgent interviews of the year as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill welcomed back Stephanie Moreda-Arend, a fifth-generation dairy farmer from the Point Reyes–Petaluma area. Her message was clear: small, organic dairy families are being pushed off historic land, and California agriculture cannot afford to ignore it.
Moreda-Arend first joined the program months ago when environmental groups filed lawsuits aimed at removing multi-generational farms from land leased through Point Reyes National Seashore. Now, the situation has escalated. A settlement agreement signed in early January has already led to several dairy families selling their cattle, shutting down operations, and leaving land that has been farmed for over a century.
The impact goes far beyond a handful of ranches. According to Moreda-Arend, the closures affect not only farm owners, but also the dozens of families who live and work on those properties. Many employees receive housing as part of their employment, meaning entire households are now scrambling to find new homes, new jobs, and new schools for their children in an already tight California housing market.
She pushed back strongly on claims that removing agriculture protects the environment. In her view, regenerative dairy operations and healthy ecosystems go hand in hand. Quality soil, clean water, and strong pasture management are not optional — they are essential to producing high-quality milk and beef. “You can’t have good food without good land,” she emphasized.
Moreda-Arend also raised concerns about the long-term consequences. Once a dairy shuts down, it rarely returns. The generational knowledge, infrastructure, and passion required to run a dairy operation cannot simply be replaced. If small family farms disappear, she warned, food production will consolidate into fewer, larger operations — or shift out of state entirely.
The conversation also touched on federal attention to the issue. While the legal complexities of national park land make intervention challenging, Moreda-Arend said awareness at the national level is growing. Still, she stressed that public support and continued pressure are critical if remaining farms are to survive.
For her personally, the fight has added another layer of responsibility to an already demanding life. Dairy farming is a 24/7 commitment, and advocacy was never part of the original job description. But she believes staying silent is no longer an option.
Papagni and McGill underscored the broader takeaway: California cannot claim to value sustainability while dismantling the very farms that produce local, organic food.
As Moreda-Arend put it, protecting small family dairies isn’t just about one region — it’s about preserving the backbone of American agriculture.