For Eva Taylor, small-town community has meant everything. It’s built on people willing to carry out often-laborious acts of love and the same sense of responsibility that keeps her family’s multi-generational ranch running.  At 17, Ms. Taylor has already held a multitude of roles in West Marin, from president of the Tomales chapter of Future Farmers of America, where she advocates for the importance of agriculture, to the 2026 Junior Grand Marshal of Western Weekend, a celebration she has attended every year.  “I feel extremely honored to be selected as the junior grand marshal,” she said. “I have looked at so many past junior grand marshals as people who were pillars of leadership and positivity—just great role models. To think that someone looked at me the way I looked at one of them is honestly heart-warming, and I feel so grateful.”  Ms. Taylor grew up at Bivalve Dairy, just north of Point Reyes Station. In the dairy industry, you learn to lean on those around you and to be there when someone needs your help. Living on a ranch also means there is always something to do.  “I definitely learned the value of hard work,” she said. “You can’t turn off cows. You can’t turn off the weather. The cows need to be milked, and you can’t rush things, but you also can’t go so slow that an animal gets sick.” From an early age, projects consumed her days. From tackling a junk pile her grandma left on the land to preparing animals for exhibition at county fairs, Ms. Taylor learned that meaningful work is not realized through reward but by seeing something through until the end. That mindset has followed her far beyond the ranch. Throughout the years, she has tried her hand at basketball, sewing, and public speaking. During the pandemic, the many activities that filled her days came to a halt, and she found herself searching for a new sport. One afternoon, her father handed her a shotgun. Soon, she was spending every weekend shooting at the back of her ranch. Against the backdrop of the hills, she would shoot down clay pigeons and watch as they turned to dust, cycling through boxes of target loads. Her hard work earned her a spot on the 4-H shooting sports project team and, soon after, on the Valley of the Moon Junior Trap Club team. Recently, she accepted an offer to shoot out of state, on a collegiate team. As she prepares to leave for Oklahoma State University this fall, Ms. Taylor finds herself reflecting on the place she has spent years serving. The prospect of leaving West Marin is exciting, she said, but also bittersweet. Though college will take her hundreds of miles from home, Ms. Taylor hopes her departure will not be permanent. After watching longtime families leave the seashore, she said maintaining the community’s character will require persistence from people like her.  “Growing up, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said. “The only thing that held true to me was my passion for the industry that we are in. I have seen firsthand how many ranches can go away overnight, and my goal is to come back to this community. Whether I’m a teacher, an agriculture commissioner, or a police officer, my goal is to make a difference.”