Ag Ombudsman

Marin County is one of only 5 in the state that has an Agricultural Ombudsman. In Marin, the position was created as a partnership between the Board of Supervisors, Department of Ag, Weights & Measures, and the UC Cooperative Extension office with the intent to promote the diversification of agriculture and support producers as they set out to build, expand or modify their operations for long-term success.

The Ag Ombudsman is a “one-stop-shop” for information on the many county, state and federal regulations that apply to commercial agriculture and, when appropriate, help producers to navigate the permitting or licensing process necessary to move their operation forward.

The Ag Ombudsman has no enforcement responsibilities, which means that they can be a safe, neutral person to explore ideas with and help producers understand the laws in order to make their own decisions. This kind of information can be very helpful whether a farmer or rancher wants to dig an irrigation pond, start a value-added business, build a new barn, or sell eggs at the farmers market.

The Ag Ombudsman is Vince Trotter. You can read a bit more about him here. Contact Vince with your questions at 415-473-4204 or at tvtrotter@ucanr.edu, or ask him your question directly here: